Wolverines crew backs HC Jim Harbaugh amid Big Ten suspension over sign-stealing scandal: “Michigan vs everybody”

The Big Ten has given its verdict in the Michigan football sign-stealing scandal and it has suspended Jim Harbaugh. But that isn't stopping the Wolverines crew from backing their head coach. They showcased their backing of Harbaugh before their Week 11 game against Penn State.

The sign-stealing scandal broke out last month when Big 10 and the NCAA opened an investigation into the Wolverines. It was alleged that a Michigan staffer hired people to film the sidelines of the future opponents of the team in order to know the signs the teams would use during the game.

The league has given its verdict against the Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh and the team wore a special message on their clothing before the Penn State game.

“Michigan vs everybody,” the clothing of most of the Wolverines crew said.

Harbaugh won't be able to coach the team against the Nittany Lions on Saturday as he has been suspended for the rest of the regular season.

So, he will be able to return only during the postseason, which the Wolverines look sure to reach. The team is currently ranked second in the country and will feature in the college football playoffs barring a major hiccup in the final few weeks.

The Nittany Lions are 8-1 coming into the game week and would surely test the Wolverines' unbeaten run. The top-10 matchup would have had a great hype in normal circumstances, but the Michigan season has been anything but normal. So what is the full story behind the Michigan sign-stealing saga?

The Michigan football sign-stealing saga ft. Jim Harbaugh: The full story

The Michigan football sign-stealing saga goes back at least three seasons, according to the investigation. The Big Ten and the NCAA, though, have been looking into it for about three weeks.

The allegations are that the Wolverines analyst Connor Stalions hired people to scout Michigan’s future opponents. He asked them to film the sidelines to know what signs they used during the game.

When the scandal broke out, Michigan suspended Stalions with pay. The analyst later resigned from his post. The coach Jim Harbaugh denied any knowledge of sign-stealing done by his staff.

Both the Big Ten and NCAA opened their investigations and the league sought to suspend Jim Harbaugh. But the coach's lawyer argued that it went beyond the Big Ten commissioner’s powers.

Still, the league suspended the Wolverines HC for the remainder of the team's regular season. So, the 9-0 Wolverines will take on the Nittany Lions without Harbaugh on Saturday.