There were interesting storylines to this college football season before the last 10 days.
Georgia chasing a historic three-peat.
The Pac-12 looking to snap its seven-year playoff drought before the league basically dissolved.
A wide open Heisman Trophy trace.
Florida State’s return to contention.
They are window dressing now. All secondary stories. The college football season is all about Michigan, its sign-stealing scandal and how this impacts the dominant Wolverines.
Every day it seems something new comes out, more information about what low-level staff member Connor Stalions was doing. The NCAA is investigating Michigan for what ESPN has reported was an “elaborate” system of scouting and sign stealing. Stallions, who purchased tickets to games involving other Big Ten teams and potential playoff opponents, has been suspended without pay. Stalions reportedly bought tickets to over 35 games at 17 different stadiums around the country and had a network of at least three people who were given tickets to attend games. He was seen on videotape recording the sidelines of future Michigan opponents.
Harbaugh, already suspended the first three games of this season for alleged recruiting violations dating back to the COVID-19 dead period, has denied directing anyone to conduct these acts. A control freak like most elite coaches, that seems iffy at best.
Most fans are split on whether this is a major issue or Michigan gained a serious advantage. It, however, is illegal and isn’t going away. More will come out. Michigan is going to get asked about this whenever it deals with the media. The players are no doubt hearing about it on social media. The investigation is going to continue, and likely will reveal even more about this sordid situation.
It adds significant intrigue to an already intriguing team, a group that has been dominant, beating the opposition by a combined 229-31. Of course, the Wolverines have played absolutely nobody so far, which will change soon. They visit Penn State on Nov. 11 before hosting bitter rival Ohio State on Thanksgiving weekend, two games that will determine if Michigan returns to the playoff for the third straight season.
It certainly feels like this is Harbaugh’s best chance to win it all. Georgia, while still undefeated, hasn’t been as dominant as the previous two years. Most of the other contenders have holes. Michigan hasn’t shown any.
Well, except for that whole cheating thing. The story did break two days before Michigan’s last game, a 49-0 blitzing of Michigan State. But it has significantly metastasized since then. The Wolverines had a bye this past week, a good time for Harbaugh to get his ducks in a row and his players to get a break, because there will be extra scrutiny on this program moving forward.
Forget Georgia. Forget Alabama. Forget Florida State, Washington and Ohio State.
The bull’s-eye is now fully focused on Michigan. It is the sport’s villain, the team that everyone will root against. The scandal isn’t going away, and neither is the microscope on the title-contending Wolverines.
The initial made-for-television College Football Playoff rankings show will debut on Halloween, but at the moment, there isn’t much intrigue.
Oklahoma’s loss to Kansas on Saturday ended that. Right now, the playoff picture is pretty clear. Undefeated Florida State gets one spot. The Michigan/Ohio State winner gets another spot. That leaves the SEC champion, either Alabama or Georgia, and the Pac-12 winner. Right now, Washington owns pole position, courtesy of its three-point win over Oregon, but the Huskies have been shaky of late, struggling with Arizona State and Stanford in consecutive weeks. An Oregon win in the rematch would theoretically vault the Ducks into the playoff.
There is a lot of time left, and so much can happen, but it sure seems like the ACC, Big Ten, SEC and Pac-12 will each have representatives this year barring something unforeseen.
In an otherwise bland Saturday, Kansas and backup quarterback Jason Bean provided the country with a stunner. At full strength, the Jayhawks would’ve been an underdog against previously undefeated Oklahoma. But that wasn’t the case, not with dynamic quarterback Jalon Daniels – the Big 12 preseason Offensive Player of the Year – still out with a back injury. Bean went out and produced by far the biggest victory of his six-year college career, rallying Kansas from three different deficits. Kansas is now headed to its most wins since 2007, and it isn’t out of the question it can reach the Big 12 championship game with a soft schedule the rest of the way.
Take a bow, Lance Leipold. The second-year coach has done the unthinkable in Lawrence, Kan. – he has made people care about football there a few weeks before college basketball season’s arrival.