Does the Big 10 have more action planned against Coach Harbaugh?
I'm still flying high from that dominating win yesterday. OSU has already seen the NFL-level passes that JJ makes, but yesterday they saw what our O-line did to the #2 rushing defense. OSU has the #22 rush defense. By playing that type of game, Michigan didn't put anything new on film for OSU to see.
But, as they say, celebrate for 24 hours then get back to work. I had some questions after reading the notice from the conference. This paragraph gave me pause:
The Conference recognizes that additional disciplinary actions may be necessary or appropriate if it receives additional information concerning the scope and knowledge of, or participation in, the impermissible scheme. (emphasis mine)
This is probably boilerplate material, but it makes me wonder if the conference doesn't intend to let Harbaugh coach again this season and will find some reason to keep him out of the championship game. Remember, the first suspension that was floated was an indefinite suspension. There's been such vindictiveness out of Pettiti and the B1G that I can't imagine they're done. With this notice, they made sure to point out that, despite punishing Harbaugh with a 3-game suspension, they weren't going after Harbaugh. They were punishing the position, which just happens to be Jim Harbaugh. Next will be punishing Harbaugh.
The NCAA cooperated with the conference, which, in itself, seems odd. It smacks of collusion and a targeted takedown of Harbaugh due to his stance on profit sharing with athletes. What are the odds that "evidence" is already queued up and waiting to be unveiled in time for the B1G championship game. If so, it brings up this question: Since neither the NCAA nor the B1G control the CFP, can they keep Harbaugh from coaching in the playoffs?
Or maybe I'm just reading too much into it.
November 12th, 2023 at 10:13 PM ^
Petty Tony claimed this is worse than the Sandusky and Nasser scandals. Not a sane one, prima facie.
November 12th, 2023 at 8:37 PM ^
“We didn’t violate our standards because we have no standards” is a bold statement to make publicly. Everyone thinks it’s great when the laws are bent in their favor. But they won’t like it when they are on the receiving end.
November 13th, 2023 at 11:19 AM ^
wow. That wording, combined with a bad-faith actor, is a recipe for disaster.
we're watching its potential for abuse in real time, as such, no member should want that language to remain as is. way too much potential for abuse - as we're seeing currently.
November 12th, 2023 at 5:06 PM ^
Either way it’s time to rope Jay Harbaugh into expanded OL coaching duties to take a little pressure off Sherrone, IMO. The most important position group on the field needs dedicated attention on game day, and we should definitely be expecting more of the same bullshit.
”This is probably boilerplate material, but it makes me wonder if the conference doesn't intend to let Harbaugh coach again this season and will find some reason to keep him out of the championship game.”
Given what we’ve seen so far, where the commish is willing and apparently able to levy any punishment he wants based on whatever whim he pulls out of his ass, the only thing stopping him from continuing to pile brazenly arbitrary and capricious punishment on Michigan/Harbaugh would be the fellow conference members who obviously are on board with these actions. Based on the court punting the TRO it seems they’re not all that interested in getting involved. So it really comes down to, how much is Michigan willing to put up with and what options are on the table?
November 12th, 2023 at 5:51 PM ^
Yes, being without the head coach on the sideline adds extra duties and stress to the other coaches which puts Michigan at a disadvantage. That's punishing the entire team, including the players.
November 12th, 2023 at 5:12 PM ^
By playing that type of game, Michigan didn't put anything new on film for OSU to see.
Didn't we show a new jumbo o-line package for much of the game?
November 12th, 2023 at 5:53 PM ^
I'm unsure if OSU can scheme size and toughness...
November 12th, 2023 at 8:40 PM ^
I’m quite certain they can’t, or else they already would have.
November 12th, 2023 at 8:49 PM ^
According to OSU fans, they did not have enough time to change their signs once they found out we were stealing them so surely there is no time to prepare for this new package.
November 12th, 2023 at 8:55 PM ^
They are a dimwitted lot.
November 12th, 2023 at 10:55 PM ^
They ain’t come to play skool
November 12th, 2023 at 5:14 PM ^
It's probably boilerplate, and I'd be surprised if anything beyond 3 games happens even if Michigan doesn't get an injunction or TRO. But since Tony Petiti is effectively a real life Dean Wormer now, who knows?
