Penn State's James Franklin Addresses Michigan Situation
Penn State coach James Franklin did not wade into the allegations of sign-stealing at Michigan, saying his program is focused on "all the stuff we see on film" in preparing for the Wolverines' visit to Beaver Stadium on Saturday.
Franklin fielded two questions about the Michigan situation Monday, including one about coach Jim Harbaugh's potential status for the game. Several media outlets reported over the weekend that the Big Ten could take some action regarding Michigan's alleged sign-stealing operation, perhaps including a suspension. According to multiple outlets, including The Athletic, Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti met with Michigan officials over the weekend to address concerns among conference coaches and athletic directors.
The Athletic reported that those parties are pressuring Petitti to issue some sort of disciplinary response, perhaps even a suspension, under the conference's code of conduct. ESPN's Pete Thamel told Pat McAfee on Saturday that the Big Ten could act within a few days. Thamel added Monday that the Big Ten might not act "for at least the next 48 hours."
"I’m focused on all the stuff I see on film," Franklin said of Michigan at his weekly press conference. "That’s what we’re focused on, is all the stuff that we see on film, their players, their scheme. When I say all the stuff we see on film, that we see on the coaches’ copy of the film, the stuff that’s going on between the sidelines, the 53-and-a-third [yards comprising a field's width]. That's what we're focused on."
Franklin said earlier this season that Penn State "made some changes" to its offensive and defensive signals during the October bye week, which occurred before the Nittany Lions' game against UMass. ESPN quoted an anonymous person saying that former Michigan staffer Connor Stalions had paid him to attend that game and film it from the stands. Stalions released a statement last weekend saying that he had resigned from his position and that neither Harbaugh nor his coaching staff was "aware of improper conduct regarding the recent allegations of advanced scouting," The Athletic reported.
Asked Monday whether the allegations have prompted his staff to spend more time on protecting its signs, Franklin said, "I know these questions are going to come this week. I’m going to focus on the things that we can control. We always have to have a plan, and I already think I’ve kind of covered this and talked about this in terms of what we do and how we communicate to our players and how we communicate to our team during games. But I’m going to leave it at that because less is more."
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