Staff predictions: Michigan football vs. Purdue 

Hey — there’s a football game Saturday night in Ann Arbor! Lost in the “our poor kids are at a competitive disadvantage even though we are going to change our signs anyway before we play Michigan and it’s just not fair to these boys” talk is the fact that U-M has had a damn good football team the last few years. 

RELATED: News and Views: Jesse Minter and ‘signgate,’ pass rush, and CFP rankings

In no way, shape, or form are we excusing what’s allegedly happened, and the NCAA investigation … yeah, get to the bottom of it. But we’ve gone from “this wasn’t even going to be a rule anymore” two years ago to “this is the worst scandal in the history of sports” in a matter of days. And yeah, we’re saying it’s agenda-driven and has gotten out of hand, for one reason — we don’t even have all the facts, but foes knowing they’re probably about to get their asses kicked want action NOW!

No, Michigan did not need OSU’s signs to hammer Ohio State. In 2022, the Buckeyes’ coaches are on record saying they knew U-M was adept at it and changed their signs. Michigan dominated, owning the second half (28-3), and embarrassed the Buckeyes on their home field. OSU probably should have done what TCU did, reportedly, and created “dummy signs” if they knew … or maybe they did, and it just didn’t matter? 

Michigan State received a call this year from the Big Ten the week of the game that Michigan probably knew their signs. Some sources say so did everybody else — “they hadn’t changed them in 3 or 4 years” — but they sent their signals in via the quarterback anyway. To their credit, they made it to the Michigan side of the field once or twice and might have scored if U-M had played brought its fifth string. Instead — 49-0. 

So, slow your roll, folks, that the only reason Michigan won games the last two years is because of “sign stealing” — again, a practice so common in football that the Athletic’s Bruce Feldman reported early “85 to 90 percent of teams do it” based on his sources. As many have said now, “there are no more excuses.” Maybe that’s why some future Michigan opponents seem to be beating this drum loudest … and trying to get the rest of the Big Ten coaches to go streaking with them through the Diag Frank the Tank style. Only winning and winning convincingly will probably spare us all that visual going forward. 

Oh, and by the way, Michigan plays Purdue Saturday night in Ann Arbor. We’ll feel sorry for the Boilermakers only if head coach Ryan Walters isn’t one of the crybabies — we’re guessing he’s probably not. Congratulations to everyone for an enjoyable bye week — you’re all winners. This week’s champion gets to head to Penn State next week for the real season opener. The picks: 

CHRIS BALAS: Week 8 of the exhibition season start with a revamped Purdue team that just won’t have the horses to compete. We imagine this Michigan team comes out a bit fired up with something to prove. Michigan 45, Purdue 7

JOHN BORTON: Let’s face it. Ryan Walters didn’t deserve this. He already owns a 2-6 team. He already fields a crew that could only dream of being part of the 3-2 logjam of elites at the top of the Big Ten West. Now he gets an 8-0 Michigan team subjected to a fortnight of listening to how it really wasn’t good enough to run opponents off the field without knowing their plays. The steam is rising, and the Boilermakers are about to feel the heat. Boom. Michigan 49, Purdue 6

CLAYTON SAYFIE: Purdue has been bad on offense, defense and special teams. This game will be similar to Michigan’s 49-0 win over Michigan State in its last game. It’s hard to shut out a good quarterback, though, and Hudson Card is that despite not having help around him. Michigan 52, Purdue (and anonymous Big Ten coaches) 7

ANTHONY BROOME: At this point the national storyline the rest of the year, no matter what happens is that Jim Harbaugh in Michigan should be burned at the stake. There is nothing else that can be done right now with the current team other than to continue to dominate its opponents. Purdue is a mess and this game should look a lot like the other ones have. Onward. Michigan 45, Purdue 3

DOUG SKENE: The more the off-field rumors, accusations, Twitter garbage, NCAA investigations, and questions pile up on this team, the more angry and motivated I think they will get. The playoff season starts next week, and I think this team will be primed and ready to dispatch Purdue in easy fashion so they can set their final sights on the big goals in mind. Michigan 58, Purdue 0