“It is what it is.”
Desmond Howard had plenty to say on Michigan's sign-stealing scandal, Connor Stalions, and Jim Harbaugh's future in Ann Arbor on College GameDay this week. However, his comments toward the rest of the Wolverines' schedule, including Ohio State, will likely draw the ire of Buckeye fans more than anything else.
"If there's a silver lining, for the rest of this season there are no excuses,” Howard said. “Everybody they play now, it is what it is... Purdue, Penn State, Maryland, Ohio State... no excuses.”
There are no excuses. Everybody they play now, it is what it is. No excuses. Desmond Howard on College GameDay
— Clayton Sayfie (@CSayf23) October 28, 2023
Howard — sporting a wider and guiltier-looking grin than usual — smiled his way through the commentary of his co-hosts and ESPN reporters as the crew explained away a trio of scandals plaguing Michigan football at the moment.
Notice Desmond Howard laughing as Kirk Herbstreit talks about Michigan crossing the line with their sign stealing. #CollegeGameDay pic.twitter.com/Sb40pRAKBY
— CBus Buckeye (@BuckingPunisher) October 28, 2023
When it finally came time for Howard to speak, he first responded to this season potentially being Harbaugh's last in Ann Arbor by saying, “it’s like that’s what someone is trying to make happen, like they’re trying to get Jim Harbaugh out of college football.”
Its like thats what someone is trying to make happen, like theyre trying to get Jim Harbaugh out of college football. Desmond Howard on College Gameday
— Clayton Sayfie (@CSayf23) October 28, 2023
The Wolverine on the GameDay desk then rehashed many of the items detailed in Sports Illustrated's article on Stalions this week in an attempt to brand him as a rogue Kaczynski-caliber football nut far from the archetype Michigan Man. As for the actual practice of sign stealing, Howard quickly spun the language of the discussion towards “decoding” in an attempt to downplay the malicious aura swirling around the scandal.
Before his parting shot at the rest of the Wolverines' schedule, Howard also relayed his disappointment that the show had to spend “8-9 minutes” discussing the investigation at Michigan instead of the team's accomplishments this season. He lamented that the situation feels unfair to the Wolverine players. Later on in the show, Howard ranked the Buckeyes sixth overall in his initial set of College Football Playoff rankings.
Howard's stance on the Michigan scandal may come as amusing to some given the comments he offered on Ohio State's punishment that ended the Jim Tressel era. In a 2011 interview with the Omaha World-Herald, Howard declared, “if Woody Hayes was around now, I'm thinking he would grab Jim Tressel by the collar and punch him in the throat.”
The former Heisman Trophy winner at Michigan went on to say, “I'm always happy, like anyone should be, to see anybody who cheats the system get caught and get out of the game.”
