Michigan Needs To Take Its Big Ten Discipline, Shut Up And Play Ball | Glenn Guilbeau

And Michigan drops back and throws long for a temporary restraining order to allow Jim Harbaugh to coach Saturday at Penn State.

It's way out there. But it's IN-COM-PLETE.

Give Harbaugh, the University of Michigan and its creative village of lawyers credit for their competitive spirit. They tried to get the restraining order right up to nearly kickoff. But that 11th hour, emergency, ex parte motion attempt to allow Harbaugh to coach Saturday was in truth nothing but a Hail Mary.

It wasn't turned down by a judge. It didn't even get that far and is not expected to until Friday morning at the Washtenaw County courthouse in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

A Jim Harbaugh hearing never happened Saturday.

Harbaugh is not on the sidelines Saturday for the game pitting No. 3 Michigan (9-0) at No. 10 Penn State (8-1) on FOX.

That is according to the Big Ten's three-game, regular season suspension of Harbaugh handed down Friday afternoon. That was for what Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti harshly and justifiably termed an "organized, extensive, years-long, in-person, advance scouting scheme" spearheaded by analyst Connor Stalions "that was impermissible" by NCAA rule.

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh did not get to coach Saturday at Penn State. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore is handling the head coaching duties on an interim basis. Unless Harbaugh gets his restraining order Friday to coach, he will miss the Maryland game on Nov. 18 and the Ohio State regular season finale on Nov. 25 in Ann Arbor.

"We look forward to presenting our case next week, where we intend to demonstrate that the Big Ten has not acted legally or fairly," a Michigan statement said after Harbaugh didn't get his hearing. Michigan just can't stop the name calling.

Moore just served as head coach during Michigan's third game of the season when Harbaugh, who obviously has priors, served a self-imposed, three-game suspension. That was for breaking NCAA recruiting rules concerning visits during a COVID dead period in 2020. Harbaugh and Michigan hoped that would suffice as his penalty for that. But the NCAA immediately said it wouldn't. So, Harbaugh and his Maize and BS have two NCAA cases in the works. Penalties coming for both - significant in the latter.

Part of the reason the ex parte motion got excommunicated may have been because Petitti waited long enough on Friday to get his suspension of Harbaugh out. And Friday was Veterans Day. Harbaugh's attorney Tom Mars of Little Rock, Arkansas, and Michigan's lawyers went all aghast at that.

Well, Petitti's smart and knows that when you're dealing with a serial cheater like Harbaugh, you have to fight below the belt as well. Michigan president Santo Ono, its athletic director Warde Manuel, all its lawyers and everyone else in the Maize and Blue need to realize that Petitti means business. So Michigan et al needs to take their temporary and fair punishment and move on.

Harbaugh gets to coach the team all week through the final three regular season games. His staff is already experienced at coaching without him there. The games are more difficult now, yes, but tough. And he gets to coach in the College Football Playoff. So shut up.

But no, Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel remains very upset about Harbaugh's suspension. He unleashed an emotional statement Saturday, and he sounded like an upset kid in junior high.

Tony Petitti is the new commissioner of the Big Ten Conference. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)

"Not liking someone or another university or believing without any evidence that they knew or saying someone should have known without an investigation is not grounds to remove someone from their position before the NCAA process has reached a conclusion through a full NCAA investigative process," Manuel said.

Not liking someone? Really, Warde. That brought me back to junior high girls asking someone, "Why don't you like me? Are you mad at me?"

It's not personal. The Big Ten didn't wake up one day and decide to go after Michigan. Michigan has been a great program and the envy of many programs in the Big Ten and the nation for decades. So has Harbaugh, who didn't just start winning at Michigan. He he has been the Wolverines' coach since 2015 and had three double-digit win seasons in his first five full campaigns. He only started winning big in 2021 and '22 with back-to-back CFP appearances and 12-2 and 13-1 season. Interestingly, that was right after Stalions started playing a major role.

