Jim Harbaugh admitting defeat proves Michigan lucked out with suspension

So it turns out Jim Harbaugh will serve his three-game suspension and frankly, Michigan should be grateful that's all the punishment they'll see this year for the sign-stealing scandal that turned the 2023 season in its head.

On Thursday, Michigan and Big Ten reached a resolution to end the lawsuit the Wolverines lodged in a Michigan court. The long and short of it is this: Harbaugh will serve out his suspension, sitting out games against Maryland and Ohio State, and the conference won't punish the program any further.

What does that mean? Michigan backed down. Despite all the bluster throughout the weekend and the strongly worded statements from university officials pledging to fight the conference, they balked.

The NCAA is still coming for Michigan. So this isn't the end of their punishment. But the Wolverines actually made it through with the lightest possible discipline from the Big Ten.

Michigan backing down on Jim Harbaugh suspension proves it was too light

"This morning, the University, Coach Harbaugh, and the Big Ten resolved their pending litigation," Michigan's statement read. "The Conference agreed to close its investigation, and the University and Coach Harbaugh agreed to accept the three-game suspension. Coach Harbaugh, with the University's support, decided to accept this sanction to return the focus to our student-athletes and their performance on the field.”

Don't buy into that last line about returning the focus to the student-athletes. It's clear now that Michigan realized they A) couldn't win in court, B) were in danger of further punishment and embarrassment if discovery in court was allowed to commence and C) would rather have Harbaugh suspended now rather than later.

Relative to other options on the table, Michigan actually got off lightly here. Sure, Harbaugh is suspended, but only on Saturdays. He can gameplan and lead practices. He'll remain part of Michigan's preparation, which is a gift that most suspended coaches don't get.

Michigan isn't banned from postseason participation. They can still win a Big Ten title. They can still go to the College Football Playoff. The fact that they backed down essentially proves that the Big Ten's punishment was a slap on the wrist. If it wasn't, they wouldn't have had reason to back down for anything.