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Michigan wrapped up the 2024 season with an 8-5 record, but the Wolverines' wins over Ohio State and Alabama in the final two games were huge highlights, especially in Sherrone Moore’s debut season as head coach.
This contrasted sharply with Michigan’s flawless 15-0 campaign in 2023 under Jim Harbaugh, which ended with the Wolverines hoisting the National Championship trophy. But that title soon became mired in controversy, as allegations surfaced that Michigan had been stealing opponents’ signals, leading the NCAA to investigate both Harbaugh and the program.
Two years after winning that national title, ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum voiced skepticism about the legitimacy of UM's championship during an appearance on "First Take" this week:
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“I am not silly enough or stupid enough to come up here and act like the last two years didn’t happen. Although, we could debate Michigan from now until the end of time about the legitimacy of that national championship.”
Amid the scandal, Connor Stalions, the former Michigan recruiting staffer at the center of the sign-stealing accusations, was first put on leave and later resigned. The program ended up facing 11 violations, the most serious being that Harbaugh allegedly failed to properly oversee his staff.
Meanwhile, Stalions once again pushed back against claims on Saturday, saying that Michigan’s wins or losses were tied to his sign-stealing efforts.
To back his claim, Stalions even pointed out that there were seven games where he had near-complete knowledge of the opponents’ signals: 2021 Michigan State, 2022 Michigan State, 2022 Penn State, 2022 Ohio State, 2022 TCU, 2021 Georgia and 2021 Wisconsin.
Paul Finebaum cautions Michigan despite recent dominance over Ohio State
Heading into the 2025 season, Michigan boasts a four-year winning streak against Ohio State, capped by a narrow 13-10 win over Ryan Day’s program on Nov. 30. However, despite this recent supremacy, ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum offered a sobering perspective on last season, stating:
“Ohio State won it. They were the best team Day 1 and the best team all throughout the season, except for two Saturdays when Ryan Day got in the way of them winning."
Michigan will kick off its season at home against New Mexico State on August 30, and the question now is whether the Wolverines can silence skeptics by defeating more powerhouse programs.
