Heather Dinich details how Michigan's NCAA investigation into sign stealing could impact CFP chances 

Michigan‘s postseason odds could be in jeopardy this season, even if it wins out the rest of the way, due to the recently-announced NCAA investigation into potential illegal sign stealing within the program.

The Big Ten announced the investigation Thursday, and it is considered to be quite serious. One source told ESPN that “it is worse” than the cheating scandals of the New England Patriots and Houston Astros.

ESPN insider Heather Dinich was on ESPN’s Get Up on Friday to break down the scandal, explaining how it could impact the Wolverines’ chances at a third straight College Football Playoff appearance.

“If they are bowl eligible, the CFP told me this morning, Michigan is also eligible to be ranked by the College Football Playoff selection committee,” Dinich said.

Michigan has made the College Football Playoff the last two seasons with the Wolverines losing in the semifinals each time.

Dinich said that postseason eligibility for Michigan will be decided by the NCAA after its investigation. It is unknown when the investigation will be completed and whether it will have any impact on this year’s rankings.

The Wolverines are also still under investigation for potential recruiting violations. The program already gave head coach Jim Harbaugh a self-imposed three-game suspension for that.

“That’s in the NCAA’s hand,” Dinich said of whether the investigation will result in a bowl ban. “If they are not bowl eligible this year, they cannot be ranked by the CFP. But, as proven, they’re already under investigation for the 2020 recruiting violations and they would be ranked with that in the backdrop. But if they’re not eligible for the bowl season, they’re not eligible for the CFP.”

Harbaugh has denied knowledge of any potential sign stealing and denied he told any one on staff to do such a thing.

ESPN pundit Paul Finebaum said he thinks the NCAA is going after this claim at least in part because of the fact it is Harbaugh.

“I think, on surface, it is a bad look for Jim Harbaugh, but in understanding the NCAA and it’s enforcement division right now, it’s hard for me to imagine that they’ll be able to make a solid case,” Finebaum said on Get Up. “It does look bad. There’s been allegations out there in the past, but it does seem like it would be a close call by the NCAA, and I sense that there’s some piling on here, to Jim Harbaugh. He turned his nose to them a couple of months ago, as you remember, during its investigation, and it seems to me like selective prosecution. That doesn’t mean that some of this didn’t happen. I frankly think that this happens everywhere. Not to the degree that the story is laid out here, but there’s some very grey area.”