At his weekly press conference Tuesday, Penn State head coach James Franklin addressed the University of Michigan sign-stealing scandal that was uncovered last week.
Sources: Michigan staffer Connor Stalions bought tickets for more than 30 games at 11 Big Ten schools over the past three years. Also, video evidence of sideline taping is expected to be sent to the NCAA this week, caught by stadium surveillance this year. https://t.co/8wmMRppR7u
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) October 23, 2023
Michigan, under head coach Jim Harbaugh, is accused of having a vast sign-stealing network that operated through staffer Connon Stalions.
James Franklin Weighs in On Jim Harbaugh, Michigan Cheating Scandal
In a report Monday, Thamel laid out that Stalions “bought tickets for more than 30 games at 11 Big Ten schools over the past three years. Also, video evidence of sideline taping is expected to be sent to the NCAA this week, caught by stadium surveillance this year.”
In response to the allegations at Michigan, Franklin first responded that he was not going “to get into” the situation at Michigan.
Franklin further mentioned, that even when calling “unpredictable” games when looking back at the game, that “they” would be in the perfect defense for offensive play-calling.
Franklin noted that Penn State and college football in general take precautions to keep signals hidden or disguised, noting “if it happens over and over, then you are aware of it.”
Franklin noted that teams are always aware of the potential, but the situation at Michigan “magnifies” it. He further commented that NFL headset system would not fix this issue.
Teams would still have to communicate signals to more than just quarterbacks, noting that teams could have the same issue from quarterbacks signaling the play on the field once it is called in. Franklin also noted that Penn State huddled more Saturday than normal.
The investigation into the Michigan situation is still ongoing, per Thamel, and may not be resolved in the near future as evidence is gathered and presented to the NCAA.
Education: Saint Vincent College, Penn State Law School
Location: Washington, DC
Experience:Robert Casturo has covered Penn State football for NittanyCentral since 2022. Casturo previously covered Penn State football through a social media presence (@PSU_FB_Thoughts on X) since 2019. Casturo earned his bachelor's degree from Saint Vincent College in 2015, where he was a punter for 1 season on the Saint Vincent College football team and worked in the athletic department for 2 years as a student manager. Casturo earned his JD from Penn State Law in 2018 where he was a senior editor of the Penn State Law Review.
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