Does Gene Smith think Michigan win streak vs. Ohio State should have an 'asterisk' ? 'Of course I do'
As Ohio State Athletic Director Gene Smith nears retirement, his thoughts sometimes drift back to the football team's three-game losing streak against Michigan.
Ohio State's last win against the Wolverines came at the end of the 2019 regular season. In an interview on WOSU's "All Sides with Anna Staver," Smith was asked whether Michigan's victories the past three seasons should have an "asterisk for at least two" as a result of allegations that Michigan staffer Connor Stalions ran a sign-stealing operation.
"Yeah, of course I do," Smith said. "Of course I do. The rules are in place to protect the integrity of the game and try your best to create a level playing field. When those rules are violated, it affects those principles. We have to keep that in perspective."
Stalions, who resigned in November, is at the center of an NCAA investigation into whether the Wolverines violated rules by conducting in-person, on-campus scouting and used audio and video recordings of signals.
Stalions purchased tickets to more than 30 games at 11 Big Ten schools in three years, including Ohio State's home game against Penn State in 2023.
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh has denied knowledge of the alleged sign-stealing but was suspended by the Big Ten for the final three games of the 2023 regular season because his team violated the league's sportsmanship policy. Harbaugh was also suspended for the first three games of Michigan's 2023 season as a self-imposed penalty for recruiting violations that occurred during the COVID-19 dead period.
Michigan won the 2023 National Championship.
While he may agree that Michigan's wins are tainted, he went on to say he does not spend much time considering OSU's past losses.
"I think what's important for us is to look forward," Smith said. "We host that team up north this fall. I'm assuming ... it will be what it's always been. The last time that we had the level of interest in that game was 2006, one versus two. I think this year, it probably won't be one versus two. But it will be one versus somebody. And we have to make sure we pack that place and we're ready to roll early."
Smith's tenure at Ohio State will end June 30.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Gene Smith thinks Michigan win streak vs. Ohio State should have an 'asterisk'
