Michigan held a watch party during Sunday’s College Football Playoff selection show and was left in elation as their team was ranked No. 1 in the nation.
However, the mood quickly shifted when they saw who they would play in the Rose Bowl.
There was little to no doubt that the Wolverines would get the top spot, but all eyes were on who would be selected No. 4.
It would come down to an undefeated Florida State squad or a one-loss SEC champion Alabama team.
Either way, someone was going to get snubbed. When it was announced that the Tide got the last spot, Michigan was not thrilled.
As soon as the announcement came through, groans could be heard from the crowd, along with a clear “Oh!”
There was some light applause shortly afterward, but it’s clear that the Wolverines would much rather have drawn the Seminoles over Alabama.
The conference announced Friday that Harbaugh will not be allowed to coach for the remainder of the 2023 regular season after it said that Michigan
“has been found in violation of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Policy for conducting an impermissible, in-person scouting operation over multiple years, resulting in an unfair competitive advantage that compromised the integrity of competition.”
The conference said that Harbaugh will be allowed to be with the team on non-game days.
Michigan responded to the announcement with a statement of its own, saying it intends to seek a court order “preventing this disciplinary action from taking effect.”
“Like all members of the Big Ten Conference, we are entitled to a fair, deliberate and thoughtful process to determine the full set of facts before a judgment is rendered,” the school said.
“Today’s action by Commissioner Tony Petitti disregards the conference’s own handbook, violates basic tenets of due process and sets an untenable precedent of assessing penalties before an investigation has been completed.”
