Michigan fans react after Big Ten suspends Jim Harbaugh for remainder of regular season
(CBS DETROIT) - The mood in Ann Arbor was just about what any Michigan Wolverine fan would expect after yet another suspension for head football coach Jim Harbaugh.
This time, it is the Big Ten who is deciding to lay down the hammer on Harbaugh amid an NCAA sign-stealing investigation that was not even over yet.
Jeff Hughey, who attended his first Wolverine football game in 1991, says the sign-stealing scandal only puts a stain on what has been, so far, a successful season for Michigan.
"It kind of puts a stain on what they have done so far this year. They have a really good team. I don't think they needed to steal signs, if they did," Hughey says.
Emma Workman, a senior at U of M, says the suspension did not surprise her.
"It was coming, so I'm not shocked, but we are a little worried about Penn State tomorrow [Nov. 11]," Workman says.
Penn State fan Ryan Christ says he came to town to visit his sister, who is a U of M student, but is leaving with a smile on his face.
"Harbaugh is a good coach, so I am happy he is not going to be there tomorrow," Christ said.
But after the school filed an injunction to temporarily lift Harbaugh's suspension, that may not be the case come game time Saturday when the Wolverines take on Penn State.
Regardless, what surprised most fans was the timing of the suspension. Even Ohio State alum and now U of M grad student Joe Freeman says it caught him off guard.
"I thought it was going to be after the season was over when they came down with the punishment, so it's pretty surprising to me," Freeman says.
And while it seems like almost everyone has an opinion about the Michigan sign-stealing scandal, Wolverine fan Benson Quinn says he does not want to hear it.
"They like to tear you down when you're at the top. It's getting lonely up here," Quinn says.
Despite the disappointment coming from the majority of Michigan football fans following the Big Ten's decision to suspend Harbaugh for the rest of the regular season, many tell CBS Detroit they are confident the Wolverines will bring home a win with or without him on the sidelines on Saturday.