What’s your temperature today regarding the allegations?

IMO, Chris Balas is always negative and usually wrong.

Brian is not trying to generate business with his assessment therefore, to me, it has much more value.

as best as i can read the rules, stalions violated them pretty severely. a lot of people say that it's not a direct violation if it wasn't football staff attending the games, but i can't see that the ncaa would draw much of a difference if a staffer bought the tickets, got random people to record, and send in videos that he used in his prep. 

i also realize it's probably not much of a competitive edge, but a rule is a rule, and this one seems to be pretty clearly broken, so i assume the ncaa will go ham and lay down the law.

i have less of a sense for how severe the punishment will be. i don't think they'll let harbs off the hook. but since they almost eliminated the rule, i have no idea

My temperature is medium.

I think a spiritual violation of rules almost-certainly happened. However, it’s also plausible that sending non-paid random friends and family fits into a gray area compatible with a bonafide loophole.
 

And even if the uncertainty in both items above ultimately works against us, the NCAA seems to be in a “post-meaningful punishment era” for major programs and I’d expect a worst-case punishment to be probationary-plus. That is, ~5 years probation, plus a semi-serious financial penalty

Right now, I feel like they will hammer us over this because Harbaugh. And I feel like Harbaugh will bolt for the NFL after this season because NCAA. And that means that it's national championship or bust this season.

Having said that, this is how I feel right now. If this all blows over and the NCAA blinks, then we'll be fine.

I believe the "in person" aspect of viewing opponents was done to establish equity - so, schools wouldn't be impacted by the financial burden associated with this effort.

Texas spends $280K for an OV - and, it is fine.

Pay for Play is going on rampantly - in direct violation of the NCAA guidelines.

The NCAA has itself stated doing this provides a negligible difference.

So, what's my temperature?   Regarding the NCAA - it hasn't changed.  This is ridiculous and I'm approaching the "I couldn't care less" stage about this.  It's a fly in the ointment.

IIRC - game film was exchanged in advance of games between teams.  In fact, since OSU is in the conversation - prior to the OSU game, football team managers would meet on the Sunday prior to the game "half way" between Columbus and Ann Arbor - and, what would they do?   They'd exchange game film with each other - so, the Buckeyes had Michigan game film - and Michigan had OSU game film.

Perhaps the NCAA could set a "standard" - that's actually benefits teams / staffs.  How about this - there's a camera angle - perhaps like an "All 22" - that covers the field and opposing sideline.  It's standard - every team has it done at every game.  And - the video is available, obtainable, and reviewable by coaching staffs.   I heard about something called "the Internet" - I think it could be used to capture and disseminate this version of the "All 22".

Beat Purdue.

I find the situation to be unfortunate and embarrassing. The football team this year is playing great, albeit against competition to date that is hardly outstanding, and it is unfortunate that the allegation casts a pall over their accomplishments.

I hope, when all the facts come out, that this wasn't sanctioned by Harbaugh or anyone on the coaching staff. Harbaugh found a loophole, if you will, when he 1st started coaching here with the travelling camp road show, so he's innovative as well as quite competitive. Maybe he found another loophole for a competitive advantage. Perhaps not.

I really don't care what other schools and coaches have done and gotten away with as far as the NCAA is concerned. I expect more from Michigan. 

There are a lot of casual watchers who just hear the name come up again and again in connection with controversy and assume something's there--two friends I've talked to this week are in that category. Nice people, grads, think football gets too much attention to begin with.

That's why I've viewed this with more alarm than some. It doesn't matter if what Stalions did was awful or not--people are not that logical, generally, to begin with. Those disposed to pile on are going to pile on. They're going to take some of the pleasure out of this season for us, I'm afraid.

Everyone else does it? He does it? That won't matter to Ryan Day if it helps cushion the whalloping he has got coming in a month.

I dont waist time worrying about things I can’t change. I enjoy watching the best Michigan team in two decades. They are now incensed to kill the teams in front of them. Also I will say if sanctions vacate wins or cost hardware I dont care. We all will never forget what happened on the field and so will the cry babys!

