Heather Dinich explains how potential suspension for Jim Harbaugh could impact Michigan's CFP ranking

Seemingly every day more and more information is unveiled and unpacked regarding Michigan football’s current sign-stealing investigation.

From the latest on Wolverines’ staffer Connor Stalions to the Big Ten’s coaches and others calling for the conference to intervene in the situation, there’s no question that Michigan’s sign-stealing accusations and all that surround it are the program’s worst nightmare.

Yet through this all the Wolverines still stand as one of the most dominant teams in the country this college football season, ranked No. 3 in the first edition of the College Football Playoff Rankings last week and remaining undefeated this weekend following a 41-13 win over Purdue.

Many are curious if Michigan’s current off-the-field situation could potentially impact their standing in the College Football Playoff picture, which college football insider Heather Dinich broke down on ESPN’s ‘Get Up’ Tuesday morning.

“Well I just think it’s important for college football fans to know from a CFP perspective that the commissioners have spoken to sources at that level [and] have not directed the CFP to handle this in any sort of way in terms of their ranking,” Dinich said. “And the repeated line from the CFP is that as long as Michigan is eligible to play in a bowl game, it is eligible to be ranked by the selection committee.”

College Football Playoff executive director Bill Hancock made it clear that Michigan’s off-the-field accusations regarding stealing signs does not impact their raking in the College Football Playoff, saying the committee ‘makes its judgments based on what happened on the field’. But Dinich did reveal a possible way that Michigan’s sign-stealing investigation could impact their ranking in the future.

“And so far, all of these allegations are just that as far as the committee meeting room and are not expected to impact how the committee views Michigan. Unless if Jim Harbaugh is suspended, they certainly consider that,” Dinich said. “Just like an injured player or anything else but that doesn’t mean it’s a hall pass to lose a game. It’s another factor in the consideration.”

Harbaugh already served a self-imposed three-game suspension to start the season from a separate, ongoing case where he allegedly misled investigators in a case involving improper recruiting. And a timeline does exist where Harbaugh could potentially serve another suspension given Michigan’s status in their current sign-stealing investigation.

The Wolverines went undefeated in Harbaugh’s absence to start the season, but the competition and stakes rise at the end of the year, as two of Michigan’s last three opponents will represent their first action against ranked competition of the season with major postseason implications on the line.