BIG 10 Commissioner Acts Prematurely; Michigan 10-0

By: Garret Kryzanowski

BIG 10 Commissioner "Tony Petitti" acted prematurely and spinelessly on Friday when he announced that Jim Harbaugh would be suspended for the last three Michigan Wolverines regular season games.

Now, for those of you unfamiliar with the situation I'll quickly explain.

Back in October, reports came out that a Michigan football staff member, Connor Stalions, had been going to Michigan opponents games ahead of time and stealing signs. Now, I will say that stealing offensive and defensive signals in NCAA football is legal during the game. The issue here was that Stalions was travelling ahead of time and scouting the signals of future Michigan opponents. It has also been alleged that Stalions or people Stalions asked were filming the sidelines as well, which is not okay. Stalions was let go by the Michigan football staff, however, the NCAA opened an investigation. Which is fair. My issue isn't with the NCAA potentially punishing Michigan. My issue lies with the cowardly BIG 10 Commissioner and the scared pouting BIG 10 coaches.

When all of these sign stealing allegations came out there was an immediate uproar. Coaches were complaining that was why they lost and how unfair it was and that immediate action needed to take place.

First, that is absolutely ridiculous. Like I'm sorry Nebraska but the reason you lost 45-7 at home in September is because you couldn't stop a nosebleed on defence. Like maybe Michigan is just really good at football? Not maybe. They are a great football team. A record of 35-3 dating back to the 2021 season doesn't happen because of sign stealing. It helps, maybe. However, Michigan is a great football team full of future NFL talent.

So what did the pouty and ridiculous BIG 10 head coaches do? They had a group phone call to talk about it. Now, it isn't confirmed who was on the call exactly so I won't name names. Anyways, they had a call all complaining about how Michigan needed to be punished. Let me remind you, at this point the NCAA had announced that it was conducting an ongoing investigation. But that wasn't good enough for the coaches.

Why you ask? Again we can only speculate but in my journalistic opinion it's because they're a great football team. They demanded and complained to BIG 10 Commissioner Tony Petitti that he do something about Michigan. Now, when the NCAA is investigating a team you never see their own conference punish them. Why? Innocent until proven guilty. And as of right now the only guilty party, Connor Stalions, had been punished when Michigan relieved him of his duties as a football staff member. However, that wasn't good enough because Michigan could still compete and potentially win a national championship.

Let me make this clear. I stand by this next point now, tomorrow and until the day I die. NO ONE WOULD CARE IF MICHIGAN WASN'T GOOD. You think the BIG 10 coaches would be whining and complaining if this investigation was focused around 2-7 Purdue? Or even 6-4 Maryland? No. These coaches wanted a punishment because it would make it harder for Michigan to go undefeated and make the College Football Playoff.

After this call, Michigan informed the BIG 10 they would fight any suspension enforced before the NCAA finished it's investigation. So what does Tony Petitti do? He waits until the Michigan football team landed in State College on Friday to enforce a three game suspension.

That is absolutely ridiculous. To wait until less than 24 hours before the biggest game of Michigan's season to enforce a "Sideline Ban" to head coach Jim Harbaugh is pathetic and cowardly. Now I know Tony Petitti has only been the commissioner of the BIG 10 since April of this year but that is downright spineless. Waiting until the last minute to suspend a head coach because you don't want him nor the institution to fight it is ridiculous and in my opinion, unethical. By doing that you tell the entire college football world that you are acting in a bias manner and don't want Harbaugh to coach in the biggest game of the year so far. Pathetic.

Michigan of course is choosing to fight this and filed for a temporary restraining order on the suspension. Harbaugh's status for the game was in question until an hour before kickoff when he and the football were notified that the hearing regarding a restraining order wouldn't take place until Nov. 17.

So third ranked Michigan had to play 10th ranked Penn State on the road without Harbaugh. So what happened? Michigan won handedly, 24-15. Dominating the whole game and winning without Harbaugh in arguably the toughest environment in College football.

As we await a decision on the restraining order I just have to say again, the BIG 10 handled this poorly. They showed a biased opinion against the Wolverines and Harbaugh. Again I reiterate, I will fully accept and understand any ruling by the NCAA but the BIG 10? No. Tony Petitti allowed himself to be pushed around and bullied by head coaches who were ultimately scared to play Michigan.

I do expect a restraining order to be granted next Friday and Harbaugh to be on the sidelines against Maryland on Nov.18. As for when they play Ohio State on Nov. 25, I don't know. All I do know is Ryan Day is scared to play a Harbaugh coached Michigan team. I'd bet everything I own that he was one of the coaches whining and crying about this whole affair.

Guess we will see what happens.

Go Blue.