November 12th, 2023 at 5:23 PM ^
100% Petittie would add additional penalties if the NCAA process shows additonal facts (such as an assistant coach was aware of the scheme, or something). 100%
November 12th, 2023 at 5:33 PM ^
Remember this has nothing to do with advance scouting or sign stealing. It is a thinly veiled attempt to take down Jim Harbaugh. The combination of Michigan’s new found dominance in the conference coupled with JH’s stated beliefs that the players should get a cut of the TV revenue make him a massive threat to the other coaches, ADs and big ten executives. They think he must be dealt with. It started with Burger-gate and has now moved to this. I would fully expect there to be either additional punishment or another fake scandal to emerge.
November 12th, 2023 at 7:49 PM ^
It didn't start with burger-gate, it started when Jim first started those satellite camps 7 years ago.
November 12th, 2023 at 5:38 PM ^
Wouldnt surprise me. Pettiti seems to only be listening to our rivals and is mad we’re not just taking his arbitrary punishments. The NCAA already had a hardon for going after Jim. I think (and hope) Michigans lawyers will be busy for a while.
November 12th, 2023 at 5:40 PM ^
I wouldn't put it past those bastards.
November 12th, 2023 at 5:43 PM ^
What’s more ominous is that the NCAA is speeding up its investigation, which can only mean they want to get Harbaugh and Michigan before the season is over. I’m not sure how far they’d be willing to go, and I don’t know if they could keep Michigan out of the CFP as a penalty, but it sure seems like they want to drop the hammer as hard as they can. One thing for certain, Michigan isn’t getting in as a one loss team.
November 12th, 2023 at 6:04 PM ^
This doesn't matter for this season - NCAA has not issued a Notice of Allegations yet and by the NCAA's own bylaws, Michigan has 90 days to respond to that. Meaning, even if the NCAA issued the notice on Monday, Michigan has until February to respond.
No punishment from the NCAA can come before Michigan responds to the notice.
November 12th, 2023 at 6:15 PM ^
I have same fear The Oracle 2 has. Why is the ncaa speeding up their investigation? I believe to give the big ten additional ammo to further hurt UM and Harbaugh this season. While the ncaa (if the ncaa follows their own rules) can’t do anything this year, they will work with the big ten to keep harbaugh off the sidelines for as long as possible. It’s all BS.
November 12th, 2023 at 6:33 PM ^
Optimistically, maybe it’s because they want to put the kibosh on this shit circus and be like “Guys, this was a minor violation wtf are you freaking out over. Stalions is gone and Harbs was suspended so it’s time served, case closed.”
November 12th, 2023 at 6:51 PM ^
I'm actually optimistic like you. The bullshit around this has been driven ENTIRELY from within the conference, not the NCAA. I also think they're sick of the circus. The only word we've had from the NCAA is to say BOTH Harbaugh and Day are not individually implicated. That to me sounds like they want this buried and forgotten
November 12th, 2023 at 7:23 PM ^
Pessimistically the NCAA is already investigating Harbaugh for buying 2 recruits hamburgers and publicly commenting against their own rules and is now investigating him for one of the most mundane rules in the rule book. From what we've seen, would anyone be surprised by a massive penalty, citing a pattern of rule breaking?
November 12th, 2023 at 11:00 PM ^
I would not be surprised. But I also see that the B1G and ESPN et al. are the worst actors in this situation. There is yet hope that the NCAA will be the voice of reason… slim though it may seem
November 12th, 2023 at 8:50 PM ^
Bylaws, schmylaws. They will just declare that getting signs by iPhone video rather than text messages from other B1G coaches was destroying the space-time continuum, so they need to act now before it destroys all mankind. Won’t someone please think of the children?
November 12th, 2023 at 6:00 PM ^
Ooh, Harbaugh might not be on the sideline for the BTC game against Iowa? I'm not too worried about that.
November 13th, 2023 at 6:11 AM ^
Yeah, Iowa got waxed by PSU 31-0 in Happy Valley. I'm pretty confident UM could whip Iowa if I were coaching the game.
November 12th, 2023 at 6:17 PM ^
I could see them suspending Harbaugh for the Big Ten championship but then if OSU doesn’t get into the playoffs all of a sudden they back off because we are the B1G team in the playoffs. To do otherwise would be showing their actual true intentions.
