Ex-Ohio State Coach Urban Meyer Believes It's 'Huge Advantage' For Team To Know Signs, As Michigan Is Alleged

Do not try to dismiss the value of knowing what the other team is about to do in a college football game.

That is at the heart of the myriad of accusations against the Michigan football program. An ongoing NCAA investigation is examining Michigan's alleged systemic, organized, three-years long electronic sign stealing scheme that has Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh suspended for a third straight game Saturday.

Michigan-Ohio State Rivalry Game Saturday

No. 3 Michigan (11-0, 8-0) hosts No. 2 Ohio State (11-0, 8-0) on Saturday (Noon, FOX) in the game of the year.

Former Ohio State and Florida coach Urban Meyer took a deep dive on the advantages of knowing an opponent's play signals on "Don't @ Me" with OutKick's Dan Dakich on Wednesday morning.

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"It's amazing. I don't know if anyone's really asked that," Meyer told Dakich. "Thank you, that you did."

Urban Meyer Examines Advantages Of Knowing Signals

Meyer then spelled out the benefit of knowledge for a defense and an offense in a game.

"If the defensive line knows it's pass, that's a game changer," he said. "For example, if it's a play-action pass, the defensive line will go right by you when you're expecting the defensive line to play run. If the defense knows run or pass, is that an advantage? It's a huge advantage."

Meyer moved on to the offensive side. That's where he coached throughout his college career that included stops as Bowling Green's and Utah's head coach.

"If the offensive staff knows that it's a field pressure, a boundary pressure or a blitz, or just a pressure, or they know the coverage, that's a huge difference," he said. "If they know its Cover 2 defense, they'll run the ball. If they know it's some type of pressure or Cover 1, they're going to pass the ball. Those are huge advantages."

Meyer ridiculed the idea of some that knowing opponents' plays beforehand is not significant.

Michigan Wolverines Knowing Play Signals Is A Very Big Deal

"For someone to say, 'That's no big deal' - if it's not that big a deal, why do people work so hard to get your signals?," Meyer asked.

"Why would you put your career at risk? Why would you put your reputation at risk?," Dakich asked, identifying the case of Jim Harbaugh without saying his name.

Dakich brought up a scenario featuring fired Michigan analyst Connor Stalions, who is allegedly the arm and leg man of the sign stealing scheme. He mentioned a video in which Stalions may be giving the defensive play of Ohio State to Michigan's sideline, but Ohio State scored a touchdown anyway.

"I saw that argument, too," Meyer said. "That has nothing to do with it."

Or it could just mean that cheating won't help a bad play by the cheating team, or cheating won't help a bad team.

Michigan Likely Gained 'Unfair Advantage,' Meyer Says

"If they (the Wolverines) received that information against the rules, that's an unfair advantage," Meyer said. "When someone says that, you really can't have much more conversation with that person. Because they really have no idea what they're talking about."

Meyer also pointed out, indirectly, how ridiculous Michigan was by allegedly spending so much time, effort and travel to get another team's signals in person, which is against NCAA rules. Because a coach can find almost everything he needs via video now.

Former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer accepting Rose Bowl trophy on Jan. 1, 2019. (Getty Images)

"Nowadays, you get pretty much everything you need on video," Meyer said. "The only thing you really don’t get is tempo. So you might call the team that just played the team you’re playing. ‘Hey, how fast are they really going?’"

Urban Meyer Called Coaches Before National Title Game

Urban Meyer said he called another coach he knew to ask about Oregon's speed offense before his national championship game against the Ducks in the 2014-15 season that Ohio State won.

"He told me how fast they were," Meyer said. "So you change the speed of your practices. But that’s all gamesmanship. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s if you’re there videotaping practice or videotaping the sidelines and getting a data sheet full of signs (exact accusations against Michigan), that's different."

Different and very much against NCAA rules.