The optics are looking even worse for Michigan football. Connor Stalions, a Wolverines analyst who is considered the main culprit in an alleged sign-stealing scandal, has been suspended with pay, per ESPN's Adam Rittenberg. This decision will remain in effect until the NCAA wraps up its investigation.

Although there is a long way to go before a definitive verdict will be handed down, this move suggests a storm is brewing in Ann Arbor. The program is being accused of sending the former Marine Stalions to games in order to obtain play-calling signals. In-person scouting of future opponents has been banned by the NCAA for almost 20 years. The NCAA is seeking to obtain the staffer's laptop.

Michigan football head coach Jim Harbaugh denies any involvement or knowledge of the reported misdoings. He served a university-imposed three-game suspension earlier in the season for recruiting violations. The scandal in question is said to have started in 2021, which coincides with the Wolverines' stark rise in stature. They were considered chronic underachievers before reaching the College Football Playoff in each of the last two years.

Many consider Michigan to be the team to beat this season, but a title quest is no longer going to dominate the headlines. Whether or not the NCAA finds the team guilty of sign-stealing, any accomplishments will inevitably be minimized. If the accusations are validated, fans must brace themselves for an avalanche of sanctions.

Although Connor Stalions is the alleged mastermind of the operation, Jim Harbaugh would surely be labeled as the face of this scandal. Fair or not. A road game versus Michigan State will be about far more than just an in-state football rivalry.