Ohio State inquired about in-person scouting for CFP last season

That's a good point. Plus they reversed their decision after the CFP. They don't know what they're doing.

They really could have just said, well, we don't have a rule against it therefore it's allowed, Mr. Day.

Because it's hard to decipher how the already unclear rule from 1994 applies to current day and a situation it was never meant to apply to since cell phones current technology didn't exist. Add in the bylaws and NCAAs general fuckery with dramatic reporting and Ryan Day being a big fat over dyed pussy and this is what you get.

Very good point. CFP committee don't get the policy. Everyone is upset about Connor, a low level staffer. The irony 

I'd do anything to see Wisky win tonight. They suck so OSU will win, but you can ride on my bare back naked with the W on your chest. All will see us in our full glory. Username checks out.

Just last week people were rooting for OSU to win the games before Michigan.  Never.  Root.  For.  OSU!

I agree.

There's a very slim chance that the Big Ten will cancel Michigan's remaining games, potential Big Ten championship game, or the College Football Playoff committee will ban them. This ongoing investigation, coinciding with the college football season, has sparked a media frenzy. Caleb Williams is not a Heisman frontrunner, the Colorado hype fading, and the SEC performing averagely, this is the go-to story for the foreseeable future. In summary, this investigation, tied to the massive Michigan brand, Jim Harbaugh, a Heisman frontrunner, and the most significant rivalry in sports, is a ratings goldmine.

CFP peeps were probably like "why wouldn't you scout a future opponent? Really? The NCAA says that?"

Exactly right.  I am hopping college football fans all across America come to realize and really appreciate how big of a bitch Ryan Day is for hiring a PI firm to investigate his football rival over sign stealing.  Just be better at coaching, Mr 3rd base.  That’s what everyone else in his profession does. 

OSU Insiders have been saying for weeks something bad was going to happen to Michigan, but no one else had that info.  Hmmm.  Ryan Day was/is in a pretty desperate job security situation as he knows his team is going to get waxed by his main rival for a third year in a row….there’s definitely motive there to make Michigan look bad.  Now he has a created an excuse and it seems the delusional OSU fan base is buying it.  At least in this moment in time.  

The CFP - college football at the very highest level - never even thought about it:

I thought that too, but then they also decided to make a rule against it afterwards.

Yep. Looks like the Bucks may have opened Pandora’s box. Hopefully they reap the harvest. 

You reap what you sow

Just respond stealing signs isn’t cheating.  Clemson was revered and marveled at how well they were able to steal signs when they won the NC.  It’s not illegal, method does not matter.  

All you have to do is ask them "what evidence do you have?" They'll have to admit that they don't actually have any evidence at all, just a bunch of rumors and speculation.  My OSU buddy has stopped even trying to spin this story, because he has to admit every time that he's actually got bupkis. 

Which part are you trying to counter? That what Stalions did was actually within the rules? No chance your coworkers will have the patience for that argument, especially since that discussion point hasn't even made it anywhere outside of this blog.

Are you trying to argue that canceling our season, before the investigation is done, is an overreaction? They're obviously not willing to engage in rational thinking if that is their starting point, so yeah, I wouldn't bother.

Are you arguing over how much impact it has actually had in reality? My questions have been, exactly which games would we have lost without it, especially keeping in mind that OSU said they changed their signs for 2022? How did we beat MSU 49-0 when they did not show us their signs? If we knew every play of every game, why did we struggle in the first half with so many games in 2021 and 2022? Why did we lose to MSU in 2021? Why did we have five other 1-score games, including Nebraska, Rutgers and Maryland?

And was our ability to win all these games greatly enhanced by the difference between legal sign stealing and illegal sign stealing? Because other sign stealers have said going in person is pointless, you can get everything you need from the TV copy.

Now, of course, I wouldn't expect your coworkers to listen to any of that either, but if it makes you feel better, you're not crazy.

Lions don't worry about sheep. You, my friend, are a Lion. Your coworkers appear to be sheep. 

Arguing with people like that is like trying to teach math to a worm. Blech.

You can record signs of your opponents live 

Pretty sure no. You can't record opponents in games where you are playing.

and trade them to your opponent's future opponents in exchange for the recorded [pretty sure not recorded] signs of your opponents.

This part is confusing to me, actually. The thing about the Big Ten sign stealers trading info...we don't know for sure that happens, but if it does, isn't it violating the in-person advance scouting? Because it's extremely similar to what Stalions was doing. The only difference would be if you could somehow argue that him paying people made them agents of Michigan and that sign stealers aren't each others' agents.

As for question #2, yes, you could last year. The CFP reversed their decision, so you no longer can.

Don't forget that the NCAA rule has been and still is that if you are on the same site at a tournament, you can advance in-person scout.

Your questions about why have the rules, the reason for not allowing it is because in 1994 the NCAA decided it cost schools too much money to go visit other games. So because it was too difficult for the poor schools to do it, they wouldn't let the rich schools do it.

Last year, the CFP didn't have a rule one way or the other, which meant it was legal at the CFP. When they were asked, they made a knee-jerk reaction and said, yes you can! It's a rule now that you can! But really they didn't need to make a rule for that, the absence of the rule made it okay. But once the CFP ended last year, they made the new rule that says you can't, presumably because they're just trying to be like the NCAA.

Maybe not worth a thread but how about a link or source?

When I saw the other thread about Day's brother I thought it might just be a coincidence. But if his firm is really called "4th and 1 investigations" then I might start to believe all this...

They are not NCAA events, correct. Not the NCAA. CFP =/= NCAA. Same with all the bowls. Never have been.