Ryan Day Bluntly Responds To Sign Stealing Allegations, Does What Michigan Won't

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Ohio State football coach Ryan Day bluntly refuted allegations Ohio State stole Michigan signs and gave them to Purdue.

A cheating scandal has consumed Michigan and Jim Harbaugh amid allegations the Wolverines ran a complex sign stealing operation. Alleged pointman Connor Stalions has since resigned and taken the fall. Now, everyone is waiting to see what the Big Ten will do in response. Punishment could come at any time.

Amid the chaos, Michigan sent documents to the conference alleging Rutgers and Ohio State stole the program's signs and gave them to Purdue ahead of the 2022 Big Ten title game, according to ESPN. However, neither program is accused of running a CIA-style cheating operation.

It's important to note having a team's signs isn't an NCAA violation. Using advanced scouting and electronics to get them is 100% an NCAA violation. There's nothing right now to suggest anyone other than Michigan in the Big Ten participated in that kind of scheme.

Ryan Day responds to sign stealing allegations.

Now, Ryan Day is firing back at the allegations and doing the one thing Michigan hasn't: flatly deny all allegations.

"Nobody here did any of that. We went through and made sure we asked all the questions and got our compliance people involved. None of that came back at all. I can answer very strongly that that did not happen," Day told the media Wednesday when addressing the sign stealing allegations (via Eleven Warriors).

Ryan Day denies sign stealing allegations. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)

Unlike Michigan, Ryan Day is flatly stating on the record the allegations are completely false and have no merit. I've reached out to Michigan time and time again for comment on various allegations and have never received anything other than the program can't or won't comment.

Some will argue they're not allowed to comment. That's, of course, complete nonsense. There's no law on the books at the state or federal level barring schools from commenting during NCAA or conference investigations.

Meanwhile, Ryan Day just came right out and denied it. That doesn't mean he's innocent. We don't know, but it does mean he's taking a much firmer stance than Michigan.

Ryan Day firmly addresses allegations Ohio State gave Michigan's signs to Purdue. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

We'll see what happens next because this situation is far from over. Make sure to keep checking back to OutKick for the latest updates, and let me know your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.

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David Hookstead is a reporter for OutKick covering a variety of topics with a focus on football and culture. He also hosts of the podcast American Joyride that is accessible on Outkick where he interviews American heroes and outlines their unique stories. Before joining OutKick, Hookstead worked for the Daily Caller for seven years covering similar topics. Hookstead is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin.