“You eliminate their postseason play”: CFB analyst suggests bold punishment for Sherrone Moore’s Michigan for cheating allegations

In late 2023, the Michigan Wolverines were involved in a "sign stealing scandal" that was allegedly orchestrated by former staffer Conor Stallions. Nearly two years later, the NCAA is officially investigating the program, with a verdict expected in the coming weeks.

The question on the minds of most college football fans concerns what kind of punishment the Wolverines could face if found guilty. On Wednesday, college football insider Bobby Carpenter gave his take on affairs and suggested a sentence for the Wolverines:

"If you do want to punish someone, eliminate their postseason play."

The Wolverines are one of the strongest programs in the Big Ten and should be able to make the newly expanded 12-team College Football Playoff in the next few seasons. This is mainly down to new quarterback Bryce Underwood, who is likely to help Sherrone Moore's side to a good record this year.

Carpenter suggests that the only penalty for the Wolverines that would be suitable if found guilty is a ban from playing in postseason games. Carpenter did not expand on the duration of this ban, but it is likely to be a couple of years.

For Michigan, a postseason ban could have a massive impact on future recruitment. The best players come to top programs like the Wolverines to win championships. If one were to take this opportunity from the team, there is a chance that these players would not want to come to Michigan and potentially go to rivals Ohio State.

The 'tainted' Michigan national championship?

When deciding on an appropriate punishment for the Michigan Wolverines, one needs to consider the actions of the program, Conor Stallions and the 2023 season that the Wolverines had.

This was one of the greatest teams in Michigan's history. Led by the quarterback/ running back pairing of JJ McCarthy and Blake Corum, the Wolverines cruised to an undefeated season, which ended in a national championship game victory against the Washington Huskies.

However, when one considers that to achieve some of the wins, the Wolverines may have cheated or used illegal means. This has tainted the legacy of the season, with rival fans either not recognizing the title win or declaring it tainted by adding an asterisk to the championship.

There does lie a possibility that the Wolverines may be stripped of the title. However, this would be considered the nuclear option and would accompany other punishments.