The Michigan football team is currently ranked #3 in the country and they are 10-0 on the year. Their entire season will be on the line during Thanksgiving weekend in Ann Arbor when #2 Ohio State football comes to town. The Wolverines are in the thick of the national title conversation, but the current NCAA investigation surrounding the program is creating some obstacles. There is currently no evidence that anyone on the Michigan staff knew about the sign-stealing operation, except for Connor Stalions who recently resigned, but Jim Harbaugh has been suspended by the Big Ten for the remainder of the regular season because of it. The Wolverines will not have Harbaugh on the sidelines for their massive clash against the Buckeyes.
Michigan football didn’t have Harbaugh last weekend on the road against #10 Penn State, and they still picked up a big win. Sherrone Moore in the acting head coach with Harbaugh out, and he showed that is capable of getting the job done.
This whole sign-stealing situation with Michigan has created a lot of buzz in the college football world, and one person that enjoys talking about it more than others is ESPN’s Paul Finebaum. It’s not a secret that Finebaum and Harbaugh don’t like each other (Harbaugh once referred to Paul as ‘Pete Finebaum’ in a tweet), and Finebaum has made that clearer than ever in recent weeks.
If the Wolverines beat Ohio State on November 25th, that should lock up a playoff spot for Michigan. It’s hard to imagine anyone in the Big Ten West putting up a fight in the conference championship game this year. The Wolverines are in the hunt for the national tittle, and they are the current betting favorite to win it. However, if they do win it, Finebaum won’t acknowledge it.
“They did something wrong — whether (Jim Harbaugh) ordered it or not, he is responsible,” Paul Finebaum said on the Dan Patrick Show on Thursday. “Something should be done, and frankly, I don’t think a three-game suspension is that big of a deal, even considering the weight of next week’s game (against Ohio State). … Whether (the investigation) goes anywhere from here — it probably won’t because the NCAA is not really equipped any longer to do an investigation under three or four years. … I will refuse to recognize Michigan as the national champs. I was taught that athletics should be an even playing field, and to me, (the Wolverines) are not subscribing to that.”
