Star quarterback J.J. McCarthy and his Michigan teammates had just one word in response to Jim Harbaugh’s suspension.
“Bet,” McCarthy wrote on X just hours after the Big 10 announced his head coach’s punishment.
That mirrored what a plethora of other Wolverines players wrote, seemingly conducting a coordinated effort to all post “bet” after the news was announced.
Cornerbacks Mike Sainristil and Josh Wallace, guards Trevor Keegan and Zak Zinter, offensive tackle Karsen Barnhart and defensive tackle Kris Jenkins, among others, all posted the same message.
The Big Ten announced Friday that it was suspending Harbaugh from the sidelines for the remainder of the 2023 regular season after finding that the Wolverines conducted “an impermissible, in-person scouting operation over multiple years, resulting in an unfair competitive advantage that compromised the integrity of competition.”
Harbaugh will still be allowed to coach practices during the week and run team activities, and Michigan is already looking to get an injunction, according to multiple reports, which would allow him to coach the team’s matchup with Penn State on Saturday in State College.
Barstool Sports CEO Dave Portnoy, a Michigan alum, reposted McCarthy’s post and wrote: “I love this rally cry. Bet I will,” and included a picture of a shirt in Michigan’s colors with the word “bet” written on it.
Michigan was under investigation for the alleged sign-stealing scheme that ex-staffer Connor Stallions was accused of spearheading.
He is accused of attending games — and buying tickets for others — Wolverines’ opponents and recording their hand signals.
Michigan blasted the punishment soon after it was announced.
“Today’s action by Commissioner Tony Petitti disregards the Conference’s own handbook, violates basic tenets of due process, and sets an untenable precedent of assessing penalties before an investigation has been completed,” Michigan said in a statement.
“We are dismayed at the Commissioner’s rush to judgment when there is an ongoing NCAA investigation — one in which we are fully cooperating.”
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