STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — The Big Ten Conference banned Jim Harbaugh from coaching at Michigan’s three remaining regular-season games on Friday, defying a warning from the Wolverines in an extraordinary confrontation over an alleged sign-stealing scheme that has rocked college football.
The school delivered on its promise to fight back in court a few hours later, asking a Michigan judge for a temporary restraining order that would allow Harbaugh to coach the Wolverines in their biggest game of the season so far.
Harbaugh was disciplined by the conference less than 24 hours before the Wolverines (9-0, 6-0), who have been No. 2 in the AP Top 25 poll since the preseason and are third in the most recent College Football Playoff rankings, play at No. 9 Penn State (8-1, 5-1, No. 10 CFP) in their toughest matchup yet. Kickoff is set for noon Saturday.
The Wolverines have a shot to win a third straight Big Ten title and the school’s first national championship since 1997. Harbaugh, a former quarterback who has been the head coach at his alma mater since the 2015 season, led the program to back-to-back appearances in the four-team playoff the past two years but failed to advance past the semifinals.
The football team’s plane landed in Pennsylvania shortly before the announcement. Soon after, Michigan issued a statement ridiculing the decision.