Apparently the big hitch for a contract extension for Michigan concussion-ball coach Jim Harbaugh is that he wants immunity from issues related to NCAA investigations, of which there are currently two. One is minor--a meal provided to a recruit in violation of rules--and the other is the sign-stealing issue, which I see as major.
Given that Michigan has been investigated for the recruiting violations before, and Harbaugh was not punished for that, I'm guessing that this is an inadvertent confession by Harbaugh that yes, he was in the thick of it for sign stealing. At any rate, I can't bring myself to believe that he and his defensive coordinator didn't notice that the defense was in the right place an incredible portion of the time, quite a bit higher than when he was watching film as a QB for the Wolverines, as a QB for the Bears, Ravens, Colts, and Chargers, and as a coach for the Raiders, U. of San Diego, Stanford, the 49ers, and then back again at Michigan. You don't get to the top of the NFL and the top of the college game by missing these things when watching film, to put it mildly.
What's the significance? Well, in his first six years at Michigan, he was 49-23 (68% wins), and in the past three years, the Wolverines are 37-3 (92.5% wins). Two of the three losses were in bowl games, where of course the season for the opponent would be complete before Connor Stalions could visit.
It's not perfect proof, but I think the data are suggesting very strongly that without the sign stealing, the Wolverines would have kept up their pattern of losing to Ohio State and even Michigan State, and in their bowl games. In other words, it's a pretty big deal.
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