Insider rumblings on Michigan's forthcoming response

Submitted by Communist Football on November 5th, 2023 at 11:08 AM

I did a morning scour of reputable insider posting on social media and the paywalled boards today. (Subscribe to those sites to read the exact content for yourself. It's worth it if you are obsessed with Signgate.) Here are some of the interesting nuggets:

  • There is a rumor that video of Michigan practices was stolen and shared with Michigan's competitors. This is why, last offseason, Michigan erected a fence around its outdoor practice field. Michigan may have evidence of who stole the footage and shared it.
  • Insiders say that Michigan has shared with the NCAA how common the practice of sign-stealing is, including Illinois' Ryan Walters having all of Michigan's signals in advance of last year's game, and "someone" allegedly sharing our signs with Purdue, via video, in advance of the B1G championship last year. As we know, sign-stealing is not inherently illegal, but sharing video might be.
  • Isaiah Hole seems confident that Michigan is going to "strike back" in a way that is forceful and narrative-altering, but I will reserve judgment on that until we see what Michigan actually has.
  • In my view, if the B1G hands down this absurd indefinite suspension, Michigan should make a show of considering a departure to the ACC (or, at the very least, adopting ND's approach of semi-ACC affiliation) by leaking that they are discussing it internally.
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FauxMo

November 5th, 2023 at 11:15 AM ^

Even though I have read the recent threads on here and there are some smart people suggesting the B1G may actually take the indefinite suspension route, part of me still doesn't believe it will happen. An unprecedented punishment like that without any due process against the biggest brand in the conference seems like a recipe for disaster that will pull down the entire conference and cause long-term damage to everyone involved. Unless these folks are very short-sighted or just plain stupid (both of which are possible, I suppose), I am going to bet it doesn't happen. 

Joined: 06/17/2010

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shags

November 5th, 2023 at 12:33 PM ^

To your point, remember a few years ago when Jim Delaney said "Every Big Ten team is going to play one game on Friday nights during each season."  And Michigan and Ohio State said, "Like hell we are."

Well, guess who doesn't play on Friday nights:  Michigan and Ohio State.  

So you're exactly right about that.

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Derek

November 5th, 2023 at 12:33 PM ^

I agree with you that this is extremely unlikely, but:

Unless these folks are very short-sighted or just plain stupid (both of which are possible, I suppose)

It's the B1G. The last commissioner negotiated an impossible contract with NBC (night games in November), then forgot to actually sign it, and the conference hired an outside consultant to figure out how much of a bonus to pay him retroactively.

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Mr. Elbel

November 5th, 2023 at 12:33 PM ^

Especially in a time where causing this kind of instability in a conference would particularly doom it. I mean, imagine if Michigan actually left. I’d like to think USC and their west coast pals would look at Ohio State, Penn State, and a bunch of nobodies and probably reconsider. As the conference of the AAU, this line of thinking they’re supposedly taking is rather stupid in today’s age of realignment.

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Gohokego

November 5th, 2023 at 1:15 PM ^

They would have leaked it.  They're even rehashing the staffer who was fired for thinking he was meeting an underage girl. 

Osu is stressing that michigan is the better program now. They will do anything to bring us down.  

Especially when michigan has is best team in years.  They said this has been going on for years.  If so why wait until 2 weeks ago?

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TIMMMAAY

November 5th, 2023 at 1:41 PM ^

No they wouldn't. They would do exactly what they're doing. Drip. Drip. Drip. 

Keep the distractions going into every remaining week of football. That's the goal with this timing, and how the leaks have been happening. Don't know how people don't see that. 

I still don't think it'll be a "big deal" in the end, unless Harbaugh leaves. That's the ultimate goal of whoever orchestrated this thing. 

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Michigan Arrogance

November 5th, 2023 at 2:56 PM ^

It's too late: a member institution independently investigating a fellow conf member is the thread that will unravel this conference.

Most of us don't want Rutgers, Maryland, MSU and around 115% of the B10 west in this conference anymore anyway. 

This is the beginning of the end of the B10. And it has nothing to do with sign stealing. It's about trust and the NCAA carrying no weight anymore.

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runandshoot

November 5th, 2023 at 11:15 AM ^

If the Big Ten suspends Harbaugh indefinitely, then they better be prepared to suspend the head coaches of the teams that received Michigan's practice film as well, immediately, without investigation.

OR, they can take the logical route, consider the matter closed with Stalions resigning and perhaps fine Michigan and the other offending institutions.

This march by the Big Ten toward self-destruction has the potential to make the Conference look really bad, especially if Michigan blows the lid open on other Conference schools stealing signs as well...ESPECIALLY if the offending schools are the ones hypocritically calling for Harbaugh's head.

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LeCheezus

November 5th, 2023 at 11:18 AM ^

Unload everything you have today if you’re Michigan, in my opinion.  Leak all of it. If the B1G presidents are going to have a kangaroo court vote to indefinitely suspend Harbaugh, make it obvious that they are doing it as a personal vendetta.

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