The Big Ten announced Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh will be prohibited from coaching on the sideline for the remainder of the regular season.
At least, in theory. The Friday ruling is the next chapter in an NCAA investigation into Michigan for in-person scouting and sign stealing in a scandal that led to the resignation of staffer Connor Stallions on Nov. 3. Harbaugh will be allowed to coach during the week but will not be able to be on the sideline. Michigan did not get a ruling on a temporary restraining order ahead of the showdown against No. 10 Penn State.
The Wolverines still won 24-15 under interim coach Sherrone Moore, but the fallout from the scandal continues to have a far-reaching impact on the Big Ten, Michigan and college football beyond this year's College Football Playoff race.
A look at the winners and losers from the scandal to date:
Michigan scandal winners and losers
Winners
Tony Petitti
Petitti certainly did not hit Michigan with a "slap on the wrist." That ruling showed Petitti is not afraid to take on one of the Big Two within the conference. In a letter to Michigan, Petitti tried to dispel those notions. Via The Athletic's Nicole Auerbach:
“The Conference does not play favorites among its members, nor does it take actions towards its members based on prejudgment or bias. Failing to act under the extraordinary circumstances here could lead other Conference members to reasonably conclude that the conference has chosen to favor the University over all other members.”
Tony Petitti, in letter to Michigan, says that the school initially refused to consent to the Big Ten obtaining the spreadsheet and other documents from the NCAA related to its investigation.
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) November 10, 2023
Also makes point to say he's not playing favorites. pic.twitter.com/OgTvTNY1QI
Most speculation pinned a potential Harbaugh suspension at two games knowing that the regular-season finale against No. 1 Ohio State is a huge television draw and Petitti has a background in TV with the MLB Network. Petitti went heavy-handed instead, maybe a little too heavy considering the pending legal response from Michigan.
This no doubt is risky on several fronts. The Big Ten made it clear that they still have not linked Harbaugh to any wrongdoing and that this an institutional penalty based on the findings. The NCAA also will continue its investigation into the Wolverines. The timing of Friday's announcement also was poor – less than 24 hours before the game against Penn State. Petitti upheld sportsmanship within the conference, but it could lead to a long-term rift with Michigan.
Regardless, Petitti did the right thing.
DECOURCY: Michigan got off easy with Harbaugh suspension
Ohio State-Michigan TV ratings
With or without Harbaugh, The Game will draw ridiculous television ratings.
According to Sports Media Watch, three college football games have drew a Nielsen rating of 5.0 or better this season. Penn State-Ohio State (5.3), Colorado-Oregon (5.2) and Ohio State-Notre Dame (5.1) make up that list. Michigan-Penn State should join that list on Saturday, but the intrigue around The Game this year could double all of those games.
Last year's matchup drew an 8.05 with 17.1 million viewers. Michigan won the last two meetings and has a chance to win three in a row in the rivalry for the first time since 1995-97. Ohio State is No. 1 in the College Football Playoff rankings. Harbaugh (2-5) and Day (1-2) both have losing records in this rivalry matchup, and the Big Ten East, CFP and perhaps national championship are on the line.
Will this game draw a 10 Nielsen rating and 20 million viewers? It's not out of the question, and there will be enough WWE-like promos leading up to this game to get both fan-bases frothing.
Helmet technology
CBSSports.com reported on Oct. 20 that the NCAA rules committee is giving teams the option of coach-to-player helmet communication to relay plays from the sideline during bowl season this year. Tablets will inevitably follow, and here is the sliver of good that will come from this scandal.
It's about damn time. Death to sandwich-board playcalling, please. Bring on those playsheets where coaches simply have to cover their mouth. This is one instance where emulating the NFL game is overdue.
Sherrone Moore
If Moore is going to be a head coach, then Saturday’s victory against the Nittany Lions was a fitting audition. The Wolverines rushed for 227 yards – including 32 straight run plays – in grinding out a top-10 victory at one of the toughest environments in the FBS at Beaver Stadium.
Moore was emotional - complete with NSFW language – in the aftermath.
Sherrone Moore filled in for Jim Harbaugh as Michigan's coach today.
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) November 11, 2023
He was emotional after defeating Penn State.
"I want to thank Coach Harbaugh. ... I love the s— out of you man."
