In 2023, Michigan got in quite a bit of trouble for their sign-stealing scandal involving Connor Stallions. The story took the college football world by storm, and for a solid two months, one of the biggest stories was covering this scandal and determining how much, if any, it was affecting the on-field success of Michigan.
There were entire Twitter and YouTube pages dedicated to finding images and video clips of Connor Stallions stealing signs, with perhaps the most interesting being a picture of what appears to be Stallions decked out in Western Michigan gear on the sideline watching the Michigan State sideline.
However, the story quickly grew to be much more than Connor Stallions. Soon, former players and media members started to come out claiming that everyone steals signs and that rather than considering it cheating, it is just another tool and strategy to get an edge in the game.
All of that has led to today, where the college football rules committee is getting together and recommending a change to the game to allow quarterbacks to have helmet communications with their coaches, which the NFL has been doing for a few seasons now.
History of Signs on the Sideline
There was a time, not that long ago, when plays were normally run in by a receiver or running back. The coach would whisper the play to a player who would run onto the field and share the play to the quarterback and the rest of the team.
But then teams started to find success in running the no-huddle offense. The 1988 Cincinnati Bengals were the first team to do it at a high level, but it didn’t really get going until the late 2000’s when teams in the Big 12 and Pac 12 realized that running a no huddle offense could expose defenses and keep defenders on the the field.
As the offense has become popular, teams have started to try to steal signs and signals. To combat this, teams have gotten more creative in their signs. At first, simple hand signals were enough for teams. Then, they started to use signs with emojis and symbols. Finally, and most recently, three or four players are seen giving signals, with only one or two of the players giving real signals, with the others doing fake signals to throw off any defense trying to steal them.
NFL and the Headset Communications Could Do Well in College Football
The NFL has allowed one player to communicate via helmet communication on offense (QB) for thirty years and one defensive player since 2008. This communication has allowed for the sidelines to be able to limit the amount of hand signals and signs that are needed. That isn’t to say that there aren’t any signals, but there are significantly less, and certainly not enough for many teams to spend time trying to steal signs.
If college football goes through with this change, it would drastically change the game and the speed the offenses can run. There are currently no talks about allowing a defensive player headset communications, but don’t be shocked to see a change in that if offesive production picks up in 2024.
Conclusion
Michigan did everything on the field last year to prove they were the best team in college football, ultimately winning a National Championship. However, there will always be at least a little asterisk next to the season because of what happened with the
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