Buckeye fan take:

Did Stalion break the letter of the law? Definitely. Does every team try to steal signs in some way? Also, definitely. What I think is really going to hurt Michigan and Harbaugh here is how many times Harbaugh has accused others of cheating or bending the rules and how pious he's acted about he and Michigan not doing it. Such as:

"Play by the rules," Harbaugh told the media. "You want to be above reproach, especially when you’re good, because you don’t want people to come back and say, 'They're winning because they’re cheating.' That’s always going to be a knee-jerk reaction in my experience, since I was a little kid.

"We want to be above reproach in everything and do everything by the rules. If you don’t, if you cheat to win, then you've already lost, according to Bo Schembechler. And Bo Schembechler is about next to the word of God. It’s not the word of God, but it’s close."

And -

“If the Georgia coach is implying any intent on our part to break rules, he is barking up the wrong tree,” Harbaugh tweeted on Feb. 24, 2016, after Kirby Smart suggested the NCAA would be forced to step in after Michigan held spring practice at IMG Academy.

Harbaugh branding himself as the coach who does everything the right way while so many others are not is going to bite Michigan here. My personal opinion is that this whole ordeal is being somewhat blown out of proportion, but it will stay relevant because of the brand Harbaugh tries to create for himself. People love being able to call someone a liar.

i'm just leaning into the memes and treating this like the joke that it is.  I'm going to be annoyed when we eventually get the ruler rapped across our knuckles because Warde Manuel is a useless simp, but no one I respect is really taking this seriously so I won't either.

In the meantime, I hope we pipe this in the stadium during commercial breaks or, better still, get the MMB to play it:

So I actually work in the same department as a guy who knows Stallions and quite a few of his friends because they graduated from Lake Orion hs the same year. I asked if he knew anything that had not been reported and for some reason he was being coy but his tone was pretty ominous when I asked if he knew any info about anyone on the coaching staff knowing. He just left it at I shouldn't be optimistic based on what he has heard from Stallion's friends. He also added that he has heard from Stallion and his friends that other teams are in fact doing it as well. But obviously take with a grain of salt overall.

Normalish 

If the NCAA considered changing or removing the prohibition a few years ago but kept it in place, and not because of a competitive disadvantage, but rather because of a monetary issue, then it won’t amount to much in the end, vendetta or not. If anything it might just be the catalyst for a change to what the NFL has with headsets in the helmets for the QB and lead LB. 
 

Also, and I keep going back to it, when the patriots were accused of filming practices illegally there was enough smoke thrown in other teams’ directions that it wasn’t an isolated thing with one team. This is likely true with this “sign stealing” thing with UM as well. I’d be willing to bet that it’s many of the top teams in the SEC and B12 that do some sort of in person scouting under the radar. 

As a lifelong fan I think we should be used to this type of thing by now. Just of the top of my head, Rich Rod stretch-gate (really the whole Rich Rod era), Brady Hoke not fully aware, Juwan Howard punches a guy, Harbaugh is going oh wait now he's staying, Matt Weiss computer access, etc. Just rolling with the latest drama best I can.

I think its CLEAR that their are individuals inside the CORRUPT NCAA that are on a witch hunt against Harbaugh and Michigan..I think of all the SEC schools that were paying players for DECADES and breaking all kinds of rules getting caught and getting slap on the wrists,,,So far all they can come up with is buying an kid a hamburger and now this something , EVERYONE has been doing yet we are the ones they come after???  The NCAA must be disbanded and the big conferences go it on their own without them

I feel like this is just a witch hunt against Harbaugh but Michigan still respects the NCAA for some reason so they'll cooperate and some sanction will be levied and we'll likely have our season vacated because the NCAA is a bunch of hypocrites who need to feel like they still have power because they know its going to go away eventually.

It's 75 degrees and sunny. In Michigan. On the 24th of October. Enjoy it while you can. 

If vacating wins is on the table, I will be pissed. But at this point it seems like that is a Buckeye pipe dream or some other kind of dream. So ...

I'm agitated it's gained as much steam as it has.

The sport has open pay for play nowadays with NIL. Players can transfer on a whim. Schools are basically free to tamper with other schools players and commits (it's happening). 

