Michigan Sign Stealing Rumors
The premium boards for OSU posted about a story breaking soon regarding Michigan football last night and that has spread over to the Michigan and MSU boards this morning. The rumor is that the story is Michigan has been caught stealing signs with some saying that a low level staffer was at a game Michigan was not playing taping signs. Still to be seen if this is true but there is a lot of smoke this morning and with the NCAA already emptying the clip at Jim it seems worth monitoring. I personally do not care if this is happening as it is likely many programs sign steal to a certain degree.
October 19th, 2023 at 12:11 PM ^
I’d be interested to see any rule that you’re not allowed to video tape the other team in a game. Ya know, like literally every single game is from thousands of devices. Just…even if true - it’s part of the game and you know damn well everyone is trying to figure out the signals of the other team. “Stealing” is such an exaggerated word choice. Dumb. OSU can’t win on the field so they think they’ll win with dumb shit like this. Oh how the mighty have fallen. Keep trying- maybe they cheated on their taxes…went 60 on Stadium? Anything !?!? there’s always hope.
October 19th, 2023 at 12:17 PM ^
I’d be interested to see any rule that you’re not allowed to video tape the other team in a game. Ya know, like literally every single game is from thousands of devices.
There's a difference between watching game film/recording on-field action and recording the coaches and signers on the sideline. Not that I care all that much, but that's the difference in claims here.
October 19th, 2023 at 12:27 PM ^
It’s all impossible to say: if the staffer was real and he was filming a game without UM. He could be a fan of football. He could be interested in how other teams run their signals. He could just be checking out the cheerleaders. I mean, unless you collect a camera with playbooks and obvious espionage this is par for the course and you can bet everyone has scouts doing this. It’s not even true in this case I don’t think. But, it’s for sure a real thing and I don’t really think it’s cheating. It’s called scouting.
October 19th, 2023 at 3:56 PM ^
Sure, but that's not the point. You asked what's the difference between those 2 things and there is a difference. Filming the coaches is different than filming the game.
As for proving it, it wouldn't require a camera and playbooks since it's apparently illegal to just have someone "scouting" in-person (a ridiculous rule). All they would need is some sort of communication between Harbaugh/the staff and whoever is theoretically the unassociated guy who is at these games showing the football staff sent a guy to a game to watch and report back. He didn't need to film it necessarily since the rule is so inspecific. All he had to do was go to the game with the football staff being aware of it and asking for input.
October 19th, 2023 at 12:12 PM ^
Is this coming from Dudek?
October 19th, 2023 at 12:13 PM ^
More confirmation that Ohio State is soft like Charmin.
October 19th, 2023 at 12:14 PM ^
Correct. The rumor has been started by Ryan Day. Day needs an excuse to fall back on when Michigan beats them by 30.
October 19th, 2023 at 12:17 PM ^
OP, you're almost a year late:
https://www.reddit.com/r/CFB/comments/z1t1sd/is_michigan_stealing_opposing_teams_signals_at/
https://www.elevenwarriors.com/forum/ohio-state-football/2022/11/135128/ttun-sign-stealing?PageSpeed=noscript (Referenced within: https://theathletic.com/3919980/2022/11/22/michigan-osu-harbaugh/)
I couldn't find anything in the past week on the WWW, but I may not have looked hard enough. (EDIT: Never mind. Hensons Mobile is, as usual, on the spot. Aside: Rule is on page 29 here: https://www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/FR20.pdf)
Historical piece on the topic (with UM as the victim):
https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92357054
October 19th, 2023 at 12:27 PM ^
That entire article is hilarious in that it keeps saying "there's nothing illegal about what they're doing and here are examples of other teams who do the same, but Michigan so the NCAA is 'looking into it."
I guess we'll find out something more but this feels like the NCAA being pissy and maybe getting some more BS from the one fired assistant to tattled on UM wrt the burgergate situation.
October 19th, 2023 at 12:28 PM ^
Yikes.
October 19th, 2023 at 12:47 PM ^
In person scouting has been illegal since 1994, but primarily as a "cost savings measure." I'm assuming Big programs like Michigan and OSU could afford to send in person scouts whereas smaller programs like ?? Bowling Green ?? couldn't.
According to the article sign steeling isn't illegal. It is actually sort of stupid to send in signs with any visible method. It is worth it to Michigan (or OSU or whoever) to have an intern or computer diagram every one of your opponents plays and correlating them against a set group of visual signals shouldn't be too hard. Being in person versus video doesn't make much of a difference other than maybe being able to get clearer shots of the signals.
I hope Harbaugh is doing everything within the rules to win. I hate all of this ticky tacky BS when schools like NC and others who pay players directly and discourage them from going to class get zero blow back.
October 19th, 2023 at 12:19 PM ^
WTF? Why would we be stealing signs from teams we are expected to beat by 20+?
Again, RCMB and Ohio Buffoons MB are green and red with envy!
Go Blue!
October 19th, 2023 at 12:21 PM ^
Oh no, "premium" message boards and Twitter are saying something, it must true.
Honestly, I can't really understand what "stealing signs" would look like. Are they claiming that UM has spies sneaking into practice facilities and taping signs from the sidelines? Or are they complaining that UM is looking at the guys on the sidelines during games and noting the signs and the subsequent plays?
October 19th, 2023 at 12:22 PM ^
You know it's a slow news week when crap rumor threads from other boards get imported to mgoblog.
I blame Sparty.
October 19th, 2023 at 12:32 PM ^
In an environment in which some schools are orchestrating high 6-figure and 7-figure payments to recruit players, I find it really hard to know where to draw the line -- recording readily available visual information doesn't strike me as being that big an issue. But then neither does intent to deceive.
October 19th, 2023 at 12:33 PM ^
Sign stealing? Signs are presented in the open during any game. Sending someone to scout a football activity in the open cannot be portrayed as “stealing”.
October 19th, 2023 at 12:39 PM ^
I love how somehow observing other people's signals/signs/communications is considered "stealing" and/or "wrong"... isn't that the point of having coded methods for relaying that information to the players - they are being watched at all times?
October 19th, 2023 at 1:14 PM ^
I don't care. Beat us on the field.
October 19th, 2023 at 1:54 PM ^
Scouting the other team is a smart and ethical thing to do.
October 19th, 2023 at 2:53 PM ^
"Um, he's sick. My best friend's sister's boyfriend's brother's girlfriend heard from this guy who knows this kid who's going with the girl who saw Ferris pass out at 31 Flavors last night....I guess it's pretty serious."
October 19th, 2023 at 3:14 PM ^
Validation of the allegations tbd, timing is very convenient