Purdue Claims To Have Evidence Of Michigan Sign-Stealing

Purdue head coach Ryan Walters has claimed that the school has evidence of being a victim of the Michigan sign-stealing operation this season. "What's crazy is they weren't allegations. It happened. There's video evidence. There's ticket purchases and sales that you can track back. We know for a fact that they were at a number of our games, so we've had to teach our guys a new language in terms of some signals. We will operate differently offensively. You might see us in a huddle for the first time this season. It is what it is. We're excited to go play," Walters said on his weekly radio show.

Furthermore, Walters' comments come after Big Ten leadership was urged to act on the allegations by both conference coaches and athletic directors. Five sources familiar with the coaches' call told ESPN that the coaches demanded immediate action against Michigan. "Collectively, the coaches want the Big Ten to act -- right now. What are we waiting on? We know what happened," one source summarized. Similiar demands were by the ADs. Commissioner Tony Petitti is expected to speak with Michigan President Santa Ono during a visit to the school to attend a field hockey tournament on Friday.

Purdue Prepare For Game Against Michigan

Meanwhile, Purdue are set to face Michigan, undefeated and ranked #3 in the first CFP ranking, this weekend. The Wolverines are currently on a five-game win streak dating back to 2010 against the Boilermakers. However, sign-stealing or not, Michigan has been unstoppable this season. They have the best defense in the country, allowing just 5.9 points per game through eight games this season. They are also just one of three schools allowing less than 250 yards of offense per game and the only school allowing less than 230.

However, this has all been tainted by the allegations of sign-stealing. The Michigan sign-stealing operation was first reported two weeks ago by Yahoo! and has steadily grown in scope. The investigation has centered on Connor Stalions, a long-time staffer within the football program. Stalions is found to have bought tickets to 35 games at 17 venues over the last three years. This includes 12 Big 10 schools. While in attendance, Stalions is believed to have recorded the sidelines in order to capture footage of a team's play-calling signs. While sign-stealing is not prohibited, in-person scouting of future opponents and sign-stealing via electronic means is banned under NCAA rules. Stalions is currently on paid suspension from his position.

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