J.J. McCarthy Says Michigan Had To Get On Ohio State's Level When It Came To Sign Stealing In College Football

Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy did not hold back on Wednesday regarding the ongoing sign-stealing drama centered around the football program. Furthermore, the Wolverines star decided to use Ohio State as an example as to why they needed to get on another level of stealing signals under Jim Harbaugh.

Now, whether or not J.J. McCarthy was talking about the ongoing investigation into Connor Stalions and the Michigan football program is up for debate, but he certainly didn't help the situation.

While speaking with the media to promote the upcoming College Football Playoff title game, the Michigan quarterback was asked if the knowledge surrounding other teams is legitimate.

QB Throws Ohio State Under The Bus

In reality, the Wolverines signal-caller was asked if he felt like the cheating was doing a disservice to college football.

"Yeah, and I also feel like it's so unfortunate because there's probably -- I don't want to say a crazy number, but I'd say a good number, 80 percent of the teams in college football steal signs," J.J. McCarthy noted. "It's just a thing about football. It's been around for years.

"We actually had to adapt because in 2020 or 2019 when Ohio State was stealing our signs, which is legal and they were doing it, we had to get up to the level that they were at, and we had to make it an even playing field."

: Quarterback J.J. McCarthy #9 celebrates with head coach Jim Harbaugh of the Michigan Wolverines after the CFP Semifinal Rose Bowl Game. . (Photo by Ryan Kang/Getty Images)

There is one obvious problem with his answer that insinuated Ohio State was stealing signals, which is that they did not play the Buckeyes in 2020. But, that's neither here nor there in the grand scheme of the situation.

Also, there's the 80% number that McCarthy throughout, which is not a realistic thing. What Michigan is being accused of regarding Connor Stalions is not the same thing compared to watching game film on Catapult or television, looking to decipher signals from the opposing team.

What Exactly Is Sign Stealing To J.J. McCarthy And Michigan?

I think there are two different scenarios in the answer from J.J. McCarthy. One, it's completely different to send a person to an opposing team's stadium to record their sideline. If Michigan's staff were able to decipher signals via the normal route, which includes in-game scouting, then the story of Connor Stalions wouldn't exist.

But, McCarthy seemed to imply that the bast majority of programs around college football were finding different ways to steal signs. While this might be the case, there is no evidence linking other schools, or pulling off a scheme like the one Connor Stalions had.

When asked how this has affected the season as a whole, J.J. McCarthy feels like the situation has masked all of the hard work his team has put into this season.

"I just feel like it sucks, just because like Mason said, we do work our butts off," McCarthy noted. We do watch so much film and look for those little tendencies and spend like 10, 15 minutes on one clip alone just looking at all the little details of the posture, of the linebackers or the D-ends, the safeties off levels, the corner to the field is press but the corner to the boundary is off, little stuff like that where it's like, you could say it's all sign stealing, but there's a lot more that goes into play, and a lot of stuff that gets masked, a lot of work that gets masked just because of the outside perception of what sign stealing is all about.

Whether .J.J. McCarthy was implying that other schools were partaking in the same type of scheme Michigan is being accused of was not totally clarified. But one thing is true, and it centers around the overall feeling within the Michigan program.

Michigan's Place In CFB History Comes Down To Monday

At end the of the day, Michigan is having to prepare for a matchup with Washington on Monday night in Houston, Texas. How they got to this point will be discussed for years to come, especially if the Wolverines win a national title.

As for whether or not J.J. McCarthy was calling out Ohio State for doing the same thing Connor Stalions is accused of might be a different story within itself.

One thing is for certain and that's McCarthy was not holding back his thoughts on how this team has been portrayed. Unfortunately, there's nothing the Michigan quarterback can say that will deter any thoughts of wrongdoing. The only thing the Wolverines can do is continue blocking out the outside noise, which they've done a good job with through two Jim Harbaugh suspensions.

Now we wait to see if Washington will be the ones to bring this Michigan season to a halt next week in Houston. Unfortunately for McCarthy, who might've given too good of an answer with his response, sometimes staying quiet is better than screaming it from the rooftops.

This story will continues to unfold, as the Wolverines will play Washington on Monday night.