🎥: @CFBONFOX pic.twitter.com/NmXZWrGxCM
Moore, however, will emerge as a leading candidate for some jobs as a result, and that is a huge victory for one of the nation’s top assistants.
Losers
Connor Stalions
Stalions made a name for himself. He will be remembered as the Michigan staffer as the center of this sign-stealing scandal. Stalions resigned on Nov. 3. The NCAA investigation whether Michigan was involved with in-person scouting, which is prohibited by the NCAA, put Stalions into the college football consciousness. According to ESPN.com, Stalions allegedly purchased tickets to more than 35 games involving Big Ten and potential CFP opponents.
Photos also surfaced os a person who resembles Stalions on the Central Michigan sideline during the Chippewas' opener against Michigan State on Sept. 1. Central Michigan has yet to confirm who that person was, another layer to a wild Stalions story that has supplied endless meme and conspiracy material on social media.
Stalions might be the fall guy who saved Michigan from further wrath from the Big Ten and NCAA or the reason the Wolverines' national championship season unraveled. That fate is yet to be determined, but at minimum he will be one of those controversial names we'll never forget, like Harvey Updyke and Nevin Shapiro.
Jim Harbaugh
On one hand, Harbaugh could serve his second suspension within one season and further NCAA punishment could be coming down the line. On the other, he could emerge as a martyr for Michigan fans given there is reportedly no proof yet he knew of Stalion's rule-breaking.
Harbaugh will have a temporary restraining order hearing on Nov. 17, according to ESPN.com. That will determine whether he returns to the field for the final two games against Maryland and No. 1 Ohio State.
It's an inescapable fact that Harbaugh is 31-3 – and Michigan is 35-3 – since the program bottomed out at the end of the 2020 season. While it is almost impossible to quantify how much the alleged in-person scouting and sign-stealing would have helped the Wolverines over the past two seasons, it will be a tough stain to erase knowing those violations are now on the Big Ten record.
What will Harbaugh do now? That is almost impossible to predict given his combative personality. Would he sign a contract extension and continue to fight the NCAA? Will Harbaugh finally take the parachute to the NFL? Those are questions bound to come up at the end of the 2023 season.
BENDER: Michigan will need Jim Harbaugh against Ohio State
Big Ten
This is the fourth football scandal in less than a calendar year.
Three former Iowa football players and a student manager were charged in an illegal sports wagering scandal. Several student-athletes face allegations of placing bets on games in which they played in. Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald was fired on July 10 after a hazing investigation into the program. Fitzgerald is suing the university for wrongful termination. Michigan State fired Mel Tucker on Sept. 27 after allegations of sexual misconduct from Brenda Tracy, a speaker on sexual assault awareness.
Now, Michigan has a scandal on the field, and they countered with allegations that Ohio State and Rutgers leaked Michigan's signs to Purdue in last year's Big Ten championship game. ESPN reported that Big Ten coaches and athletic directors encouraged Big Ten commissioner Petitti to act last week, but that resulted in action before the NCAA investigation concluded.
Do you wonder what the SEC and commissioner Greg Sankey privately think about all this? For the Big Ten, it is an ugly run of bad behavior on and off the field for a conference that is welcoming four new members next season in Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington.
To be determined
Michigan
Michigan is 10-0 and on track to meet No. 1 Ohio State for another blockbuster matchup in college football’s best rivalry. On the field, the Wolverines remain on track for a third straight Big Ten championship and shot at the College Football Playoff.
But this is about more than football.
Will more penalties come from the Big Ten and NCAA as a result of the in-person scouting scandal that has not left the college football consciousness this month? Will the Harbaugh-Petitti battle lead to an unsettling end for Michigan? President Santa Ono and athletic director Warde Manuel have voiced their support for Harbaugh, but that has been more about due process than admitting to any wrongdoing.
It has thrust the Wolverines – a talented team led by J.J. McCarthy, Blake Corum and a defense that allows 7.5 points per game – into a villain role, complete with visits from Ric Flair. That only works when you are winning. One loss, and all this could unravel, and the Terps and Buckeyes still remain on the schedule.
Will a national championship outweigh the stain on their reputation? The answer is almost always yes for the fans, but the program might feel a different long-term result.
