"Just chasing clout" - CFB fans left unimpressed by Bret Bielema's blunt comments on Jim Harbaugh

The scars of Michigan's long-winded sign-stealing scandal continue to haunt coach Jim Harbaugh even in his role as the coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. This is despite it having been a year since he departed from Ann Arbor as a national championship-winning coach.

The sign-stealing scandal involving former Michigan staffer Connor Stallions has continued to stain the legacy of the 2023 national champions.

According to Yahoo Sports analyst Ross Dellenger, earlier this month, Michigan sent a 137-page document to the NCAA defending their former and current coach (Sherrone Moore) from the scandal.

Coinciding with the news, an old video of Harbaugh during his time as coach of the San Francisco 49ers began circulating on Monday during which he called out cheating in football.

“You always want to be above approach,” Jim Harbaugh said in the clip. “Especially when you’re good because you don’t want people coming back and saying, ‘Oh they’re winning because they’re cheating.’ We want to be above the approach in everything, play by the rules. If you cheat to win, then you’ve already lost.”

Illinois Fighting Illini coach Bret Bielema called out Harbaugh for departing for the NFL after winning the national championship last year with the Wolverines by quote-tweeting the clip.

"Really…. Why did you leave? Was looking forward to playing but understand why you ran to the #NFL See you in the future and can’t wait #famILLy #ILL," Bielema tweeted.

College football fans on X had mixed reactions to Bielema's implied accusations against Jim Harbaugh.

Some fans turned on Bielema instead.

"Who? Just chasing clout i guess lol," one fan tweeted.

"Homie been doing a lot of talking and hasn’t won ish lately," another fan tweeted.

"We’re gonna act like he didn’t take interviews or get interest from the nfl almost every year while he was at Michigan. Brett B can’t relate lol," one fan tweeted.

The Jim Harbaugh vs. NCAA battle set to continue

Last year in September, the NCAA hit Jim Harbaugh with a four-year show-cause penalty for his role in the Connor Stalions sign-stealing saga. This would make a re-entry into college football almost nigh on impossible for him.

During an interview with ESPN in November, the Chargers coach rubbished the NCAA's authority in a stinging interview.

"I'm stopping the engagement there with commenting," Jim Harbaugh said. "They've (NCAA) been keeping money away from players for decades. They just got hit with a $2.7 billion lawsuit. They have no credibility. That's the truth.

"Never lie. Never cheat. Never steal. I was raised with that lesson," Harbaugh said. "I have raised my family on that lesson. I have preached that lesson to the teams that I have coached. No one is perfect. If you stumble, you apologize and you make it right. Today, I do not apologize. I did not participate, was not aware nor complicit in those said allegations."

He concluded by saying:

"So, it's back to work and attacking with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind."

Jim Harbaugh was also hit with a one-year penalty for his part in improper recruitment practices during the COVID-19 dead period. This prolonged his ongoing battle with the NCAA, despite his status as an NFL coach.

The battle between the two entities is set to continue with Michigan's insistence on defending their former coach.