J.J. McCarthy says Michigan stole signs to 'even playing field' with Ohio State

When answering a question about Michigan's sign-stealing scandal on Wednesday's College Football Playoff teleconference, Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy said most college football programs legally steal signs, including Ohio State in 2019 and 2020.

"I also feel like it's so unfortunate because there's probably – I don't want to say a crazy number, but I'd say a good number, 80 percent of the teams in college football steal signs," McCarthy said. "It's just a thing about football. It's been around for years.

"We actually had to adapt because in 2020 or 2019 when Ohio State was stealing our signs, which is legal and they were doing it, we had to get up to the level that they were at, and we had to make it an even playing field."

Ohio State did not play Michigan in 2020 due to the Wolverines opting out of the game during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, the Buckeyes won their matchup 56-27. It was Ohio State's most recent victory against Michigan.

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Former Michigan recruiting staff member Connor Stalions is alleged to have led a sign-stealing scheme that had Michigan representatives film the sidelines of future opponents to decode sideline signals. This violates NCAA bylaws against in-person advance scouting. Stalions resigned in November.

Linebackers coach Chris Partidge was fired in November for telling players not to speak to investigators about the scheme. Jim Harbaugh was suspended for three games by the Big Ten for violating the conference's sportsmanship policy.

Michigan defensive lineman Mason Graham continued that his team "get tendencies" from other programs by watching film, saying his team has "high football IQ."

McCarthy said Michigan works hard to improve its football IQ, watching film for tendencies of opposing linebackers and safeties' postures or where the corner lines up.

"Little stuff like that where it's like, you could say it's all sign stealing, but there's a lot more that goes into play, and a lot of stuff that gets masked, a lot of work that gets masked just because of the outside perception of what sign stealing is all about," McCarthy said.

When asked about potential punishments due to Michigan's sign-stealing scandal such as vacated wins, McCarthy said it would be "unfortunate" to not be recognized for the work he and his team put in.

"But at the end of the day, it's not going to change the amount of accomplishment and the amount of pride for being on this football team and just everything that we accomplished because we know what we put in, we know the work that we've put in, and we know that we did things the right way as players," McCarthy said.

"Whatever happens with just all the outside controversy is just out of our control, and whatever the NCAA wants to do is out of our control. We're going to appreciate the things we did control and the things we did accomplish."