Michigan football allies defend Jim Harbaugh, program as Big Ten considers punishment
Michigan Wolverines football has boarded its team bus to the airport before flying out to a top-10 matchup against Penn State — head coach Jim Harbaugh included.
Harbaugh’s status is in doubt, with the Big Ten mulling whether or not to allow due process to run its course with the NCAA investigating the program for alleged illegal off-campus scouting of future opponents in the same season. The league, according to sources and numerous other reports, may come down with a decision — on no punishment, a fine or a suspension for Harbaugh — today. Some sort of decision could come next week.
Harbaugh’s attorney told ESPN.com earlier in the day that they were “prepared for anything and that he was “confident he’s going to be on that plane one way or the other.”
In recent days, known friends and trusted agents of Harbaugh and the Michigan program have been outspoken in their support for due process.
Charlotte 49ers head coach Biff Poggi — formerly Michigan’s associate head coach from 2021-22 — took to X with an emphatic statement testifying that Harbaugh didn’t know about former low-level staffer Connor Stalions‘ alleged scouting operation.
“I have been quiet on the Michigan situation BUT NO longer,” Poggi wrote in his post. “I was closer to Jim Harbaugh over the last three years than anyone except his wife and kids. If Jim knew I would have known. I didn’t know and neither did he. I stake my reputation on it. Stop whining and get a better team.”
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Former Michigan 1991 Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard, one of ESPN’s top college football analysts, appeared on multiple of the network’s shows this morning and also gave his take.
Howard pushed back on the notion that Harbaugh should serve a suspension, since there’s no known evidence from the NCAA or Big Ten that he was involved or had knowledge of Stalions’ actions.
“The commissioner is actually treating [Michigan] unfairly,” Howard said. He’s circumventing due process by the NCAA. This would never happen in the SEC. Are you telling me they would do this to Nick Saban and Alabama? Hell no.
“This thing has been a rush to judgment on scant information. You have a rookie commissioner, who seems to have been put in a position where he’s almost being bullied by coaches and ADs who have like a competitive agenda, so to speak.”
Now that Stalions is no longer with the program and teams have been warned to change their play-calling signals due to Michigan’s alleged scouting violations, Howard put it out there that there are “no more excuses” for future teams. The Wolverines play Penn State, Maryland and Ohio State to conclude the regular season.
“These teams have had an opportunity to change their signs if need be. We’re three or four weeks into this,” Howard said. “So if they’re able to win this game tomorrow against Penn State and then the last game of the year against No. 1 Ohio State — that’s top 10 Penn State and No. 1 Ohio State, and they’re doing it clean — then they go into the playoff and win the national title. How can you go through that gauntlet, knowing they’ve played these games as clean as possible, because the scandal’s out … but they still win out. That is an incredible run. Of course that’s not tainted. Of course not.”
