This is For The Win’s daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Have feedback? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey! Now, here’s Mike Sykes.
You’ll be absolutely shocked to hear this, but Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan Wolverines are caught up in another scandal.
This time, Harbaugh’s Wolverines are being accused of stealing signs from their opponents, according to the latest from Yahoo! Sports.
That, on its own, is not illegal. Stealing signs is technically not illegal by NCAA rules. What is illegal, though, is scouting teams in person to steal their signs. That’s been banned since 1994. Normally, teams are only allowed to scout opponents via video. It’s also illegal to intercept those communications or relay them with your team via electronic equipment.
Michigan, specifically, is being investigated for using unnamed individuals to actually attend games of scheduled opponents and potential College Football Playoff opponents. Basically, Michigan allegedly has an entire network of unnamed scouts that are going to games stealing signs from opponents. Shady!
Here’s more from Yahoo!:
“Two of Michigan’s opponents this season told Yahoo Sports they became aware that Michigan knew their play signs. Sign stealing does not violate NCAA rules unless the team uses in-game, electronic equipment to relay the information to players on the field or amongst coaches. The 2023 NCAA football rule book addresses sign stealing in a general way under a section titled Prohibited Field Equipment. It states that “any attempt to record, either through audio or video means, any signals given by an opposing player, coach or other team personnel is prohibited.” No corresponding penalty is listed.”
This could be a pretty big deal. It might also be nothing. I have no idea what an actual violation is anymore or what penalties should be — especially after this Kansas thing went down without much of anything happening to the program or Bill Self.
Harbaugh — despite the fact that he put out a statement denying knowledge or involvement — has a history, though. He’s been suspended before for something different. Still, the NCAA may come down a bit harder on him if he’s found to be involved in this and Michigan is found of some wrongdoing.
We’ll just have to wait and see. But for a team that looks like it could be the best in the nation, the timing of all this couldn’t be worse for the Wolverines.
Trevor Lawrence is free!
I’m pretty sure Trevor Lawrence was cursed at some point.
I have no idea when or how it happened, but honestly, can you offer a better explanation for the dude’s bad luck at the Superdome? He could not win in that building.
Trevor Lawrence went 34-2 at Clemson. Can you guess where the only two games he lost were? Yup. That’s right. At the Superdome. First, to LSU in the National Championship game in 2019. Then to Ohio State in the Superdome again next year in the College Football Playoff Semifinals.
Even the Jaguars as an organization had never won in the Superdome. The team was 0-3, according to ESPN’s Ed Werder.
That losing streak ended on Thursday night with a win that almost wasn’t against the Saints. The Jaguars probably had bettors sweating a bit, but hey. Things worked out.
Now, Jacksonville is 5-2 atop the AFC South without any real competition sprouting up between the Colts, Texans and Titans. Jacksonville should have an easy path to the playoffs this season.
If you’d told me that was a sentence I’d be typing here in 2023 just a couple of years ago, I would’ve laughed and made an Urban Meyer joke.
My, my. How the times have changed.
Home on the road
With the Astros’ 10-3 win in Globe Life Field on Thursday night, we’ve officially got a tied series at 2-2 between Houston and the Texas Rangers.
It was a big night for the Stros with Jose Altuve joining some absolute MLB legends in playing his 100th career postseason game.
Jose Altuve will play in his 100th career playoff game today. Only six players have played in more: Jeter (158), Posada (125), Williams (121), Justice (112), Ramirez (111) and Molina (104).
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) October 19, 2023
This series, overall, has been wildly fascinating. It’s incredible how the home-field advantage has not actually mattered here.
Not only does the home side not have a win in the series yet, but it’s actually getting dominated. The road team is outscoring the home team 25-12 so far in this series.
We’re still a long way away from this happening, but it looks like a real possibility that the road team might actually win every game of this series. That’s great news for the Rangers.
Rangers fans will also love to hear this: The last time that happened was the 2019 World Series where the Nationals (!!!) beat the Astros (!!!!!).
We’ll see how the rest of this plays out. It feels like we’re in for an exciting finish.
Quick hits: The best Halloween songs ever … NBA Power Rankings … and more
— Mary Clarke ranked the best Halloween Songs ever and, yeah, I’ve got no complaints here. She nailed it.
— We’ve got NBA Power Rankings for you ahead of the season and, despite all the moves, the Nuggets are still No. 1.
— Al Michaels is getting ripped for this Christian Kirk touchdown that he didn’t actually call a touchdown. It was bad. Charles Curtis has more.
— Christian D’Andrea has you covered with the best NFL Prop Bets for Week 7. That Tua Tagovailoa bet feels like money to me.
— Prince Grimes ranked the highest paid players in the NBA
—Charles Curtis has you covered on Gameday’s travel schedule for Week 8 in the college football world.
That’s all, folks! Thanks so much for reading the Morning Win. I hope you have a fantastic weekend. Catch you later. Peace.
-Sykes ✌️
