Purdue HC Ryan Walters claims to have 'evidence' of Michigan's sign-stealing ahead of Week 10 clash

Ahead of the Week 10 game between Purdue and Michigan in the Big Ten, the Boilermakers' head coach, Ryan Walter, has said his program has evidence that the Wolverines had conducted in-person scouting in a couple of the team's games earlier this season.

Michigan is currently engulfed in a sign-stealing allegation after the NCAA announced the launch of an investigation into the program. The Wolverines are accused of sending individuals to future opponent's games to capture play-call signals on the sideline.

“It's unfortunate," Walters said Thursday night on his radio show. "What's crazy is they weren't allegations. It happened. There's video evidence.”

“There are ticket purchases and sales that you can track back. We know for a fact that they were at a number of our games, so we've had to teach our guys a new language in terms of some signals.”

A different approach from Purdue this weekend

With the belief that the Wolverines already have full details of their play-call signals, the Boilermakers will approach the game differently this weekend. Walters mentioned that Purdue's evidence of Michigan's activities has led to changes in their preparation for the upcoming game on Saturday.

"We will operate differently offensively," Walters said. "You might see us in a huddle for the first time this season. It is what it is. We're excited to go play."

Purdue enters the game with a 2-6 record, boasting only one win in conference plays this season. The Wolverines, on the other hand, are unbeaten this season and rank second in the AP Poll behind the defending national champion, Georgia Bulldogs.

Big Ten coaches concern on Michigan

It's become a general belief among teams that sign-stealing has offered Michigan an undue advantage. Big Ten coaches held a conference call with the league commissioner, Tony Petitti, on Wednesday, during which they voiced their concerns on the alleged in-person scouting.

According to ESPN, many coaches conveyed their frustrations to Petitti and urged him to take action on the issue as soon as possible. The sentiment was also partly echoed by several athletic directors during a video conference call with the commissioner on Thursday.

Michigan currently holds an unbeaten run in the Big Ten that stretches from the 2021 season and has won the last two conference titles. With the Wolverines moving closer to a third consecutive Big Ten Championship, considering their form, conference opponents don't seem to be taking the sign-stealing allegation lightly.