EAST LANSING, Mich. – Go ahead and question Michigan’s integrity.
Accuse Jim Harbaugh of violating the NCAA rule book. Take offense at analysts stealing signs or overstepping your boundaries. Join the biggest program in the Big Ten for its comeback. The Wolverines have made one thing clear: them. Do. Don’t. Care.
“You see it all over social media,” said right-back Zak Zinter. “People throw different stuff at us, NCAA, whatever. You can claim and do whatever, say whatever. We’ll just keep doing what we’re doing.”
They destroy every Big Ten team that comes their way. No. 2 Michigan (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten) did it again Saturday night, defeating Michigan State 49-0 after another week of controversy.
Two days earlier, it was announced that the NCAA was investigating Michigan for possible violations of a rule that prohibits in-person scouting of future opponents. On Friday afternoon, Michigan suspended recruiting analyst Connor Stalions, a staff member known for his sign-stealing skills.
Apparently Stallions wasn’t crucial to Michigan’s success. The Wolverines still have JJ McCarthy and one of the best defenses in the FBS, and that was more than enough to overwhelm Michigan State. Like every opponent before them, the Spartans faced Michigan and had no chance.
“They were a real buzz saw,” Harbaugh said.
The Wolverines haven’t made many friends in the Big Ten despite winning 20 straight conference games. Teams that suspected something suspicious in Michigan’s sign-stealing operation certainly felt some satisfaction when news of the NCAA investigation became public.
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Some of them are sour grapes. Some of this is undoubtedly a reaction to the way Michigan conducts itself as a program. For a team that prides itself on doing things right, Michigan seems to be in the middle of a lot of controversy. The program is getting a slam dunk from both its Big Ten rivals and the NCAA.
“There is a goal, yes,” Harbaugh said. “Everyone emphasized that from the beginning of the season. Our guys are just very focused. They just go about their business.”
It will take more than one or three investigations to bring down Michigan. The Wolverines play through investigations the way other teams play through sprained ankles. They just don’t mind.
Michigan was already under investigation for alleged Level II violations, which included improper contact with recruits during the COVID-19 dead period and improper use of analysts for on-field coaching. Harbaugh was accused of failing to cooperate with the investigation and served a three-game school-imposed suspension earlier in the season.
That came after offensive coordinator Matt Weiss was fired for cause in January as police investigated suspicious computer activity at Schembechler Hall. Now the program is facing another NCAA investigation related to alleged violations of the in-person scouting rule.
The debate over the ethics of personal scouting is like the debate over the ethics of pass interference: Ethical or not, it’s against the rules, and that’s what matters. If the Wolverines violate in-person scouting or videotaping rules, they should be penalized. If Harbaugh knew about such violations — and he says he didn’t — he should be held accountable.
Neither Michigan nor the NCAA deserve the benefit of the doubt here. Both have proven fallible in various ways. The NCAA must prove its case, whether through video evidence or written communications. People are rightly skeptical of the NCAA’s ability to dispense justice. Just look at the Kansas basketball investigation that lasted six years and ended with barely a whimper.
Even if these investigations do not result in meaningful sanctions, they consume time and resources. They spread distrust of the people and programs involved. They damage reputations and diminish successes.
It may take months or years before the full story comes to light. In the meantime, Michigan has games to play and another Big Ten championship to pursue. The Wolverines are adept at ignoring accusations and innuendo, perhaps because they have so much practice.
“All the outside distractions, the allegations against Coach Harbaugh, that doesn’t help us,” said McCarthy. “We’re just out there trying to play ball and have fun with our guys. We just keep it very simple.”
This week has already been emotionally fraught after last year’s game against Michigan State ended with a violent scene in the Michigan Stadium tunnel. Two Michigan players were injured in that confrontation, including cornerback Ja’Den McBurrows, who had the first interception of his career in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game. Leading up to the game, the Wolverines claimed they had not discussed the tunnel. After McBurrows intercepted that, they admitted it might have come up once or twice.
“I know how he felt,” said defensive back Mike Sainristil, who made his second pick-six of the season. “I felt it too. I was so happy for him. He talked about different things all week. He mentioned what happened last year a few times. Coach and us players told him, ‘When you get your chance, just go out there and make the plays.'”
As Michigan entered halftime with a 28-0 lead, Harbaugh urged the Wolverines to “leave no doubt.” McCarthy said this was in response to blowing a lead on her last trip to Michigan State, rather than an attempt to prove anything about the sign-stealing allegations.
Even though they didn’t try, the Wolverines sent a message. They outscored their first seven opponents 93-0 in the third quarter, a statistic cited after the sign-stealing allegations came to light. Is Michigan that good at halftime adjustment? Or perhaps the Wolverines are benefiting from an unfair advantage?
The lead in the third quarter after Saturday’s game is 107-0. Any Michigan State fans who had hoped the Wolverines would collapse without the help of their sign-stealing network went home bitterly disappointed.
“Put all that stuff aside: We measure our 11 against everyone else’s 11 in the country on offense, defense and special teams,” tight end AJ Barner said.
You’d be hard-pressed to find a team anywhere in the country that plays better than Michigan. Six people on The Athletic’s eight-person panel picked Michigan to win the national championship, and the Wolverines certainly looked in that role again Saturday night.
Aside from the investigation, the Wolverines are running roughshod over the rest of the Big Ten. And they will keep going until someone stops them.
(Top photo: Gregory Shamus / Getty)