What Eddie George said about Michigan football sign stealing scandal before Ohio State game

Eddie George said he would actually tell opponents where he was about to run the football during his playing career.

So don't expect the former Tennessee Titans running back to make a big deal out of the Michigan sign-stealing scandal when the Wolverines play George's alma mater Ohio State on Saturday.

George believes the controversy connected to the team he hates the most is overblown. An NCAA investigation is looking into allegations that Michigan stole opponents' signs using methods banned by the governing body.

George said opposing defenses didn't have to worry about swiping the Titans' offensive signs when he played.

"We told teams in certain circumstances, 'Hey, we're running the ball on the next play. We're running power on one. Meet us here,'" said George, who just finished his third season as Tennessee State football coach. "We did it against Jacksonville at Nissan Stadium on Monday Night Football, me and Lorenzo Neal. We told Jacksonville's defense, 'OK, we're running this same play on one. Meet us in the A gap.' You impose your will on them. Even if they know what's coming they still have to stop it."

George didn't get stopped much when he played at Ohio State, where he won a Heisman Trophy, or with the Titans, where he became the franchise's all-time leading rusher with 10,009 yards.

If you're wondering, George and Neal, his fullback, led the Titans to a 27-13 win in the nationally-televised game when the duo dared Jacksonville's defense to stop them. George rushed for 167 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries.

"It was one of those moments where you're trying to break the spirit of the other team," George said. "It worked."

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That's why George shrugs off suggestions that Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh and his staff gained a competitive advantage even if they stole signs.

Harbaugh is serving a three-game suspension imposed by the Big Ten in return for the conference ending its investigation into the allegations. Harbaugh was not allowed to be on the sideline for the Wolverines' last two games and won't be there against Ohio State. Harbaugh is still allowed to coach his team during the week.

George believes the punishment should end there.

"(Harbaugh) is serving his penalty; let's move on," George said. "You can get into the analytics and all that in terms of stealing signs and you're always trying to get a competitive edge. But I don't think it's that much of a big deal, honestly."

Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on X @MikeOrganWriter.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Michigan sign stealing: Eddie George weighs in before Ohio State game