Done deal: Michigan Wolverines has made a classic signing

Michigan Football’s success demonstrates that the sign-stealing controversy means little.

The University of Michigan football team earned its first national championship since 1997, as well as its first overall national championship while Harry Truman was president. When Michigan’s head coach Jim Harbaugh lifted the trophy and was asked, “Who has it better than you?” The answer was eventually clear: nobody.

After years of debating whether Harbaugh was the appropriate man for the job, the detractors appeared to have been quiet. But they weren’t.

Michigan is now one of only six teams in the sport’s long history to finish 15-0, although many critics of the Wolverines label it a “tainted championship” with a “asterisk.”

In case you haven’t heard, Michigan is being investigated for unlawfully collecting opponents’ signs through advanced scouting.

Michigan’s achievement emerged from the murky fog of the historic incident involving former staffer Connor Stalions. The naysayers have an obvious bias that is based on either hypocrisy or ignorance, as they use the murky and scandalous drama surrounding the program to undermine what Michigan and Harbaugh have accomplished.

The Stallion tale has loomed big over one of the most illustrious, profitable, and successful college football programs in the country. The Wolverines haven’t won a national title in 26 years, and it’s been 56 years since they won one outright. Their position at the pinnacle of college football

That was until Michigan’s prodigal son brought the program back to its previous grandeur. Over the last three years, Harbaugh has returned Michigan to the pinnacle of the college football mountain, defeating two other blue-blood colleges only this season. The Wolverines beat the Buckeyes for the third time in a row before defeating Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide, a squad that ended Georgia’s 29-game winning run. All of this came before they faced battle against one of the nation’s best offenses and an undefeated Washington.

Michigan has returned to the peak. They ascended the collegiate football mountain, which famous Wolverines head coach Lloyd Carr used as a metaphor for.

Many will say that this is likely the best team in Michigan football history.

They achieved this by defeating Alabama and Ohio State, among others, for a total of four top-10 wins in their final six games, as well as an additional top-20 win. All of this occurred after news of the inquiry leaked, including three wins without Harbaugh at the helm while he was suspended from the Big Ten. A ban, mind you, that appeared to lack due process and was prompted by conference members’ pressure on Big Ten Commissioner Tony Pettiti.

It demonstrated, emphatically, that unlawful sign stealing had little to no influence.

Winning a national title is a huge accomplishment. When you go unbeaten, it serves as a generational marker. The 2023 Michigan Wolverines football team set a generational standard with their victory on Monday night.

However, in week eight of the NCAA football season, the outlook was gloomy. Right before a game against Michigan’s in-state rival, the Michigan State University Spartans, news of an anticipated investigation into the Wolverines’ football team for unlawful sign stealing broke.

According to the AP, the complaint was for violating regulations prohibiting in-person scouting of opponents prior to a game and doing so using technology (in this case, cell phone cameras).

Harbaugh has categorically denied any knowledge of Stalion’s wrongdoings, even claiming innocence for himself and the rest of the squad. Still, according to ESPN, Pettiti believed the penalty was necessary.

“This is not a consequence for Coach Harbaugh. It is a consequence against the University that, given the unique circumstances surrounding this offensive behavior, best matches the infraction.”

While the debate about whether Michigan broke the rules (and how) is genuine, it seems almost blasphemous to claim that the sign-stealing tactic provided a major competitive edge over its opponents. According to well-known college football writer Brett McMurphy of the Action Network, an unknown Alabama CEO voiced words of encouragement towards the squad that recently defeated his institution.

“Everyone—and I mean everyone—is stealing signs. Michigan wasn’t the only school doing this.

After all, the NCAA has yet to release any material indicating that anyone in the program other than Stallion knew about his scheme.

In a CFP press conference following Michigan’s Rose Bowl victory over Alabama, quarterback JJ McCarthy stated that Michigan was obliged to “level the playing field” as a result of Ohio State’s own sign-stealing prior to the 2021 season. It appears that there is a clear level of hypocrisy at work here, especially given Day’s suspected role in leaking material to the NCAA against the Stallion and the institution.

So, for all the opposition fans that spread falsehoods and fairy dust, this one has to hurt. The gloating on social media over any form of NCAA “death penalty” punishment (which appears highly improbable at this moment) should not detract from this championship for Michigan fans. In a world where esteem for the NCAA is lower than previous US President Andrew Johnson’s present popularity ratings, vacating this title would be meaningless.

After all, the possibility of the NCAA remaining as a regulating body is decreasing by the day. Even yet, their previous actions (or lack thereof) in relation to programs such as the Kansas men’s basketball team make them appear less than reputable.

So, for all the opposition supporters who spread lies and fairy dust, this one has to hurt. The gloating on social media over any type of NCAA “death penalty” punishment (which is quite unlikely at this point) should not detract from Michigan’s triumph. In a world where the NCAA’s reputation is lower than former US President Andrew Johnson’s current approval ratings, giving up this title would be useless.

After all, the NCAA’s chances of staying a regulatory organization are shrinking by the day. Nonetheless, their previous actions (or lack thereof) in relation to programs such as the Kansas men’s basketball team cast them in a negative light.

Despite Michigan’s supremacy and Harbaugh’s continuous denial of his role in the sign-stealing controversy, opponents were grabbing at straws less than 24 hours after the championship. MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough stated that “what they (Michigan) did was pretty deplorable, and then they got caught lying about it.”

Scarborough’s insinuation that Michigan’s alleged wrongdoings are somehow greater than what is already usual in the NCAA is ludicrous (they aren’t), but the real kicker is his claim that Harbaugh has been intentionally lying about it the entire time.

However, the most intriguing aspect of Scarborough’s hallucination is his failure to recognize his own bias as a University of Alabama graduate. Objectivity is an illusion, especially when it comes to our interests, which

Many were surprised when OutKick creator Clay Travis openly acknowledged the falsity of his previous claim that Harbaugh is “the most overrated coach in college football history”. Travis pulled back his comments on the most recent episode of his podcast, saying, “I didn’t see this pivot coming in year seven, eight, or nine; there isn’t really a precedent for this.”

Travis is correct, despite how difficult it is to speak about him. There is no parallel for what Michigan did at NRG Stadium on Jan. 8, finishing 15-0 with a squad built without “high-level” recruiting talent. Instead, the Wolverines set a new paradigm for what a team of their quality, without numerous superstars, is.

What’s the goal of all this? Two things: first, the sign-stealing incident had no bearing on the final outcome. Michigan established they were unquestionably the top college football team in the country by overpowering Washington at the line of scrimmage, something they did against all of their opponents this season. Second, Michigan solidified its reputation as one of the best individual teams in college football history. While many former national winners have offensive units with legitimate top-10 skill, Michigan annihilated their opponents without any of that.

Michigan’s victory cannot be traced to a single player or specific moment in the game. Instead, we will remember this team as a bunch of players who fought everything thrown in front of them and restored