Can the CFP Selection Committee Separate Itself from Michigan Allegations?
In the first College Football Playoff (CFP) ranking, the selection committee did not take into account the allegations surrounding the Michigan Wolverines football program. This has sparked a debate between Dan Wolken and Paul Myerberg about whether the committee needs to address these allegations.
The latest development in the Michigan football scandal comes with the resignation of Connor Stalions, a Wolverines football staffer who was at the center of the program’s sign-stealing scandal. The school released a statement confirming Stalions’ resignation but did not provide further details.
Prior to Michigan’s announcement, there were multiple reports suggesting that Stalions had been fired. The Athletic reported that Stalions had “refused to cooperate with any internal or external investigations or discussions.” The Associated Press added that he also failed to attend a scheduled hearing and indicated through his attorney that he would not participate in any investigations.
Stalions has been accused of buying tickets to games against Michigan’s Big Ten Conference and potential future College Football Playoff opponents. He allegedly used these tickets to scout and record video for decoding their in-game signals, giving the Wolverines an advantage. This practice goes against NCAA rules.
Stalions’ attorney, Brad Beckworth, stated that his client chose to resign due to recent distractions caused by stories about his time at the University of Michigan. Beckworth also emphasized that to his knowledge, neither head coach Jim Harbaugh nor any other coach or staff member instructed anyone to break any rules or were aware of any improper conduct related to the alleged sign-stealing scheme.
The Big Ten Conference is currently considering whether to discipline the Wolverines’ football program for this scouting and sign-stealing scheme. Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti met with Michigan President Santa Ono and athletic director Warde Manuel on Friday to discuss the matter. The conference has not provided any details about the meeting.
Stalions, a retired U.S. Marine Corps captain and graduate of the United States Naval Academy, allegedly purchased tickets to nearly three dozen games over the past three seasons. The investigation also uncovered the use of electronics and a paper trail, as well as the forwarding of tickets to others across the country. Central Michigan is also looking into whether Stalions was present on the sidelines during their game against Michigan State.
Stalions was suspended with pay by the university two weeks ago, and the NCAA is conducting its own investigation into the allegations. Jim Harbaugh, the head coach of the Wolverines, has denied any involvement in the sign-stealing scheme.
Despite these allegations, Michigan remains ranked as the No. 2 team in the country according to the first CFP rankings. They are set to face Purdue on Saturday night in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Wolverines are currently seeded third behind Ohio State and Georgia.
The CFP selection committee now faces the question of whether they should consider these allegations when making future rankings. As the investigation continues, the committee will need to carefully evaluate the impact of these allegations on the Wolverines’ standing in the rankings.
-Contributing: The Associated Press