And Im supposed to be upset that Michigan may have violated a rule put in place in the 90's only because smaller schools didn't have the resources to keep up? Something that the NCAA itself considered removing in 2021 because it may not be that much of a competitive advantage anyway? Nah. No.

LIke, NIL is a thing and schools are taking that to mean "here's a bag of cash, come play for us", something Michigan expressly does NOT do. But oh gosh I have the vapors because Mcihigan might have a guy recording some signals on an iphone of an opponent!!! CALL THE FBI.

The whole thing is completely overblown. Yes, Michigan violated the rules. And will likely get punished with fines and suspensions. But I find it silly to entertain thoughts of vacating wins and postseason bans in the event it was a low level staffer acting on his own accord (we don't know for sure yet, but this is a strong possibility). Even sillier for people to point THIS as the sole reason why Michigan suddenly got as good as they did in 2021...not, you know, the completely revamped coaching philosphy and new DC and OC that Harbaugh hired. Espeially when, and I feel like this needs to be shouted at some of those who are outraged, SIGN STEALING IS NOT ILLEGAL. I don't think the "how" is nearly as important here as some people suggest (looking at you, Joel Klatt), especially in the year 2023.  

I’m upset because the benefit seems to be rather low compared to the risk involved. 
 

but mainly because I was enjoying a successful run of stress-free football

98.2- 98.5.  While I don't especially like it, I think and hope it will end up being mostly a nothing burger. It also makes me want Michigan to smoke every opponent down the stretch even more, especially PSU and OSU.

I'm late to the thread and the thread is already moving rapidly down the stack so not many will read the following:

My temperature remains fixed at 98.6 and I'm going to keep it there while enjoying every down of every game we play, same as I have this entire season.

How do I feel "this is going to end up"? I feel that I don't know how "this" is going to end up and I refuse to experience any anxiety about something over which I have no control and about which I know not enough real details to even hazard a guess.

Standing by for further developments/details.

I truly do not care and don’t believe they got even a 0.1% competitive advantage. I wouldn’t care if any team (even a rival) did this either.

My temperature is this:

Ryan Day and THE Ohio State Buckeyes will be needing a blessing on November 25.  That is all.

All I know for certain is the punishment will be much worse for Michigan than it would be for any other team in the country. The NCAA, and apparently the Big Ten, has it out for Harbaugh for whatever personal reason. 

As I said in another post, Michigan really needs to sue the NCAA.

The degree of investigations against Michigan as compared to the severity of the alleged violations is ridiculous. Harbaugh allegedly buys hamburgers and gets crushed, while other places pass bags of cash and skate. Michigan allegedly scouts opponents and is the target of a huge investigation concerning a rule that themselves know is antiquated. But hey, Harbaugh and Michigan, so here's a chance to take a shot. 

These things together do damage to the reputations and future earning potential of all parties involved, and so this should be actionable somehow. Threaten to sue, and be ready to follow through, and see where it goes.

Anyway, the only other thing that's pissing me off is that this has the potential to be a dream season, and organizations are actively trying to derail it simply because they don't like someone. That really sucks.

If a voluntary entity that sits in governance establishing rules for its members subjectively enforces/violates those rules to the detriment of particular members then aren't its actions a violation of its charter.

As such, shouldn't there be a means of arbitration or civil recourse to the irreparably harmed, singled out, institution?

Certainly you would want to avoid a "Kangaroo court" appearance given its position of being an exemplary administrator on behalf of young impressionable men and women, (examples to be set), right?

Naturally rules deemed too insignificant to even waste time eliminating them upon modern scrutiny and who have been adjudicated in a precedent setting manner when a coach actually did violate the rule as written as a minor infraction.

I am sure the NCAA will conform to the "spirit" of the written word in their own rules and not suspend member rights by leaking or commenting on pending cases especially since they are bound by the same actions they hold members to!  

Just like a members being judged by compounding differing infractions can sway national perception more severely the stacking of leaking and public comment from the governing body certainly doesn't present a review young students can be assured represents fairness.

I’m frustrated, but ultimately I am just a guy who watches Michigan football and I have no power in this so it’s not worth being upset over - at least not until some resolution happens. It’ll just make me miserable in the meantime.