The intrigue around the Michigan football sign-stealing scandal is growing, as now reports are emerging that Sonny Dykes and the TCU football program knew about it and used “dummy signs” to communicate plays and throw the Wolverines off during the Horned Frogs’ 51-45 upset in the 2022 College Football Playoff.

“TCU coaches, having gained information on Michigan’s elaborate sign-stealing scheme, changed many of their play-call signals before kickoff. However, head coach Sonny Dykes and the Horned Frogs staff had grander ideas than just changing signals,” Yahoo! Sports college football insider Ross Dellenger reports. “They mixed in new play-call signals with old ones, using what one TCU staff member described as ‘dummy signals’ in an effort to trick the UM staff.”

Head coach Sonny Dykes and his TCU football team came into that matchup as more than a touchdown underdogs. However, their ability to seemingly thwart Michigan’s alleged sign stealing may have given them a leg up and helped them win that College Football Playoff game.

As for how Dykes and his staff knew about Michigan’s sign stealing, Dellenger reports, “Not long after the CFP unveiled the 2022 semifinal matchups — Georgia vs. Ohio State and TCU vs. Michigan — the Horned Frogs staff began receiving phone calls from coaches across the country about what was a well-known fact in the Big Ten coaching community: that Michigan had an elaborate sign-stealing system.”

The report also notes that several coaches tipped TCU off about the sign stealing, including Michigan’s biggest rival, Ohio State.

The NCAA is currently investigating the Michigan sign-stealing scandal, and assistant Connor Stalions is suspended with pay. As of now, there is no public evidence directly linking head coach Jim Harbaugh with the illegal scouting.