Newsstand: Dan Wetzel — 'either everyone's guilty, or no one is'
Newsstand
According to numerous reports, the Big Ten and NCAA have been presented evidence that Rutgers and Ohio State — advanced scouting, in a way — presented Michigan’s play call signals to Purdue ahead of the Big Ten championship game. Yahoo Sports’ Dan Wetzel — one of the foremost authorities on NCAA coverage — said it’s the “exact same thing” as what Michigan allegedly did in low-level staffer Connor Stalions potentially going rogue and sending individuals to future opponents’ games to scout on his behalf.
And, as Wetzel pointed out in a beautifully written column Wednesday morning, titled, ‘Either everyone’s guilty, or no one is,’ Purdue may have had the bigger advantage against Michigan.
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Here’s a short excerpt from Wetzel’s column:
Whatever it is, just make it even, because the actions of Connor Stalions and the actions that Ohio State, Rutgers and Purdue allegedly engaged in are the exact same thing.
Yes, the exact same thing.
Stalions sent friends out to film the sideline signals of future Wolverine opponents. He then got the video and allegedly worked to decipher the play calls. It appears one time he even stood on a Central Michigan sideline comically wearing what looks like spy glasses to scout Michigan State.
These were blatant, brazen acts. While stealing signs isn’t against NCAA rules, advanced scouting is. Stalions was clearly engaging in that.
Last Friday, however, Michigan presented the Big Ten with evidence that someone on the Rutgers football staff provided Michigan’s defensive signals to Purdue in advance of the Boilermaker-Wolverine 2022 Big Ten title game. Meanwhile, someone at Ohio State handed over U of M’s offensive signals.
So in the Big Ten championship, both teams had the other’s signals, both of which were gathered via advanced scouting. (Michigan won, 43-22.)
In Michigan’s case, the “advanced scouts” were Stalions’ band of iPhone-toting buddies.
In Purdue’s case, the “advanced scouts” were the professional coaching staffs of two other Big Ten teams that had just played the Wolverines, and thus could battle-test the signs they stole as accurate.
Which would you rather have? Raw cell phone footage that still needs to be broken down, or highly experienced coaches just handing over their work?
Everyone would choose the Purdue option.
Michigan was impressive in a 99-74 blowout win over UNC Asheville to tip off the 2023-24 season.
National reporters Wetzel and Pat Forde push back on what Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti allegedly told Michigan.
Quote Of The Day
“Anybody who steps on the court with us, regardless of what they did last year, what they’re considered to be this year is going to have to prove that to us on the court. Regardless of how people see us or what the word on the street is about us, we’re gonna come to play every day, every night, every morning, whichever time of the day it is.”
Michigan basketball forward Olivier Nkamhoua
Headlines Of The Day
• Anthony Broome, The Wolverine: More mature Michigan makes most of season-opener, but Phil Martelli wants to see more
• Clayton Sayfie, The Wolverine: Michigan RB Blake Corum denies having business dealings with Connor Stalions: ‘My attorneys are on it’
• Chris Balas, The Wolverine: OSU had Michigan’s signs in 2022 — and still lost 45-23 at home? And is collusion illegal?
• Chris Balas, The Wolverine: Questions arising from national reporting on Michigan vs. the Big Ten, NCAA
• EJ Holland, The Wolverine: Blue Chips: Father of key DB target Jahmari DeLoatch talks Michigan visit
