Is Jim Harbaugh Guilty Before Proven Innocent?

"Michigan Marching Band, Michigan Stadium, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan" by Ken Lund is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. via Flickr

The Oxford Dictionary defines competitive advantage as “a condition or circumstance that puts a company in a favorable or superior business position.”

As if the 2023 college football season hasn’t been chaotic enough, now we have to deal with teams gaining an unfair advantage by stealing opponent's play signals, allegedly by the Michigan Wolverines. This kind of buffoonery defies understanding.

In the wake of the “resignation” of Michigan offensive analyst Connor Stalions, the sign-stealing debacle that plagues the Wolverines program has resulted in the Big Ten Conference handing down a suspension of head coach Jim Harbaugh for the rest of the regular season. As a pending NCAA investigation continues, it could take months to complete.

This marks the second time this season that Harbaugh has been suspended. Harbaugh was kept off the sidelines for the entire non-conference part of the schedule this season as punishment for NCAA violations in the offseason.

The way Harbaugh has been treated and harassed by the NCAA and the powers that be at the league office this season, and his reputation being dragged into the court of public opinion, Harbaugh is like the Donald Trump of college football.

Before he gets his khakis in a twist, Harbaugh, known for his lack of decorum when it comes to cooperating with the NCAA, could file an injunction within 24 hours to block the suspension.

On Monday, that broken institution known as the NCAA fired a rocket from its headquarters with a “Notice of Allegations” painted on the side of it and aimed it straight at the Michigan athletic department. In response to those allegations, Michigan fired back with a 10-page letter arguing that punishment, whatever that will be, should not be handed down without due process.

This saga has attracted the attention of state legislators who also urge that due process be allowed to run its course, with no rush to judgment.

But now it appears that other Big Ten teams may have acted in the same manner, with both Ohio State and Rutgers allegedly offering up play signals to the Purdue Boilermakers ahead of their matchup with Michigan in the 2022 Big Ten Championship Game. Yet, the ire of the NCAA is directed squarely at only Michigan, for now.

Will Harbaugh use this latest battle with the NCAA and the Big Ten as the impetus to leave Ann Arbor and head for the NFL, and give college football the middle finger as he rides out of town? We shall see.

#4 Michigan travels to Happy Valley to take on #8 Penn State on Saturday. If you think the Wolverines won't be fired up for this one, think again.

This is a developing story. Follow College Football Dawgs for updates.