With respect to Jim Harbaugh's future, there are three possible outcomes at play here.
Door No. 1: The NCAA's findings aren't sufficient to lay the hammer, and Michigan moves forward with its plans to make Harbaugh the Big Ten's highest-paid coach. Despite all the hoopla surrounding the program, this remains the most likely outcome.
Door No. 2: The NCAA drops the proverbial hammer, laying down a significant suspension for Harbaugh. This reduces Michigan's appetite to invest further in Harbaugh, or even leads the school to fire Harbaugh for cause. Not likely, but more likely than it was two weeks ago.
Door No. 3: Harbaugh decides he's had enough of college football and leaves Michigan for the NFL on his own volition. Harbaugh chased NFL jobs each of the past two winters, and nearly landed the Minnesota Vikings job that ultimately went to Kevin O'Connell. If Michigan cashes in with a national championship in January, Harbaugh could then declare "mission accomplished" and attempt to accomplish the rare national championship/Super Bowl double dip.
But a report Sunday from NFL Network indicates that Door No. 3, while not shut, could be closing.
NFL Network insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero published a story that said precedent could lead the NFL to enforce whatever punishment the NCAA ultimately inflicts on Harbaugh.
Ironically, that precedent was set by Ohio State and its "Tattoogate" scandal of 2011. (The Big Ten isn't the source of every college sports scandal, just most of them.) Back then, the NCAA inflicted a 5-game suspension on Buckeyes quarterback Terrelle Pryor, which the NFL then applied when he turned pro.
Ohio State also applied a 5-game suspension to head coach Jim Tressel, which ultimately became moot when Tressel resigned. However, once Tressel took a consulting job with the Indianapolis Colts, the club faced pressure to treat Tressel the same way the NFL treated Pryor.
Tressel ultimately did not join the Colts on game day until Week 7 of the 2011 season.
There is no formal NFL bylaw requiring teams to enforce NCAA punishments, but that's almost beside the point.
The NCAA enforcement process is notoriously slow. Michigan is still awaiting resolution on the COVID recruiting case for which Harbaugh served a 3-game suspension to begin this season, and that case is not expected to be resolved until well into 2024. The scouting case is unfurling as we speak.
Simply the specter of possible punishment could have a chilling effect on Harbaugh's NFL prospects. The threat of NCAA punishment and the Ohio State precedent could lead NFL clubs to decide on their own that the 59-year-old former NFC champion simply isn't worth the risk.
Thus far, Harbaugh has not been personally implicated in the ongoing scouting saga -- he has denied any knowledge or involvement -- but a 2012 update to the NCAA bylaws was enacted to hold head coaches responsible for rule-breaking below them on the org chart.
In regards to his possible NFL interest, Harbaugh provided this statement to NFL Network: "My wife, dad or brother, the people I trust the most, would be the only individuals that I would speak with regarding my future, and we have not had that conversation."
In the meantime, Michigan is ranked No. 2 in both polls and hosts Purdue on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET, NBC).
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.