A Jim Harbaugh suspension could keep him out vs. Rutgers

On Tuesday, a report came out that said Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh would be suspended to begin the 2023 season. According to Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports, Harbaugh could miss the first four games of the season due to recruiting violations.

This means that Harbaugh would not be on the sideline when Rutgers visits Ann Arbor on Sept. 23, which would be the fourth and final game of Harbaugh's suspension.

The repot of a suspension comes after accusations were made that Harbaugh lied to NCAA investigators when asked about the recruiting violations at hand. Harbaugh denied lying to investigators and this is a Level I violation, according to the NCAA. The investigation began in January for the alleged violations that occurred during the COVID-19 dead period.

Tom Mars, Harbaugh’s attorney, commented on the potential suspension, via ESPN’s Pete Thamel:

“We are continuing to work cooperatively with the NCAA staff on an enforcement matter. At this time, we are not allowed to comment on possible penalties or other aspects of the matter.”

If Harbaugh were to be suspended four games, he would miss non-conference matchups against East Carolina, Bowling Green, and UNLV. He would miss just one Big Ten matchup against the Scarlet Knights.

Rutgers last beat Michigan in 2014, when Brady Hoke was the head coach. Harbaugh joined the Wolverines as head coach for the 2015 season and has gone 8-0 against the Scarlet Knights. This includes a 56-17 thumping last season in Piscataway.

Last time Rutgers visited The Big House, it played Michigan down to the wire, falling 20-13 in a game where the Scarlet Knights had the ball late in the fourth quarter with a chance to tie. If the suspension is finalized, Rutgers will face an interim head coach during its first two Big Ten games of the season. The first comes in the season-opener where David Braun will act as the head coach of Northwestern for the upcoming season.