Around the Big Ten

[iam416]

That said, I'm not sure how Ohio State will managed to survive another stern road test next week against the 4th best team in the conference.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Rutgers could easily lose its last 4 games and finish 6-6

[iam416]

Yeah, Iowa will be a disgusting game. Who knows about Maryland. Penn State and Ohio State they'll be underdogs, but they'll both be rock fights. So, meh.

I'd say 1-3 to finish and 7-5.

[Jeff Buchanan]

The idea that this is a hit job on on HARBAUGH!!! is fucking ludicrous.

The facts and evidence on Staliion’s operation are significant. It’s brazen cheating. There isn’t a second choice. It is.

A couple of things: I'm not endorsing the emerging view by Brain at Mgo that there is circumstantial evidence that Stalion's activities involving stealing an opponent's signs were intentionally leaked to the NCAA. It's out there and IMO, isn't more ludicrous than the other stuff that's floating around the web. The allegation that information relevant to the issue of sign stealing brings to mind that an individual(s) conspired to gather damaging information on Jim Harbaugh and/or M's football program and provide it to the NCAA. Jim has enemies so I find this explanation to carry some weight. This article from the LA Times describes why Harbaugh is a target and who is allegedly making him a target. https://www.latimes.com/sports/story...-football-ncaa

Then there is Jim Stapelton that John U Bacon outed as the leaker. This link tells that story: https://thespun.com/big-ten/michigan...apleton-reThis article acts-to-being-named-reason-for-ncaa-leak

Moreover, we know the information obtained and then leaked came from a report that a private investigating firm provided to the NCAA. https://apnews.com/article/michigan-...ff24e6f824745e We don't know with certainty who hired the PI firm or who leaked some of its findings to the WaPo. It may or may not have been Stapelton who sits on the NCAA COI Board. Finding out the answer to these questions is important to connecting the dots assuming there are dots to connect.

I'll grant you that Stalion likely broke NCAA rules that were codified by the NCAA in an attempt to regulate sign stealing activities. I say "likely" instead of absolutely because there remains legitimate questions whether or not Stallion acted within the NCAA rules on sign stealing. From the Michigan daily that identifies some problems with the rules: https://www.michigandaily.com/sports...aling-scandal/

There are two parts of this allegation that violate NCAA rules. First, scouting games in-person is illegal under NCAA Bylaw 11.6.1. The exact text of the rule prohibits “off-campus, in-person scouting of future opponents” in the same season. Second, recording video of opponents’ other games is banned by Section 4, Article 11, Subsection H of the NCAA rulebook, which states “Any attempt to record, either through audio or video means, any signals given by an opposing player, coach or other team personnel is prohibited.”

There could be a gray area to this second rule, though. This rule applies to field equipment within the “playing enclosure,” as the NCAA defined it. The playing enclosure is further defined by the NCAA as “that area bounded by the stadium, dome, stands, fences or other structures” according to Section 31, Article 5 of the football rulebook. While bounded is an unnecessarily complicated verb, what this means is that the stands where Stalions or other associates might have recorded are outside of the playing enclosure. Under these definitions, recording from the stands could be legal. But ultimately, that is up to interpretation.

I'll add that the NCAA rules - as poorly written as they are - don't specify that dudes like Stallion - a super fan - before he was hired as an analyst can't record signs, compile a history of them and then make themselves appear as a sign stealing savant in order to impress people who are in a position to hire him for a job in M's football program. Upon offering a job to Stallion did M football program principals know how Stalion became this sign stealing savant? Probably not and it is pretty clear that principals in the M Athletic Department with the authority to hire people did not know what Stalion had been up to gathering signs from M's opposition before he was hired. If that conclusion is accurate, there is little evidence to believe any of the coaches or principals within M's football program were involved in an operation to steal signs.

All of the above is to say, I'm not convinced either way......yet. You seem to have made up your mind, like I'd expect you to. That could be bad news for you and others, filled with giddiness over the allegations, taking similar stances to yours. The NCAA, now conducting it's own investigation, may determine there is nothing indicating that Jim Harbaugh knew about or should have known about Stalion's activities, such activities in violation of NCAA rules. While you've already scoffed that JH has imputed knowledge of Stalion's illegal sign stealing activities, IMO, I don't think that conclusion is as accurate as you think it is.

[iam416]

Where the story came from is absolutely irrelevant to whether they cheated. And as to that, I think that reading of the rules is absolutely wrong and tendentious. I mean LMMFAO at recording signals from the stands not being covered, JFC.

And I’ve noted there isn’t direct evidence re HARBAUGH!!!, but the NCAA doesn’t care. Coach is responsible for the staff. And CS was very much in his staff.

[Tom W]

That said, I'm not sure how Ohio State will managed to survive another stern road test next week against the 4th best team in the conference.

Probably the same way they survived against Wisky. There are 11 "bad" teams in the conference - some are "REALLY bad" and the rest do every thing that they can to not rise to being "mediocre".

[iam416]

That's true. 11 bad, 2 mediocre, 1 Death Star.

[iam416]

Also re HARBAUGH!!!! -- there's a really high percentage of knucklehead OSU fans who think there's some sort of immediate, harsh punishment coming. I mean -- probably 50%. Significant. Those people are out of their gourds. Like asking "Has HARBAUGH!!!! coached his last game?" I mean, JFC.

I really do think this is his last season, but I fully expect him to go out in a blaze of glory. Whatever comes of this -- and I think it will be modest, though not negligble -- won't come until 2024.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Brian Ferentz not expected to return to Iowa staff in 2024 as Hawkeyes offense sits behind mandated pace - CBSSports.com

[THE_WIZARD_]

He is more unpopular than Oppenheimer in Hiroshima...

[Mike]

LOL, Ferentz. They don't anticipate scoring 33.1 ppg the rest of the way?

[THE_WIZARD_]

fNw, Rutgers, Illinois and Nebraska. I'm gonna say.....nah.

[THE_WIZARD_]

UNL-Iowa has the makings of a 5-3 shootout...with a walk off walk to win it...

[iam416]

The better question is can Iowa score 33 points the rest of the way.

[THE_WIZARD_]

EF to the EF fucking Z.