The latest news in the wild world of sports comes out of the state of Michigan, where the University of Michigan's football team has been accused of cheating.
An official investigation into this matter is now underway, seemingly prompted by the University of Central Michigan. Their own football team claims that earlier this season, a man resembling former Michigan assistant Connor Stalions was on their sidelines (assumedly engaged in scouting operations, and in violation of NCAA rules) (1).
For their part, the Big Ten Conference has come down hard on the Wolverines, suspending coach Jim Harbaugh (due to "ample evidence" against the program). Nevertheless, even with this suspension, some say the NCAA has not gone far enough (2).
On Monday morning, the crew from the ESPN show "Get Up" tackled the situation, and the question of whether Michigan should be allowed to participate in the College Football Playoff.
My take on the subject is contrary to the opinion of reporter Stephen A. Smith, who said this:
"This is about the fact that (Michigan) allegedly...according to the Big Ten...acquired an unfair advantage. Why are you being allowed in if it comes down to that?" (3)
First off, let's understand the key word in the phrase, which is "allegedly". It is alleged, perhaps reasonably, that cheating and violations have taken place.
Nevertheless, these are allegations, not conclusively proven actions.
Appearances can be deceiving, and just because someone bought tickets to a lot of games, that in itself isn't enough to substantiate certain charges. The presumption of "innocent until proven guilty" applies here, as it indeed should.
On a second point, Smith makes the point that, if Michigan is allowed to play, other teams will "miss out" on opportunities:
"What about the kids at Texas? What about the kids at Alabama? Somebody is going to miss out, in favor of those kids that play at Michigan".
In case Mr. Smith didn't notice, Michigan is 10-0; the Wolverines are unquestionably one of the top teams in major college football. As such, they should have a chance to play for a championship; this shouldn't be denied on the basis of as of yet unproven claims (4).
I don't think this idea is too complicated, or difficult to understand. Winners get championship opportunities; others don't.
And until the case against Michigan is definitively proven, the Wolverines should get their title shot.
Sources:
1. Rittenberg, Adam. “Michigan Football Analyst Connor Stalions Resigns Amid Investigation.” ESPN.com, 3 Nov. 2023, www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/38810531/michigan-football-analyst-connor-stalions-resigns-amid-investigation. Accessed 13 Nov. 2023.
2. Thamel, Pete, and Adam Rittenberg. “Big Ten Bans Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh From Sideline for 3 Games.” ESPN.com, 10 Nov. 2023, www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/38864724/sources-big-ten-ban-michigan-jim-harbaugh-field. Accessed 13 Nov. 2023.
3. "Stephen A. Reiterates Michigan Should Not Be In CFP." ESPN.com, 13 Nov. 2023, via video at https://www.espn.com/college-football/. Accessed 13 Nov. 2023.
4. “College Football Standings - 2023 Big Ten Conference Standings.” ESPN.com, www.espn.com/college-football/standings/_/group/5. Accessed 13 Nov. 2023.
Oh just stop
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