When Michigan football plays Washington in the College Football Playoff final game in Houston on Monday night, it will try to win just its second national championship since 1948 and its first since 1997.
It will signal the end of a season in 2023 that has been both successful and difficult.
Due to their supremacy on the field as well as their alleged wrongdoings off the field, the Wolverines have been the main story of the 2023 season. Unsavoury headlines frequently featured coach Jim Harbaugh and his team as they started an unbeaten regular season and their third straight Big Ten championship.
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The NCAA’s continuing investigation into claims of in-person scouting and sign theft has dominated a large portion of that. Numerous twists and turns have been added to the tale since it first surfaced on October 19, captivating a large portion of the collegiate football community.
The consequences of the sign-stealing controversy have persisted even as the Wolverines have kept winning and have gotten closer to their goal of winning a national championship. They were without Harbaugh for multiple games due to his suspension. Players and coaches have made numerous references to the issue while he was away and even after he returned; they haven’t mentioned it by name, just generally as “adversity” the club has faced and still faces.
How did Michigan end up in this situation? How did a season that was already extraordinary turn into something a little more chaotic? Everything you need to know about the Michigan sign-stealing controversy is provided below:
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The story of the Michigan sign-stealing incident
Although Michigan’s persistent troubles have frequently been attributed to sign theft, the programme is under investigation for reportedly breaking NCAA Bylaw 11.6.1, which forbids member universities from conducting in-person, off-campus scouting of potential opponents.
