Around the Big Ten

[iam416]

I just have to bide my time. Be patient. And there will be such glorious comeuppance.

[Jeff Buchanan]

.... until we leak the information to our favorite reporters ....

I actually care less about leaks than I do about knowing the facts and separating those from speculation. For the most part, major sports reporting outlets, have been just OK about reporting the facts. Even then, in most of these, I still get undercurrents of characterizing M's NC as tainted. Pate points out in his piece above that even if M had some or all of their opponent's calls, players still needed to execute their own offensive and defensive plays better than their opponents demonstrating they were just a better football team. Was M the better team in coming back to tie Alabama then make a 4th down stop in OT to win that game? Did they have the Husky's plays when they dominated those guys in every positional battle to claim the NC in a rout? Nope. The coaching was better, intensity and physical effort by the players was better, they won the head game contest under pressure.

[THE_WIZARD_]

It's a witch hunt. Everybody's doing it.

[lineygoblue]

My comment has more to do with the stunning hypocracy of the NCAA. They have no room to accuse anyone of anything "wrong". Especially when two members of that "infractions committee" are OSU alumni. But, I'm sure they approached the investigation in a "neutral" manner ...

That organization cannot lose control of football, and hopefully basketball soon enough for me.

[THE_WIZARD_]

It's a Nothingburger.

Pun intended.

[lineygoblue]

It's a witch hunt. Everybody's doing it.

It really is a witch hunt when everyone is doing it.

Every team looks for an edge everywhere/anywhere they can get it. There is no doubt of that. The NCAA's history is ripe with examples of selective enforcement of their own rules.

When you're on their good side, you're fine. When you're not, you're not.

Anyway, there's going to be no resolution of this before March or April of next year anyway. That is unless there is a negotiated settlement before that. I think there will be a negotiated settlement because that's in Michigan's history. And it won't be good news for Michigan.

And CFB can finally rejoice that "justice" was done ....

[THE_WIZARD_]

The NCAA is a shadow of itself when it comes to football....I don't know what you are so worried about. Yes you broke the rules...but it's kinda like shoplifting in LA...don't steal over $1,000 and you are fine...unfortunately...you guys stole like a million dollars worth of shit...

[iam416]

Don't blame the murderer, blame the police for catching him. Because some people get away with it!

[lineygoblue]

And yet, I didn't say anything like that.

I have no confidence in the NCAA to handle anything fairly in football or basketball. They have no idea what fairness is, nor do they care. They care about power and authority. Right now, they have all of that. The rest of us can only stand and watch.

I also have no confidence in the Michigan Athletic department, or the University itself, to defend itself the way it deserves to be defended. They'll cave in again, like they have so many times in the past. Nobody wants to upset the wine and cheese folks that run the NCAA or the university. In the end, they are all pals.

[Jeff Buchanan]

M is prepared to fight the NCAA because the proposed punishments are a fucking hammer. There is no meeting in the middle. M's only choice is to fight.

But, make no mistake -- an absolutle hammer is on the table.

One can speculate about the severity of penalties an institution will receive for violations of NCAA rules. But, aside from wild speculation (Talent isn't doing that), the process of assessing penalties is frustratingly subjective and impossible, at this point, to predict because the NCAA claims, "every case is different with different aggravating and mitigating circumstances." So, at this point, there's no predicting what the penalties might be and that is assuming the NCAA has evidence that tie the accused to specific rules violations and can then logically make the case for Level 1 violations. I don't think that's a given.

On "leaks," sure, Wetzel could be a go to guy for M seeking to leak information to control the narrative but, IMO, it is just as likely, the NCAA wanted to control the narrative with the upcoming Netflix interview with Stalions that will be aired tomorrow. That should be interesting. There will certainly be plenty of analysis of it coming. Stalions isn't going to go quietly into the night.

From a recent article by Yahoo Sports that might shed light on what Stalions will say tomorrow:

"There has been little argument thus far ....... that Stalions didn’t violate the advanced scouting rule, also known as NCAA bylaw 11.6.1. That bylaw prohibits in-person scouting by institutional staff members, but Beckworth and Collins, Stalion's lawyers, argue that since Stalions wasn’t in-person according to the evidence of his scheme, that it doesn’t qualify. The NOA says Connor’s friends and family sent him film from games they attended with tickets Connor purchased,” Stalions’ lawyers wrote. “But there is no rule against that.” The lawyers went on to say the “only ‘scouting’ that took place in this case happened on Michigan’s campus from behind Connor’s computer."

No clue if M's legal team will pursue a similar argument either with the NCAA in hearings or failing that in a court of law where M might seek injunctive relief from damages attendant to unfounded penalties levied by the NCAA. M will likely fight the NCAA's allegation in the official NOA that the U acted in a manner demonstrating a pattern of non-compliance. I assume this is based on the several accused refusing to cooperate when asked to turn over personal records, hard drives and phones. I'm not certain the NCAA has the authority to do that unless the NCAA lawyers might argue it is implied that by presidents signing up, member institutions will comply with any and all requests related to NCAA infractions investigations. This stuff is legally complicated and not in my wheelhouse. Suffice it to say, if M or current employees gets jobbed, it will go down fighting. Talent, you might have to wait a while for M to get the comeuppance you feel is deserved.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Harbaugh's football program sure had a lot of rogue actors. Stalions, Partridge, Weiss, even Moore deleting texts without "any" (wink, wink) direction from The Boss. Ol' Jimmy must delegate a lot of authority down the food chain!

[Dr. Strangelove]

Whatever Weiss & Stalions & Partridge & Moore & Minter were up to you can bet HARBAUGH!!! knew nothing about it.

[THE_WIZARD_]

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[Mike]

If you guys were true Americans, you’d all be supporting AMERICA’S TEAM: Your 2023 National Champion Michigan Wolverines!

SAD!!!!!

[THE_WIZARD_]

blasphemy