Michigan Athletic Director Sounds Immature

Manuel also does not know the rules. According to NCAA rule No. 11.1.2.1, Harbaugh "should have known." The rule says, "A coach is presumed to have knowledge of what is occurring in his program, and therefore, can be responsible for the actions of his staff and individuals associated with the program."

A mature athletic director should know that, Mr. Manuel. Your letter exemplifies the fact that Michigan needs to get over it.

Manuel's letter also brought me back to grade school. He mentions that some other Big Ten head coaches "have been accused of actively participating in the trading of signals of opponents."

That was also the crux of Michigan's 10-page letter on Wednesday - "Well, everyone else was doing it." Do you remember telling that to your parents in grade school? I do.

Petitti destroyed that notion in his suspension summation.

"Michigan argues that because it believes that others are engaged in decoding signs, there must be nothing wrong with the University's activities," Petitti said. "In addition to impermissible activities of others being currently unsupported by facts, Michigan's culpability is not dependent on the actions of other institutions."

In other words, son, it doesn't matter what you heard the kid down the street is doing, or in this case not doing.

Manuel also exaggerates like an adolescent in his letter. He accused Petitti of "believing" instances of Michigan cheating "without any evidence. Perhaps, Mr. Manuel and anyone who hasn't needs to read Tony Petitti's 13-page explanation to his suspension of Harbaugh.

Here are some excerpts of note that answer some of the childish whines by Michigan:

• "Enforcing the Sportsmanship Policy with appropriate discipline THIS SEASON in light of Michigan's established violations THIS SEASON is of the utmost importance to protect the reputation of the Big Ten and its members to ensure that our competitions on the field are honorable and fair."

Michigan's Jim Harbaugh Could Face More From Big Ten

• "This is not a sanction of Coach Harbaugh. It is a sanction against Michigan that, under the extraordinary circumstances presented by this offensive conduct, best fits the violation because: 1. it preserves the ability of Michigan's players to continue competing, and it 2. recognizes that the head coach embodies Michigan for purposes of its football program."

That is fair and balanced, right there. But more discipline could be coming before the NCAA finishes. Manuel wanting no discipline until the NCAA finishes is extremely self-serving. The NCAA takes years to finish, and he knows it.

• "The conference recognizes additional disciplinary actions may be necessary if it receives information concerning the scope and knowledge of, or participation in, the impermissible scheme."

In other words, Harbaugh may get suspended for the playoffs if Petitti finds more evidence.

• "The conference is highly concerned about Michigan's statements on Nov. 8 that it 'has not yet had an opportunity to review almost any of the evidence, and from what we can tell, you're largely relying on rumor.' Given the extensive evidence Michigan was in fact provided by the NCAA, IT CANNOT POSSIBLY BE TRUE that Michigan had not seen 'almost any of the evidence.' Michigan knew that the conference was not 'largely relying on rumor.'"

Wow, the Big Ten is calling Michigan's lawyers liars here.

And finally, Petitti wrote this:

• "Evidence gathered by the NCAA and corroborated by other Big Ten members leads me to believe that a SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE VIOLATION HAS BEEN PROVEN with details of scope, intent and individual knowledge yet to be determined."

Oh, and the Big Ten didn't start this investigation. Remember that. The NCAA did. In fact, it was new president Charlie Baker, who has no ties to the Big Ten and no reason to previously hate Michigan or Harbaugh.

Petitti's letter says that "he first learned the NCAA was investigating Michigan during a phone call on Oct. 18 set up by NCAA president Charlie Baker. Baker's personal concern, Petitti said, gave him additional cause for concern."

Petitti said that during additional zoom calls with the NCAA that he viewed images of a "Master Spreadsheet" in which "Stalions coordinated which games his network of helpers were attending in his video-gathering scheme."

Then the Big Ten gathered more information from other Big Ten schools that "corroborated NCAA evidence." And based on the evidence, the NCAA told the Big Ten that "the existence of an impermissible scheme at Michigan was uncontroverted."

Uncontroverted means without dispute.

Michigan, you are dealing with someone - Tony Petitti - who is a force to be reckoned with.

If I was Michigan, I would shut up and play ball, literally and figuratively.