Why Jim Harbaugh's suspension doesn't set a bad precedent

Also, the idea that the Big Ten, or any conference for that matter, can suspend someone indefinitely while an investigation is ongoing but not yet complete does raise red flags.

This case is apparently a lot more clear-cut than most others. Per ESPN, the NCAA told Petitti "in early November that the association 'knew and could prove' that a staff member — presumably analyst Connor Stalions, who resigned last week — had orchestrated a scheme that violated NCAA rules."

Additionally, ESPN reported that "Petitti wrote that he personally saw Stalion's 'master spreadsheet' that detailed a schedule for in-person scouting and that he also received evidence of ticket sales from other Big Ten schools that lines up with the schedule laid out in what the NCAA had shared with him."

The argument brought forward by Michigan that other teams engage in sign-stealing doesn't really stick. In its argument, the Wolverines alleged Ohio State and Rutgers shared Michigan's signs with Purdue ahead of the 2022 Big Ten championship game. No one can reasonably think coaches sharing signs is the same as in-person scouting.  

If other teams have such an elaborate scheme as Michigan's, they are apparently a lot smarter about it than Stalions was.

Per ESPN, Petitti wrote, "he was not aware of any other allegations of 'impermissible advanced in-person scouting' ... [and] if the Big Ten learned about other potential violations, it would take appropriate action."

The debate as to whether Harbaugh knew about it or not is irrelevant considering he's the head coach. Ignorance isn't an excuse.

It's probably naive to think Michigan is the only program to engage in sign-stealing, and who knows whether the Wolverines would be receiving so much heat if they weren't competing for a national championship.

Then again, are they only competing for a national championship because of the alleged scheme? After all, fans in Ann Arbor were ready to run Harbaugh out of town before the program's remarkable turnaround beginning in 2021.

It's hard to feel bad for Michigan when this is seemingly a problem of its own creation. Unless Stalions was a rogue employee whose goal was to get Harbaugh suspended, the Wolverines aren't the victim. They're reaping what they sowed.