The Big Ten suspended Jim Harbaugh on Friday as part of an ongoing investigation into in-person scouting and sign stealing.
Harbaugh will be prohibited from being on the sideline for the final three regular-season games against No. 10 Penn State, Maryland and No. 1 Ohio State. He will be allowed to coach during the week.
ESPN's Pete Thamel reports Harbaugh will not be on the sideline for the game against the Nittany Lions because there will not be a ruling on a temporary restraining order today.
The Big Ten found Michigan violated the Big Ten sportsmanship policy for conducting an in-person scouting operation over multiple years, which resulted in "an unfair competitive advantage that compromised the integrity of competition." Michigan responded by saying it will "seek a court order, together with Coach Harbaugh, preventing this disciplinary acton from taking place". Harbaugh traveled with the team ahead of its game against No. 10 Penn State on Saturday.
The suspension could have an impact on Michigan in its quest to win a third consecutive Big Ten championship and reach the College Football Playoff for the third consecutive year. The timing could not be worse considering the Wolverines face the Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium at 12 p.m. on Fox on Saturday. The Big Ten announcement came when Michigan was flying to Pennsylvania on Friday.
Harbaugh was suspended as part of a sign-stealing scandal that led to the resignation of Michigan staffer Connor Stalions on Nov. 3. The road to the Big Ten championship game has become significantly more complicated.
MORE: What to know about Michigan assistant Connor Stalions
Michigan's playoff chances in 2023
The Wolverines (9-0) have won their eight games by an average of 34 points per game. The next-best school is No. 6 Oregon at 26.1 points per game.
Right now, Michigan has the second best national championship odds at +280 behind Georgia at +240. The Wolverines are a 4.5-point favorite against Penn State on Saturday, and the regular-season finale against No. 1 Ohio State will be huge.
Having Harbaugh for game preparation during the week is a plus, and this will be a test for the rest of the coaching staff against two top-10 opponents.
MORE: Jim Harbaugh's timeline of trouble at Michigan
How will the College Football Playoff committee view Michigan?
The Wolverines have ranked No. 3 in the first two sets of College Football Playoff rankings. On Oct. 31, CFP committee chairman Boo Corrigan said the Michigan controversy "wasn't part of any of the discussions." He has said it is the committee's job to evaluate the teams eligible for the playoff, indicating they would not treat Michigan any differently as long as it is eligible.
Will that narrative change now that the Big Ten has punished Harbaugh? Michigan is ranked behind No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Georgia, and CFP executive director Bill Hancock has long used the phrase "four very best teams" to describe the selection process.
In that regard, the CFP likely will let Michigan determine its fate on the field, to some extent, even with Harbaugh potentially out of the fold.
How Michigan fared without Jim Harbaugh in 2023
Harbaugh served a school-imposed three-game suspension to start the 2023 season on a separate NCAA case where the coach faces allegations of impermissible contact with recruits during COVID-19.
Michigan outscored East Carolina, UNLV and Bowling Green by a combined score of 96-16 in the three games Harbaugh missed. In Harbaugh's absence, defensive coordinator Jesse Minter served as head coach against East Carolina, special teams coordinator Jay Harbaugh and running backs coach Mike Hart were the coaches against UNLV and offensive Sherrone Moore was the head coach against Bowling Green.
Is Michigan eligible for the Big Ten championship?
That is unclear. The Big Ten championship game is on Dec. 2, and that is technically part of the regular season. Michigan won the Big Ten championship game each of the last two seasons. Michigan is tied for the Big Ten East lead with Ohio State heading into Week 11.
If the Wolverines win out, then they would win the Big Ten East and be eligible for that game.
Will Jim Harbaugh coach against Ohio State?
As of now, the answer would be "no." Michigan could seek legal action to challenge the Big Ten's ruling. That will be a major storyline leading up to The Game considering Michigan is looking for three straight victories against the Buckeyes for the first time since 1995-97.
As a head coach, Harbaugh lost his first five meetings against Ohio State before the last two seasons. Ohio State coach Ryan Day is 1-2 against Michigan. The matchup will have Big Ten and College Football Playoff implications with or without Harbaugh on the sideline.
