Michigan Wolverines football defensive line coach Shaun Nua met with the media this week to discuss several topics, including rumors involving head coach Jim Harbaugh and how motivated his club is to face off with Notre Dame tomorrow.
We then provide on our own takes on what Nua said in this fired-up News & Views format...
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NEWS: Any ounce of credibility FootballScoop.com had went out the window on Wednesday after they created absurd rumors that U-M head coach Jim Harbaugh was looking for an exit strategy to the NFL.
Understandably, not all recruits, families and fans around the nation realize just how unreliable a website like that is, and as a result, Nua was asked on Wednesday if he received any phone calls from Michigan's commits or targets inquiring about the fake news the outlet created.
NUA: “No. I’m confident that the players we’ve got are committed and are the right guys. Hopefully [what Harbaugh said] will squash everything that’s being said to try and shake them up.
"We like where we are and obviously we have to win.”
VIEWS: Those in and around the program understood how pathetic FootballScoop's attempts to stir up controversy were, but there were probably some people who didn't.
One of the best ways to disrupt a school's recruiting is to create drama surrounding its head coach, and to claim that Harbaugh is generating a plan to return to the NFL is certain to come across as unsettling to some people.
Unfortunately, just about anybody can claim they have "sources" nowadays, and subsequently churn out any garbage they want to help push their own narrative.
This is exactly what Ohio State alum and current FOX 'analyst' Cris Carter did last December when he claimed he had 'sources' telling him Harbaugh wanted out.
"Watch out for Jim Harbaugh," Carter said. "Jim Harbaugh is potentially trying to get his way out of Michigan.
"I've got good sources telling me not only Green Bay, but also watch out for the Cleveland Browns.
"He likes the quarterback situations there, and I believe there is front office people in Green Bay who are enamored with Jim Harbaugh and potentially trying to get him to come to Green Bay."
Yeah, that sounds like concrete evidence on Carter's part, especially when he says Harbaugh is "potentially trying to get his way out of Michigan" and the Packers are "potentially trying to get him to come to Green Bay."
Garbage like that is par for the course nowadays though, especially when considering the agendas people try to push and the lack of consequences they face for starting these rumors.
It's worth noting that an Ohio State reporter was also the one who claimed on Sept. 18 that Michigan freshman running back Zach Charbonnet would undergo a "minor procedure" and would "miss the next few weeks."
Charbonnet never missed a game.
