The former Ohio State head coach has reignited the controversy amid the NCAA’s ongoing investigation, claiming that the Wolverines a had a ‘tremendous’ competitive advantage
Urban Meyer has reaffirmed his stance that the Michigan Wolverines had an unfair advantage on the field as a result of their sign-stealing scandal.
The Big Ten Conference program became embroiled in one of the biggest controversies in college football back in 2023 when it was alleged that assistant coach Connor Stalions was stealing upcoming opponents’ signs – an investigation that is still ongoing more than two years later. The accusations came shortly after Michigan, then coached by Jim Harbaugh, had won that year’s national championship.
In more recent times, the Wolverines have been dealt a crushing blow by Notre Dame after the program swooped to secure the commitment of a top prospect in the 2026 class. It comes five months after the Fighting Irish fell to Ohio State in the 2024 CFP final, yet Meyer has since laid out how difficult it will be for the Buckeyes to win a second consecutive national championship.
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The former college football coach, however, has now reignited Michigan’s sign-stealing controversy, in which the NCAA alleges that Stalions was sending friends and family to opponent’s games to record future opponents’ signs.
When the allegations were made, the Wolverines had not long wrapped up a perfect 15–0 record for the 2022 college football campaign, winning their third consecutive Big Ten championship and 12th national championship in program history.
Stalions was subsequently fired and Harbaugh, who now coaches the Los Angeles Chargers of the NFL, remains under investigation. While the NCAA has never directly banned sign stealing in football, Meyer believes Michigan’s alleged form of advanced scouting was illegal.
Speaking on the Triple Option Podcast, he said: “Everybody needs to understand that when you say signals, there are only a couple signals you can get that fast in real time. Is it a run or a pass? Is that significant? Hell yeah it is — it’s a tremendous advantage.
“It changes the entire technique of your defensive front, linebackers. The second everybody knows it’s a pass, that’s a completely different story. And then the whole right or left, if they know it’s a run to the right or run to the left. And that’s why I understand what the advantages are.”
Meyer added: “Whether other coaches have done that before in the past … I’ve never heard of this before. A lot of this is to be determined on the surface, but is it a competitive advantage to know the signals of your opponents illegally? You got them illegally. Of course it is.”
In response to the allegations, Harbaugh was suspended for three games during the 2023 regular season. Linebackers coach Chris Partridge was also let go once the allegations surfaced, becoming the second to leave after Stalions.
Although the NCAA’s investigation into the alleged sign-stealing is still ongoing, Michigan has already begun planning for any potential outcome by self-imposing a two-game suspension on second-year head coach Sherrone Moore.
The suspension will be handed down during Weeks 3 and 4 as opposed to the first two games of the 2025 season, meaning he will miss the clashes with Central Michigan and Nebraska, rather than New Mexico and Oklahoma.
This is the benefit of a self-imposed ban, with the Wolverines able to choose when their head coach serves the suspension. Judging by their decision, it is clear who the program appears to fancy its chances against without Moore in charge.
| November 6, 2024
