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The 2023 Michigan Wolverines season has been nothing if not shrouded in controversy.
The Wolverines are undeniably one of, if not the top team in the country. But they’ve also played the last few months under a black cloud following a sign-stealing scandal that landed head coach Jim Harbaugh a three-month suspension.
Now, somewhat ironically, Michigan is going to great lengths ahead of the Rose Bowl against Alabama to ensure that all of its information is safe and secure.
iPad-gate update: Michigan OC Sherrone Moore says the Wolverines stopped distributing practice film individually via iPads in early November because they had “heard some things”
— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) December 29, 2023
Michigan offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore told Dan Wolken of USA Today that his team no longer distributes practice film to each individual player on iPads because they allegedly “heard some things.”
Could those “some things” be from anonymous social media account that posted threads linking Ohio State coach Ryan Day to a video company that stores practice film for college football teams.
Hmmmm.
Michigan isn’t the only team that won’t use iPads for film.
Alabama also revealed Thursday that it had changed its method of preparation to keep the Wolverines from stealing signs.
“The app we record film off…I guess they were looking at other people’s play calls, hand signals, stuff like that,” wide receiver Isaiah Bond said of the changes.
Rather than watching film individually on iPads, Crimson Tide players have been meeting in groups to watch film together on a screen that isn’t tied to the iPads.
Can never be too safe!
The Tide may well have learned a thing or two from TCU. The Horned Frogs created “dummy signals” to use in last year’s College Football Playoff semifinal victory over Michigan.
Will it help Alabama?
Well, it certainly didn’t see to do much to help Ohio State in their game against the Wolverines. But Nick Saban has been around the block a time or two and is pretty good at this whole coaching thing.
So it’s safe to say he’ll have all his bases covered.