But "Michigan hasn't played anybody."
No due process, no Notice of Allegations from the NCAA, just a bunch of TV talking heads that don't know what happened. The college football equivalent of a lynch mob.
This might surprise you- but to a high degree, I agree with you. Michigan cant respond to allegations if they don't know exactly what they are. And contrary to popular opinion, the NCAA has not provided them with any of the evidence they may have collected. They have just interviewed them and asked for "stuff." So from that standpoint- I agree with you. The only evidence we know of is floating around in the media.
On the other hand the University does know what Stalions role is/was. It is almost assuredly true he bought the tickets to opponents games, (that info would not be out there if it were not factual and documented), and their seems to be video proof of people taping the signals for entire games. We have all seen video proof that he watches the opponents signs and relays -immediately-that info to the OC and DC- during a game.
This is unchartered territory for everyone- the NCAA, the Big, and even fans/coaches.
If the evidence proves to be true- it has had a HUGE impact on the integrity of this season as well as the last 2. No other investigation has ever been around POTENTIAL,
current in- game misconduct that has such an immediate impact on so much of the CFB landscape.
Knowing the NCAA process will be after the fact regardless of how it turns out, it leaves it to the Michigan administration and/or the Big to get involved.
If your the BIG, do you just let the NCAA play out, knowing there is a strong
POSSIBILITY that these games will be vacated, and anything UM accomplishes on the field wont count in the end? Thus, kind of screwing over other teams, both in and out of conference? They certainly cant punish Michigan without hard evidence of wrongdoing- which they clearly dont have- at least yet.
What they should do- knowing what is at stake and it's immediate impacts on the current season, is go to the NCAA and say- where are you with this? Do you have any credible evidence of wrongdoing? If yes- please share it with us. If they do, and they hand it to the BIG- the BIG should then take it to UM and say- this is what we have so far. How do you respond?
Based on that the BIG and UM should make some kind of announcement as to what their position is. Like "at this time we dont have evidence to suggest we need to get involved" or "we have enough credible evidence to be convinced their was misconduct that impacted games, and here is what we (Or UM) are going to do at this time."
