Prime opines on sign stealing: ‘Still got to stop it’
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Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior Writer
Even if Michigan’s football team had stolen its opponents’ signals, Colorado coach Deion Sanders isn’t sure how much it would have helped the Wolverines in their games.
“I don’t know how accurate that stuff is,” Sanders told reporters in Boulder, Colorado, on Tuesday. “I mean, everybody’s trying to get an edge. Everyone’s trying to get an edge wherever they can. You can have someone’s whole game plan. They could mail it to you. You’ve still got to stop it.”
Sources told ESPN on Monday that suspended Michigan analyst Connor Stalions purchased tickets in his own name for more than 30 games over the past three years at 11 different Big Ten schools.
In some cases, Stalions forwarded the tickets he had purchased to various people in different areas of the country, which hints at the scope of the improper scouting operation.
The NCAA notified the Big Ten and Michigan officials last week that its enforcement staff was investigating allegations that the Wolverines had been involved in advance scouting of its opponents at off-campus stadiums, which has been prohibited by the NCAA since 1994.
In a statement last week, Harbaugh denied “illegally stealing signs” and said he had never “directed any staff member or others to participate in an off-campus scouting assignment.”
Sanders, a Hall of Fame cornerback in the NFL and outfielder with a handful of MLB teams, said stealing signs is more of an advantage in baseball.
“In football, it’s not as pronounced as baseball,” Sanders said. “If I know a curveball is coming, I got you. With football, I don’t give a darn if you know a sweep is coming, you still got to stop it. … It’s a physical game. You got to stop it, so that’s a little tough. I don’t buy into a lot of this stuff that someone’s stealing this, stealing that. I don’t buy into a lot of that. You still got to play the game.”
In-game sign stealing is not prohibited under NCAA rules; it is believed to be widely practiced and tolerated in the sport. But the use of electronics to record the signals of opposing teams and in-person advance scouting at opponents’ stadiums are prohibited.
Sanders, in his first season with the Buffaloes, didn’t seem too concerned about the allegations.
“Back in our glory days with San Francisco as well as the Cowboys, you know darn well Emmitt Smith is getting the ball,” Sanders said. “You know darn well Mike Irvin is running to come back. You know darn well Jay Novacek is gonna do what he’s gonna do and you can’t stop it.”
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Julian Sayin had a 40-yard touchdown pass to Carnell Tate early in the fourth quarter, Ohio State got a couple of key stops in the red zone and the third-ranked Buckeyes opened the defense of their national championship with a 14-7 victory over top-ranked Texas on Saturday.
It was the fourth time the No. 1 team in the AP preseason poll has met the previous season’s national champion in the opener. The defending champ has won the last three.
“Just a gritty win to start the season,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said. “We just felt like in Week 1, we didn’t want to beat ourselves. We took that into consideration with everything that we did.”
Arch Manning completed 17 of 30 passes for 170 yards, a touchdown and an interception for the Longhorns.
Texas was 1 of 5 on fourth down, including being stopped twice in the red zone. Manning was stuffed at the 1-yard line on fourth-and-goal by Caden Curry and Lorenzo Styles Jr. on a QB sneak in the third quarter.
The Longhorns were driving for a tying touchdown late in the game but Jack Endries was stopped by Caleb Downs 1 yard short of a first down to end hopes of a comeback.
“Ultimately, not good enough. Obviously you don’t want to start off the season 0-1,” Manning said. “They’re a good team. I thought we beat ourselves a lot, and that starts with me. I’ve got to play better for us to win.”
Sayin was 13 of 20 passing for 126 yards. His best pass of the day came with 13:08 remaining in the game, when Tate beat Texas cornerback Jaylon Guilbeau for the long score. Tate juggled the ball before pulling it down in the end zone to put the Buckeyes up by two touchdowns.
CJ Donaldson opened the scoring midway through the second quarter on a 1-yard run up the middle to cap a 13-play, 87-yard drive that took eight minutes off the clock. The Buckeyes benefitted from a pair of penalties, including a face mask call on Colin Simmons that wiped out an incomplete pass on third-and-4.
Texas finally got points with 3:28 remaining in the fourth quarter when Manning connected with Parker Livingstone on a 32-yard touchdown.
The Longhorns defense forced a three-and-out, giving Texas a chance to tie.
After an entertaining Week 0 appetizer and a smattering of games Thursday and Friday, it’s time for Week 1 of the college football season to finally kick off. And the game to start off the first full Saturday of the season couldn’t be much better.
It’s the Texas Longhorns vs. the Ohio State Buckeyes. It’s the No. 1 and No. 3 teams in the preseason AP poll facing off. It’s a College Football Playoff rematch and Arch Manning’s first major test as starter against the defending national champions.
Needless to say, it’s going to be good.
We’ll be keeping track of Texas-Ohio State — and any other notable happenings that might pop up — as the college football season returns. Here’s everything that’s going on across Week 1 in college football:
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