It seems the Michigan football program’s sign-stealing scandal is not limited to just transgressions this year, because TCU reportedly prepared for it during their college playoffs matchup last year.
Heading into their Week 9 bye, the Michigan Wolverines are one of the best teams in the nation and ranked fourth in our latest college football rankings. However, the program has been hounded by questions and doubt due to a pair of investigations over the last six months.
In the offseason, the NCAA looked into the school over improper recruiting that led to a suspension for head coach Jim Harbaugh. Yet, despite those preseason headlines, the Michigan football program got off to a fast start in 2023, and the 8-0 squad is in the thick of the national championship hunt heading into November.
However, trouble came again for the program recently when it was revealed that they violated NCAA rules on scouting upcoming opponents. Since the NCAA opened up its latest investigation, staffer Connor Stalions has been suspended and used as the scapegoat for this latest tumult surrounding Michigan.
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Earlier this week, ESPN published a report on how in-depth Stalions system for scouting was, and that several schools confirmed his purchase of tickets for their team’s games and had proof of him using cameras to record the sideline signals for their teams.
TCU used ‘dummy’ signs during CFP game versus Michigan football last season
Yet, this was not Stalions’ first season with the program and it seems this may have been going on far longer than this year. On Thursday, Yahoo Sports college football writer Ross Dellenger reported that “TCU coaches learned from other staffs about Michigan’s ‘elaborate’ sign-stealing before the CFP semifinal. TCU changed signs but used ‘dummy’ (old) signs to trick the Wolverines, coaches tell. TCU players were told to ignore the dummy signs.”
Yet that wasn’t where it ended. While many schools in the country are likely breaking some NCAA rules on advance scouting, rival coaching staffs claimed the Michigan football program has the most sophisticated sign-stealing scheme the sport had ever seen.
Related: New details in Michigan football sign-stealing scandal a bad look for Jim Harbaugh and program
“Michigan’s scheme was so widespread among coaches that one told TCU’s staff before the game, ‘They have the most elaborate signal-stealing in the history of the World,'” Dellenger wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “One TCU coach said ‘You can see the sheet (Stalions) is holding with our signs on them.'”
It will be interesting to see how the NCAA handles this latest investigation and what possible penalties come for head coach Jim Harbaugh and his undefeated team.