Ohio State legend Maurice Clarett is showing his support for a bitter rival.
The Michigan Wolverines remain under investigation by the NCAA for allegations regarding sign-stealing and sign-scouting involving a staffer, Connor Stalions, attending Michigan opponent's games throughout the season to pick up on their signals, and players and coaches alike are speaking out on their thoughts on the situation.
We've seen Kirby Smart, Nick Saban, Deion Sanders, Urban Meyer, and more speak out. The latest addition to the list now includes Maurice Clarett, former Ohio State running back who was involved in an NCAA investigation himself in July 2003, involving an academic scandal that was unable to find sufficient evidence of wrongdoing. Still, he was suspended for the 2003 season on September 10 of that year.
Clarett took to X to provide his thoughts on this as a former Ohio State player—a bitter rival of Michigan—defending the program and head coach Jim Harbaugh.
I have my personal opinions about Michigan and what?s going on. My opinions aren?t biased and I call things like they are. I got former teammates, good friends, homeboys and ppl I know that went to Michigan. This Harbaugh situation in my humble opinion has more to do with college? pic.twitter.com/c4aFZoXcFF
— Maurice Clarett (@ReeseClarett13) November 2, 2023
"I have my personal opinions about Michigan and what's going on. My opinions aren't biased and I call things like they are. I got former teammates, good friends, homeboys and ppl I know that went to Michigan. This Harbaugh situation in my humble opinion has more to do with college athletics as a whole and not the silly things they've been investigated for. I've been in a NCAA investigation with a university and seen the lengths they will go to, to hide the main reason of the vindictive behavior. Harbaugh is the only person who spoke like this and this is against the core of what NCAA stands for. It's major exploitation on lots of levels and you can't have a premier coach on a premier football team championing this type of mission. It's a kick in the nuts to the establishment. They've cycled these Michigan stories in your face to make you think that it was as important as the war between palenstine and isreal. This is about business my man. You can't mess up the economic system. Those that do get dealt with. There's tons of smart ppl sitting in boardrooms executing well thought out missions of how to keep what's in place in place. It's bigger than a rivalry. If you have a high school athlete that's going into division 1 sports this perspective should be important to you. #GoBucks"
Attached in the most was a screenshot about how Harbaugh wants players to share in the NCAA's TV revenue.
Clarett, to make a long story short, is essentially alleging that the NCAA is coming hard at Michigan because Harbaugh, who's a big-time coach at a top program, wants to cut into the economics of the NCAA.
"When student-athletes call it a game, corporate-types call it a business," Harbaugh said in the article Clarett attached. "When the student-athletes call it a business, the corporate-types call it a game. . . . We are where we are. We have to try to make it work. We have to try to make it better."
We'll continue to monitor how this situation unfolds.
