Michigan football mysteries

Submitted by jv02 on April 12th, 2024 at 10:07 AM

What are some of the biggest lingering football mysteries surrounding the football program?  Not who the starters/transfers will be, but unexpected events that have remained unexplained. 

Here's a few that I think about occasionally: 

  1. What "cyber crime" did OC Matt Weiss commit that prompted FBI involvement?
  2. Why did Mike Hart depart the team?
  3. Why exactly was Sherrone Moore suspended for the East Carolina game in 2023?
MGoBoard
Football

AZBlue

April 12th, 2024 at 12:51 PM ^

Just in case you actually believe some of the sh%^ that MSU and OSU folks bring up......a recap

 From EVERYTHING we have heard, Harbaugh and the rest of the M coaches were shocked when the CS story came out == had no idea.

Yes - CS earned his space on the M staff due to his "seemingly uncanny" ability to decipher the other teams' signals.  It appears that Connor first got this position before any rule bending/breaking but "stepped up his game" in an attempt to maintain or improve his status.

Stealing a teams' signs is NOT against the rules.  Almost ALL teams do this during the games and also beforehand using the various TV footage available.

Filming signs or the other sideline from the field  (=during the game) is against NCAA rules - M did not do this and was not accused of this.

What CS did do clearly ignored the INTENT of the NCAA rules..... but did not technically break them.  It is against the NCAA rules for coaching/football staff to scout opponents' games in person.  CS's "ring of spies" were not directly affiliated with the program, so someone could argue that legally M didn't break any rules.  (I suspect that IF M coaches were involved in CS's activities -- this is the angle that they would have taken when exposed.)

The only realistic penalty that the NCAA could inflict on M is a penalty against Harbaugh - and that is only due to a new rule from 2023 that holds the HC accountable for wrongdoing in a program even if he was not aware.

 

TLDR -- There were never any "shenanigans" at M that need to be reformed.

Joined: 09/14/2008

MGoPoints: 16880

grumbler

April 12th, 2024 at 10:04 PM ^

All-22 films games for teams all the time, so clearly having staff members buy game video is not against the rules.

The rule holding head coaches responsible doesn't apply if the HC has implemented procedures to educate his staff on what the rules governing them actually are.

Joined: 08/17/2011

MGoPoints: 14182

Casco Goat

April 12th, 2024 at 10:19 AM ^

#1 is the most interesting one to me by far. Based on the notes from the police log, "someone" was accessing email accounts without authorization. And his termination letter specifically mentioned him "inappropriately accessing" accounts. But, why? For what purpose? 

Joined: 01/09/2016

MGoPoints: 2694

blueheron

April 12th, 2024 at 10:41 AM ^

Bad play, yes, but don't hurt yourself. And, please, don't overrate that play.

I've said this many times before: Michigan's 2006 team was not destined for great things (merely very good ones). The early ND win on the road made them a little overrated. Their performance against USC and OSU's performance against Florida gave a clearer picture of where everyone stood.

Joined: 03/26/2009

MGoPoints: 31888

Real Tackles Wear 77

April 12th, 2024 at 11:00 AM ^

I actually think we matched up a lot better vs. Florida than OSU did in 2006. Not sure we would have won, but 06 UF was not as good as 08 UF. 

The real butterfly effect of that play is that with a BCS title game win (or maybe even just appearance), Hart/Henne/Long probably go pro after the 06 season, Carr retires and who knows who the choice would have been going into 07...Saban? It's not a stretch to say Michigan looked like a much more appealing job in the 06-07 offseason than Alabama.

Anyway, it's a fun scenario to game out but ultimately, the intervening ~15 years were worth it for what Harbaugh was able to help us accomplish over the past 3.

Joined: 07/05/2008

MGoPoints: 9704

ShadowStorm33

April 12th, 2024 at 11:24 AM ^

This is a very good take. While it's easy to play the "what-if" game, and I'm certain that lack of motivation after falling just short of the BCS title game played a role in our poor performance against USC, we had some major flaws that got exposed against OSU and USC that Florida very likely would have exposed as well.

While we had arguably the best DL in the country, our back seven generally lacked speed and we had a major liability at CB2. We got torched by OSU's spread (can easily see Florida doing the same thing) and USC's receivers. On the offensive side, we had an incredibly talented offense, but a reluctance to open it up until it was too late (had we come out with 2008 Capital One Bowl offense against OSU from the start, we may have won that one in a shootout...). 

You're right, ND was a mirage of sorts. We feasted on their poor OL (Brady Quinn was under siege all game, and they had no running game whatsoever--it was a nearly a double rushing Rutger (47 points to 24 yards) even with sacks excluded; include the sacks and ND had 4 yards rushing), and lit up their horrendous defense (they gave up 47, 44 and 41 points in their three blowout losses, plus 37 in a win over MSU). But even despite the DL's domination ND was still able to put up three passing TDs (a harbinger of things to come).

Joined: 07/22/2008

MGoPoints: 23368

TCW

April 12th, 2024 at 10:52 AM ^

Was Crable penalized for a hit out of bounds or was it roughing the passer?  I recall it being the latter but don't have full confidence on that point.  I just remember the point being made that Smith was no longer a passer.  He was a runner, so the fact that he was also the quarterback should not have mattered, and therefore it was a bad call by the officials.  Today it might have constituted targeting because he hit Smith in the head, but there was no targeting penalty back in those days.

Joined: 01/30/2019

MGoPoints: 1364

BlueTimesTwo

April 12th, 2024 at 1:26 PM ^

It was a tough play because it was not too late, was not OOB, and was not spearing with the helmet.  It was a little late, close to the sideline and there was head contact (even though Crable turned his body to lead with the shoulder).  I hate giving mobile QBs too much benefit of the doubt, because if you pull up and he pump-fakes instead of throwing, he might run right by you.  It doesn't help that it happened right on the OSU sideline.

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 13517

rjc

April 12th, 2024 at 10:29 AM ^

Was it worth it Greg Mattison?

Whatever happened to Roll Damn Tide / Wolverine in a Bag?

How is the Super Guide coming along?

How is Da'Shawn Hand's engineering career going?

How badly would the '97 team have beaten Nebraska?

Joined: 02/12/2010

MGoPoints: 5515

J. Redux

April 12th, 2024 at 11:18 AM ^

nuh-uh.  Scott Frost's Mom said they'd score like eleventy-billion or something.  Her son can throw the football over the tallest mountain in Nebraska, and he's so strong he used to carry the mailman on his route through their neighborhood back when he was a toddler.

Joined: 10/15/2020

MGoPoints: 21515