Some positive vibes today

Submitted by TK on October 26th, 2023 at 7:22 PM

There’s been a lot of buzz today about the meetings with the NCAA being positive overall and there are people breathing a sigh of relief. Seen from some different places there’s been to proof of other coaches involvement. 
 

Here’s a paywalled discussion on the Fort if anyone is interested but it appears things have moved in a positive direction at least at this junction. There’s a long way to go, but rivals thinking that Michigan would be reduced to a smoking crater might be disappointed in the end. Let’s hope. 

 

https://www.on3.com/boards/threads/last-post-of-the-day.1139527/page-2#post-20991801

 

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Communist Football

October 26th, 2023 at 7:41 PM ^

In the thread linked in the OP, Balas hints that “one rival will be up in arms” from the leaks to come, but that he thinks that there is reason to be optimistic that there won’t be anything too additionally damaging from further revelations. Lots of rumors in the comments that Stalions did attend a game in person at MSU, and/or that Michigan somehow acquired OSU practice video. These are rumors, I want to emphasize.

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mwolverine1

October 27th, 2023 at 8:36 AM ^

I think there is a clear trajectory here that shows how Stalions was getting bolder and more ambitious over time:

  • 2017-2018: learns about sign stealing and how to do it
  • 2019-2020: scouts TV copy for insights
  • 2021: perfects TV copy scouting, adds in-person scouting of Michigan opponents
  • 2022: grows in-person scouting operation to be more systematic and include potential CFP opponents
  • 2023: grows in-person scouting operation to include more general game data. Starts data exchange with other teams?

You can see how he got caught as the operation become more sprawling. Teams probably caught onto Michigan being good at it in 2022, and caught wind of how they were doing it in 2023.

And my guess is that Harbaugh didn't catch onto him. I suspect we weren't a big sign stealing team in the 2015-2019 era. As we did more self-reflection in 2020, we probably decided to invest more in sign stealing after seeing the success Clemson had with the approach. This helped fuel Stalions's rise in the program from volunteer to full-time. Harbaugh/Minter probably assumed we were really good at doing it legally because #MichiganDifference and Stalions's grinder attitude. That would explain why we were supposedly blindsided. 

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Honker Burger

October 26th, 2023 at 8:59 PM ^

Again, how many are there, how did they get there, who accessed them?

Say the CS google drive is real. Anybody with permissions for uploading videos of team signals could also upload anything else. Person who squeals to investigating firm, is paid by original investigator to make Michigan look worse, and has them upload those videos, completely unsolicited. 
 

All speculation, but that’s what the majority of this whole ‘scandal’ is. Fully expect these rumors to come out true tomorrow given the slow drip smear campaign unfolding in front of us.

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Honker Burger

October 26th, 2023 at 9:38 PM ^

This entire saga is all so ridiculously stupid. Michigan has kicked ass the last 2 seasons because of a great offensive line, a great quarterback, and A LOT of NFL players. It’s a pretty easy explanation.
 

The hit piece is out- and it’s successful if you’re not a fan of Michigan. If you’re a Michigan fan, who the fuck cares? I have ZERO care if an opposing fan approves of my team. 
 

The only thing that concerns me is the NCAA can do whatever the hell they want being judge/jury/executioner- regardless if evidence is there or not. Can always just drop a ‘more likely than not’ à la the NFL did with Brady. 

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TK

October 26th, 2023 at 7:30 PM ^

Balas is saying impeccable sources say they did happen. And that they were positive. 
 

edit: just as a clarification he said there was some zoom meetings with coaches and they interviewed some staff. Not trying to give away any more payrolled info but just noting a few different places have reported a little more positive news today. Could change with more evidence. And it sounds like there might be more to come out. 

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Blue 5

October 26th, 2023 at 7:35 PM ^

I think in these initial meetings whenever they occur, there just needs to be enough doubt or lack of irrefutable evidence to delay any action that the B1G feels like it has to take. I don't know that they would ever actually do it, but in my opinion they are the bigger threat to anything impacting this season than the NCAA.

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NJblue2

October 26th, 2023 at 7:39 PM ^

Well that's nice. The second Michigan gets a chance to breath from this stuff, they should go full scorch earth on the rest of the conference. They should tell the NCAA every single bit of dirt they know on other teams. 

They should leak the names of as many schools and individuals involved in this issue. They should also try to undermine the conference however they can because boy does the B1G fucking suck. 

Pretty much we should approach this Eminem style in 8 Mile, "But I know something about you (OSU)".

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