Is James Franklin planning for a Jim Harbaugh suspension?

Over the past several weeks, the Michigan football team has been under scrutiny after the alleged signal stealing by former assistant Connor Stallions. Due to this process, Jim Harbaugh and his staff are awaiting the decision by the Big Ten, which is supposed to come as early as this Wednesday, according to Pete Thamel of ESPN. This could lead to Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh and additional staff members being suspended as soon as the Penn State football game this Saturday. So, when James Franklin spoke to the media on Monday afternoon, did he imply he was planning for the suspension of Harbaugh?

Is James Franklin planning for a Jim Harbaugh suspension?

The Penn State football team will face one of its biggest tests on Saturday when the Michigan Wolverines enter Beaver Stadium. This could potentially be a top-10 matchup if Penn State climbs in the College Football Playoff Rankings tomorrow night.

But, will Michigan be without head coach Jim Harbaugh for that matchup? We will likely find out those details later this week. James Franklin was asked about a potential Jim Harbaugh suspension earlier today.

“I’ll focus on the things that we can control,” Franklin said. “We always have to have a plan, and I think I’ve already covered this and talked about this in terms of what we do and how we communicate to our players and how we communicate to our team during games, but I’m gonna leave it at that because less is more.”

It sounds like James Franklin has the team prepared for any and every situation heading into this matchup with Michigan, including effective communication before and during the game.

On Monday evening, ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg reported that Michigan has received a notice of disciplinary action from the Big Ten. But Franklin declined to share his opinion on the sign stealing investigation and the status of Jim Harbaugh on Saturday.

A Michigan official has confirmed to ESPN that the school received formal notification from the Big Ten of potential disciplinary action. This is a step stated in the league’s sportsmanship policy. pic.twitter.com/iQ7zFC2MHb

— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) November 6, 2023

“That’s what we’re focused on is all this stuff that we see on the film — their players, their scheme, all the stuff,” Franklin said when asked about Harbaugh earlier Monday. “When I say ‘see on film,’ (I mean) what we see on the coaches’ copy, the film and stuff that’s going on between the sidelines.”

Kickoff between Penn State football and Michigan is set for Saturday at noon on FOX.

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