Ad Disclosure
Heather Dinich tackles potential impact of sign-stealing investigation on Michigan’s CFP ranking
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Heather Dinich is previewing a number of topics related to the College Football Playoff rankings. The first edition of those rankings is set for Tuesday evening, and Dinich made an appearance on The Paul Finebaum Show to touch on a variety of topics.
As for Michigan, Dinich addressed the status of the sign-stealing investigation and how it relates to the CFP selection committee. She reminded fans that Michigan AD Warde Manuel — who is a part of the committee — must recuse himself from the discussions related to the Wolverines.
As for the entire committee, the official statement from CFP Executive Director Bill Hancock said any team eligible for a bowl is able to be ranked by the committee.
“You’re right Paul, Michigan Athletics Director Warde Manuel is on the selection committee and I’ve confirmed he is here. He does have to recuse himself during the discussions about where to place Michigan. But the College Football Playoff has not given any particular statement as to how they will direct the committee if they will to handle it,” said Dinich. “The only official statement that CFP Executive Director Bill Hancock has issued on this is that if a team is eligible to participate in a bowl game, it is eligible to be ranked by the committee.”
With that in mind, Dinich believes it is unlikely the investigation has any impact on Michigan’s ranking for Tuesday night. The CFP committee is unlikely to try to “be the police” as long as the Wolverines are eligible for the postseason.
“So I reached out to former selection committee members and asked them about how this group might handle this situation, and most of them that I talked to said if they follow their protocol, which NC State Athletics Director Boo Corrigan will remind them of at the start of the meeting, as their committee chair, this likely will not impact Michigan right now,” Dinich explained. “Because as one former committee told me, if they try to be the police in this situation, or let any of their personal feelings into this, it could adversely impact the rest of the rankings, and unintentionally reward a team that might not deserve to be ranked higher in that spot.”
While the committee must follow protocol, Dinich did not entirely gloss over the idea of Michigan’s investigation. She explained the committee members “are human beings” who understand what’s going on and will talk outside the official meeting room.
“Another former committee member said these are human beings who also know exactly what’s going on and there will be conversations in the hallway,” Dinich said. “Maybe as they’re eating their meals together and some disgust about what has happened and when they get back into that room, there is a very standard protocol that they will be reminded to follow, and it’s quite possible the bigger issue for Michigan is going to be their strength of schedule.”
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.