November 12th, 2023 at 6:32 PM ^
Going by suspending the head of the team, Izzo should have been suspended for the crap that Payne and Appling did period!
November 12th, 2023 at 6:44 PM ^
My guess is that they want to keep in reserve the ability to ban Michigan from the 2024 Big 10 Championship Game. That would be dependent on what the NCAA finds/does.
November 12th, 2023 at 6:48 PM ^
Of course they do.
The conference "leadership" is being driven by OSU and whoever else, bullying a rookie commish into compliance with what they want. They don't want Jim coaching in the Big Ten, period. He's a threat to Ohio State's position in the conference. And most of the conference members have enough hatred for Michigan and Harbaugh to go along.
Also, Jim is a threat to the NCAA as a whole. He's a threat because of his stance on paying players. He's a threat because of "dangerous" ideas like expansion of satellite camps which of course upset the almighty SEC. He's a threat because he speaks his mind.
This is exactly why the suspension is THREE games and not two. They don't want Jim coaching against Ohio State, because they know the probable result -- Mr. Ten-Ply Sawft getting pasted again, leaving a bumpier road to the CFP.
So, if Michigan finds a way to nullify this punishment, there will be something else drug up. Bank on it.
This is why Michigan cannot remain in the conference. In the face of this treatment, you have to use the only power you have, which is to leave.
November 12th, 2023 at 6:49 PM ^
It’s cover-their-ass boilerplate because they haven’t actually investigated
I believe the NCAA would have to issue a notice of allegations to take actions, but this shit hole conference did not bother following its own rules. Why should the NCAA? Another shit hole organization
Share. Revenue. With. Athletes. The end
November 12th, 2023 at 6:52 PM ^
The only thing I'm worried about is the Conference's Football Game Management Manual section 14.A that prohibits videos for scouting purposes of games in which the team is not participating. There don't seem to be any loopholes around that one. Not relevant to the NCAA but is relevant to any issues with the B1G (not that it should be adjudicated through the sportsmanship policy).
November 12th, 2023 at 7:05 PM ^
Well you’re missing the point. Even if the Big Ten had clear evidence, they still need to follow the process they agreed to follow. This is a voluntary association where member schools signed up to be governed by the rules. They would not have done so if the rules could be applied arbitrarily without process.
https://mgoblog.com/diaries/legal-analysis-big-ten-rules-don%27t-allow-…
November 12th, 2023 at 8:01 PM ^
not that it should be adjudicated through the sportsmanship policy
That's why I said that. I'm talking long term. Seems rather clear Stalions had people recording games and while I will argue that broke no NCAA rules I see no way to argue around it breaking the B1Gs rule above.
November 12th, 2023 at 7:02 PM ^
Tony can do whatever he pleases. He is pretty much a dictator and he surely doesn’t need any new evidence. If he wants to do some more damage he will cause that’s what dictators do. Michigan’s best chance is just finishing the fight through the courts. NCAA will not be doing shit this year and they have nothing to do with the college football playoffs. As far as Michigan leaving the big 10, that’s a long shot and at best it will take years. Regarding all the supposed dirt Michigan has, nothing will come out of it. I stand to be proven wrong. See y’all next week and enjoy the show till then. Go Blue!!!
November 12th, 2023 at 7:19 PM ^
〽️administration needs to sign Harbaugh to life long contract ASAP. So he is tempted to flee to the NFL.
November 12th, 2023 at 7:52 PM ^
I think this was the most that they felt that they could get away with on short notice to ratfuck Michigan's season.
They want more. A lot more. Like Harbaugh for a season and show cause. Coordinators. Wins (to include Big Ten championship) vacated.
This is a coordinated takedown. Just watch how much more they'll want when we continue to win.
November 12th, 2023 at 8:13 PM ^
If Pettiti suspends JH for the championship game AFTER we beat OSU and not announced prior to it, that is proof that the conference is simply trying to stop Michigan from winning. At that point there would be evidence of a hit job or with hunt. A lawsuit is more than needed.
November 12th, 2023 at 8:31 PM ^
If Petiti does that, it shows he doesn't want Michigan in the B10. And it will be time to explore where we could end up. Staying in the Big 10 with him as commissioner will not work.