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Ever since news broke in October that the NCAA was investigating Michigan football for alleged illegal sign stealing, Ohio State fans assumed the worst. And there was no room for vindication in their minds.
The 2021 and 2022 wins by the Wolverines over the Buckeyes was simply that Connor Stalions had such a mastery over the signals that every single play was mapped out to a tee and the maize and blue took advantage. There’s no way that Jim Harbaugh did anything less than orchestrate the whole ordeal out of his desperation following the 2-4 campaign in 2020. And that’s why Ohio State lost those two games.
Not because Michigan completely revamped the coaching staff, ushering out Don Brown, Ed Warinner, Ben McDaniels, and Mike Zordich in favor of Michigan alums Ron Bellamy and Mike Hart, while changing the defensive scheme to one more built to defend the OSU offense with Mike Macdonald (who just won assistant coach of the year in the NFL) leading the charge. Not because the team went from a coach-led leadership to one led by the players, with Aidan Hutchinson, Mike Sainristil, and others taking the mantle. Not because Michigan finally got above-average quarterback play, especially in 2022-23 when J.J. McCarthy took the helm. Nope — grainy iPhone film.
While the NCAA may still punish Michigan if it determines that Stalions’ scheme was against the rules, which is its prerogative, fans in Columbus have long been unable to face reality. And The Athletic’s Ari Wasserman — who used to cover the Buckeyes — has had enough of it.
In an op-ed penned by Wasserman (subscription required), while he didn’t downplay the Michigan scandal during the season, he cannot circle the square that the Wolverines didn’t win the national championship fair and square, just as NCAA president Charlie Baker proclaimed in the immediate…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/athletic-stop-crying-michigan-football-233428193.html
Author : Wolverines Wire
Publish date : 2024-01-25 23:34:28
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