Even Pete Finebaum Himself is Defending Jim + OSU changed signs last year before game

Submitted by nickelsarcade on October 20th, 2023 at 11:19 AM

Caught this on ESPN today. When Finebaum is essentially arguing this is a NCAA witch-hunt, you can tell just how widespread whatever Michigan is being accused of doing is. 

Also, love this point buried in the newest Yahoo reporting on this situation:

Reading 11W, they are pinging between two equally goofy arguments: this explains Michigan's second-half dominance and this explains OSU's two losses last two years. The funniest thing is when one level-headed 11W points out the obvious (why would this lead to second-half gains rather than Michigan beating them from the jump), the 11W masses are responding that UM purposely didn't deploy the signs until second half to cover up the scheme. You gotta give it to them for idiocy. 

In the end, winning cures all.

Football

Blake Forum

October 20th, 2023 at 11:29 AM ^

I really don't think this is going according to plan for the NCAA. Yesterday JJ Watt and RG3, who have no incentive to back Michigan, were mocking these claims as soon as they broke. But hey, the NCAA can get various Yahoo News reporters to write breathless stories that strongly insinuate that an analyst was on the Michigan sideline behaving suspiciously like an analyst, so they've got that going for them

Joined: 07/20/2020

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Blue@LSU

October 20th, 2023 at 11:33 AM ^

Yeah, that was awesome to see Watt's and RG3's comments.

Former players know that the NCAA is a worthless, spineless, sackless, piece of shit organization so they tell the real story. And unlike many reporters, they don't have to worry about pissing off possible "sources", so they don't have any incentive to kiss up to the NCAA.  

Joined: 11/04/2016

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PeacefulBuck

October 20th, 2023 at 4:57 PM ^

Because people that have played high level football know this happens everywhere. We still couldn’t win last year after making adjustments. Maybe you guys stole signs that allowed receivers to run wide open last year lol. Roll the balls out and play. If we could beat Clemson when Venables was doing it, there’s no excuse to not beat UM.

Joined: 05/18/2021

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Hab

October 20th, 2023 at 11:29 AM ^

I don't know Harbaugh, but wouldn't the most in-character course for him to take would be to not do the thing that everyone seems to want, and to leave for the NFL?  That said, I'm sure, taken in isolation, heading back would certainly be on the radar.

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MgofanNC

October 20th, 2023 at 11:29 AM ^

On the whole this all seems really dumb to me. Dumb for M to do this. Dumb to get caught doing this. Dumb for other teams to know that these things go on and not change their signs. And most of all Dumb for the NCAA to brow beat M with this when it doesn't even have a penalty for a sign stealing infraction. This should have just been a letter from the NCAA that said, "stop being so bad at this." 

Joined: 10/23/2019

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Blake Forum

October 20th, 2023 at 11:45 AM ^

It's also not clear Michigan "got caught" doing anything. There's no smoking-gun evidence of illegal scouting that's come out so far. Lots of grumbling insinuations, and an apparent consensus that Michigan is good at stealing signs. But stealing signs is legal, and all those other programs are also trying to do it. As of now, it appears that they simply feel they were worse at it than Michigan is

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NeverPunt

October 20th, 2023 at 11:31 AM ^

"It seems to me like selective prosecution. That doesn't mean that some of this didn't happen. I frankly think this happens everywhere....It's a very grey area, and I think if this had been someone else, this investigation probably would not have gotten to this point."              -Finebaum

Uhh.........................................................................................

I uh..............................................

.......TOTALLY AGREE WITH PAUL F@KING FINEBAUM

Joined: 03/26/2019

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mi93

October 20th, 2023 at 11:51 AM ^

Sign "understanding"?  "Interpreting"?  "Deciphering"?

Regardless, if M is better at understanding what teams are trying to communicate (including knowing who among the multiple people giving signals is the real one), that's just the Michigan Difference.  Play chess better, dummies.

Joined: 11/15/2008

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Catchafire

October 20th, 2023 at 11:35 AM ^

I mean, OSU had Don Brown signs downloaded during the 2018/2019 periods...

My recommendation is to stay away from OSU/MSU sites because they are doing what is expected from rivals... 

As the conclusion of this, I expect a MASSIVE lawsuit against the NCAA either from Michigan or Harbaugh.

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