Ohio State football staff member says OSU 'changed' signs ahead of 2022 Michigan game
The Ohio State football program allegedly changed its signs in the days leading up to its game against Michigan at home in 2022.
A day after the NCAA announced it was investigating the Wolverines football program for allegedly violating rules related to sign-stealing that prohibit in-person scoring of in-person opponents, Yahoo Sports quoted an unnamed Ohio State football support staff member who said the Buckeyes "changed things up" ahead of the 2022 Michigan game to combat potential sign stealing.
“We heard they had a guy pick plays pretty good and had all this information from not your typical ways of getting the signals,” the staff member said. “We get into the game and it’s the second quarter. I see him across the field and he’s checking his 11x17 sheet.”
An ESPN report Friday said Connor Stalions, an off-field analyst for Michigan, is a person of interest into the Wolverines' alleged sign-stealing case.
Michigan trailed Ohio State 20-17 through the first half before the Wolverines outscored the Buckeyes 28-3 in the second half to earn their second-straight victory against their rival.
Michigan's 45-23 win against Ohio State was its first in Columbus since 2000.
According to a statement from Jim Harbaugh on Thursday, the Michigan coach does not have "any knowledge or information regarding the University of Michigan football program illegally stealing signals, nor have I directed any staff member or others to participate in an off-campus scouting assignment." Harbaugh continued, saying he had "no awareness of anyone on our staff having done that or having directed that action."
Per Yahoo Sports, multiple Big Ten staff members identified Stalions as "Michigan's sign-stealing guru."
“We were told to be careful because they had a guy who could pick plays,” an unnamed Big Ten head coach told Yahoo Sports. “It was too late in the week to change our signals, but another staff did tell us about (Stalions).”
Ohio State will take on Michigan Nov. 26 in Ann Arbor.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State says it 'changed' signs before 2022 Michigan game
