I'm reading 11W too, so I know for a fact that you are mischaracterizing them.  I'd urge everybody to ignore your summary and read for themselves.  They are doing great coverage.  As is the case with all team-blogs, there are some magnificent idiots doing comments, and a very few people with really interesting comments.

{Incidentally, I have always been mystified by the notion that our going to 11W, or their readers coming here, was like taking a plane to Afghanistan, or entering a sealed army base.  I read their stuff all the time.  I expect them to read stuff here.  It is one click away.  It amazes me the extent to which readers and blog owners alike regard these things as "communities," or even "gated communities."  There is only one truth, and it doesn't wear Scarlet and Gray or Maize and Blue.}

Stupidly, I got in an argument with a jackass on Facebook that was making the "her parents did nothing" argument. He kept falling back on if it were his kids he would have gotten involved. Therefore, because the details about how the situation were handled that he has hear don't line up with how her would've behaved, something clearly doesn't add up. In other words, bitches be crazy and she is probably making shit up.

Fucking disgusting behavior.

It's just a hope, frankly. We don't know.

The problem is human nature, and even more so, the psychology of operating within institutions. The instinct is that if anything bad happens, you protect the institution by keeping quiet about it, when the opposite is actually true. As an attorney, you see this all.the.freaking.time.  People make mistakes, so just admit and own up to it... covering it up will just make it go nuclear when its found out. And it will be.

It's not that it doesn't I don't think(especially when the Brendan Gibbons story is considered), but that there is less leeway.  

1.  The Basketball explosion of the mid-90's was sufficiently damaging that the University will want to get ahead of most of these stories and there's awareness of how damaging these things can be, so anything that might be damaging like this tends to be dealt with pretty quickly.

2.  Michigan just does not have the local media free pass like MSU and OSU do.  Like it or not that matters and it changes how approaches to scandals work.  The only way a scandal at either place is going to cause heads to roll is if National attention gets focused in a way that it can't be ignored.  No-one actually gives two shits about Michigan State and the Nassar thing is being framed as more of a USA Gymnastics issue.  This being Ohio State, we may see a difference as people actually care about Ohio State.  

There was the "Blue Wall" era under Bo and Lloyd where very little info leaked. M also has the FOIA problem (which Brian as written about). I believe the AD/Football Program has had so much turnover recently any culture of "I don't want to know" hasn't had enough time or opportunity to grow. For example, I believe M has had 3 ADs and 4 head football coaches (with varying staffs) since Mork has been in EL.

Ultimately, it comes down to the head guy/guys.

Harbaugh has never, to my knowledge, had any whispers of this kind of thing. He kicked Logan Tuley-Tillman off the team for something (IMO) far less serious, despite that leaving a gaping void at tackle. He's never been accused of covering up for players' misdeeds or being light on punishment.

Even before the Zach Smith thing came to light, Meyer was known as the exact opposite. He covered up players' arrests and drug use so that they could play, and lo and behold, some of those players developed into world-class shitheads. Obviously nobody knew whether he would go so far as sweeping domestic abuse under the rug, but given his other incidents that had come to light, this latest course of action by Meyer isn't really that surprising.

If your job is to manage literally hundreds of people, with constant media attention, and rivals who are heavily invested in finding dirt on you, chances are that if you routinely push the boundaries, it's going to show up in some bad results here and there. Meyer did routinely push boundaries, and there are numerous incidents attesting to that fact (from minor to serious). Nothing similar has come to light with regard to Harbaugh's management of players and coaches, and in my opinion, that lack of smoke is a reasonably strong indication of a lack of fire.

he was the grandson of his mentor Earl Bruce

In one of his texts to his ex he said something along the lines if this all cost him his job, he would take everyone with him...

He may have had dirt on Urban and his program(s) and therefore made himself untouchable, almost.

This is the part I can’t figure out either, unless,

1) Urban so lacks a moral compass that he truly didn’t care and didn’t think it mattered, or

2) Zach Smith actually does have a bunch of dirt on him

I think people are discounting the human element here. Urban has stated clearly that Earle Bruce was the closest relationship he had with anyone other than his father. Smith was a connection and perhaps even a way to feel faithful to that relationship. 

Just because Urban is a liar and enabler doesn’t mean he didn’t have genuine feelings for Smith, likely rooted in his relationship with Bruce. 

Apparently because he can bring the program down with him.

I always tell people that you can delegate authority, but you can't delegate responsibility.