How resolution in Jim Harbaugh suspension helps Michigan ahead of Ohio State game

The Michigan sign-stealing scandal has dominated the headlines in college football for the past few weeks. It’s been arguably the biggest story of the 2023 college football season. The Wolverines surprised everybody recently when they decided to accept the three-game suspension for head coach Jim Harbaugh, which meant that he’d have to miss the Penn State, Maryland, and Ohio State games. But on the other side of the coin, they at least got part of the case resolved.

On the Sunday evening edition of the Andy Staples podcast, Clayton Sayfie of TheWolverine.com explained why the resolution to the case actually helps the Wolverines ahead of their showdown with Ohio State, which figures to be one of the biggest games of the year.

Resolution of the case helps Michigan this week

“Well, I think so. And I think, I mean, these guys have done a great job all year going back to the beginning of handling distractions and just kind of…Jim Harbaugh says you wake up, you take care of business, whatever that is on that day,” Sayfie said. “Sometimes that includes an interview from the NCAA. As we heard was going on a week ago or even during Penn State week. And then you go to bed, you wake up, you take care of business again the next day. They’ve done a really good job of that,”

“But it’s hard. It’s impossible for that to not get to you a little bit. Maybe what we saw, obviously it’s impossible to prove one way or the other but maybe what we saw a little bit with the struggles at Maryland had to do with that.

“As our Chris Balas wrote after the game in his postgame column though, if you can with the NCAA breathing down your necks a little bit. This is the week to go, ‘Hey, give us a week. Back the hell off for a second here. Stop interviewing our players mid-week on Tuesday night after practice or whatever it is. Because we need our full focus. I think that’s probably fair to ask. Now, who can ask that? Maybe Jim Harbaugh? I don’t know. He’s gotta cooperate. But if you’re the leadership at Michigan I think that is something to consider if that is allowed or whatever. I’m not an NCAA expert.”

Andy Staples noted that since it’s the week of Thanksgiving, that may help Michigan get a break from the investigation from the Big Ten and the NCAA.

“They may get a reprieve from all of this stuff and then it picks back up later in the year or early next year,” Staples said. “Because if the Big Ten doesn’t need to do anymore, if they’re not under pressure to do something else, I don’t know that they have to do anything right now, that the NCAA has to do anything right now.”

“I agree. I mean, yeah, it’s also a short week for these guys. They won’t have class a couple of days, so that will help in terms of their football preparation. But, yeah, it’s a big week in many different ways. And you’re right. So basically, the Big Ten has said, I’ve seen a couple of conflicting reports on it but basically, that they have kind of backed off like you said because they got their guy. They got Jim Harbaugh sidelined. The court hearing’s done. They kind of reached that “settlement.” So, that would be I think big for Michigan.

“Lack of distractions in a week that you’ve gotta be locked in. You’ve gotta be dialed in. And you know, feels like these guys will be from kind of what you’ve seen these last couple of years. They have that proof to themselves that they can go out and do this. They’re favored this time. Didn’t mean anything for Ohio State the last two years, so you’ve gotta remember that if you’re a Michigan fan. You know, you’ve still gotta go out and earn this win. But I feel like a fully focused team would be a big help this week after what they’ve been through the last couple.”

Ohio State currently ranks No. 2 in the College Football Playoff Rankings. The Michigan Wolverines currently rank No. 3 in the College Football Playoff Rankings.

It all comes down to this. College Football Playoff implications and potential national championship implications. It simply doesn’t get much bigger than this. Ohio State and Michigan will face off on Saturday, Nov. 25. Kickoff for the game is set for noon EST. The game will be nationally televised on FOX.