This weekend, the undefeated Wolverines and undefeated Buckeyes — both 11-0 and ranked among the nation’s top three teams — will face off in what can only be described as a once-in-a-lifetime football game. A major reason that this year’s rivalry matchup is so much different from past years is due to the Michigan football scandal, which has Jim Harbaugh suspended and more for Saturday’s contest. According to ex-Ohio State coach Urban Meyer, the sign-stealing investigation just got serious — here is why.
Urban Meyer shares thoughts Michigan football scandal and its impact on Ohio State game
Urban Meyer is regarded as a top coach in college football history, especially for his work at Ohio State University, where he went 7-0 against Michigan football, 4-0 against Jim Harbaugh, and won the Buckeyes’ most recent national title back in 2015.
Leading up to this weekend’s game, he shared some updated thoughts on the Michigan football sign-stealing scandal and its impact on the Michigan-Ohio State matchup this Saturday, which has massive Big Ten title and College Football Playoff implications.
Meyer seems to imply guilt for Jim Harbaugh or U-M
One major point that Meyer noted is that Jim Harbaugh and the University of Michigan football program backed down from the Big Ten, accepting his three-game suspension, which includes Saturday against Ohio State. To Meyer, this seems to be a likely indication of guilt.
“For Coach (Jim) Harbaugh to not coach in this game — I almost start sweating thinking about that,” Urban Meyer said on his podcast.
“What do you mean you’re not coaching in The Game? He’s a former player, a great player there (at Michigan),” Meyer added. “(He) beat the Buckeyes two years in a row. All of this one the line, and you’re not coaching in this game? And you’re not fighting it? So, there is stuff there — it got real serious when (Michigan football) said, ‘We’re not going to fight this.’”
Sign-stealing investigation or not, Wolverines ready for showdown with the Buckeyes this weekend
Soon after Michigan backed down from the Big Ten, Chris Partridge was fired, and a new report linked a booster to Connor Stalions. Now, to be fair, the booster is not a representative of the University of Michigan (and he denies it), and reports state that Partridge was fired for attempting to cover for Connor Stalions, not for involvement in the scandal itself, so nothing there is too damning for the Wolverines just yet.
Regardless of the sign-stealing investigation, whatever Urban Meyer has to say, and Jim Harbaugh being suspended, No. 3 Michigan football looks to earn a third-straight win against No. 2 Ohio State, advancing to the Big Ten Championship Game and more as a result this Saturday at the Big House.
Thank you for reading Blue by Ninety. For more Michigan Athletics and Big Ten content from Blue by Ninety, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Publisher at [email protected]. Also, be sure to check out our shop and our podcast, which is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other streaming platforms. It is because of your support that we have become one of the fastest-growing and most influential Michigan media outlets there is!