Michigan football has gone through a lot these past couple of years, with the sign-stealing scandal haunting them every time they try to bounce back. And now some fans have started to see ghosts everywhere, including in their own quarterback room. During a recent call-in show, a fan named Dom floated a conspiracy theory so wild it makes the Connor Stalions saga look tame by comparison. He pointed towards a possibility that Chase Herbstreit, son of former Ohio State quarterback Kirk Herbstreit, is secretly on Michigan’s roster to leak signals to the Buckeyes. The paranoia has reached new heights in Ann Arbor.​

Dom didn’t hold back on the call-in show, diving headfirst into his theory with the confidence of someone who’s connected dots that probably shouldn’t be connected. “I watched the TJ show last night. Johnny and TJ were going on and on and on about, ‘It’s like they knew our signals. It’s like they were coming right at us like they knew what we were doing.’” Dom said. And without further thought, he applied this theory to the Michigan roster.

He said, “Why is Chase Herbstreit on the team? I mean, you can’t sign-steal anymore. They use the radio. You can’t steal that. And the Catapult Thing, the cloud sharing with the practice videos that OSU tapped into, but that story went away. That just disappeared. You can’t do that.” He continued building his case, pointing to Chase Herbstreit’s family ties to Ohio State; his dad, brother, and grandfather all played for the Buckeyes. “I know, let’s put Herbstreit’s boy on a team,” Dom said, suggesting this was Ryan Day’s master plan to cheat. “What’s he doing there? He’s not going to play. He’s never going to see the grass.”

Dom’s rant got more specific when he questioned Chase Herbstreit’s motivations for even being at Michigan. “Want an education? Go to Northwestern. Go to MIT. Why is he at Michigan? Why? What’s he there for? It’s not an education, he ain’t play. What is you there for?” he asked. He also tried to support his theory by pointing to recent games where Michigan seemed to struggle, with Johnny and TJ suggesting on air that opponents looked like “they knew our signals” and were “coming right at us like they knew what we were doing.” In Dom’s mind, this was all the proof needed. “You look at the Oklahoma game. And you look at the Southern Cow game. TJ is right. It’s like. They knew what we were doing.”

But the reality is,  Dom’s theory falls apart under even the slightest scrutiny. First off, Chase Herbstreit didn’t force his way onto Michigan’s roster. Also, head coach Sherrone Moore actively recruited him as part of Michigan’s 2025 class and offered him a scholarship. Moreover, Moore explained his reasoning for bringing Chase Herbstreit aboard during a press conference, talking about the traits the coaching staff saw in him beyond his famous last name. 

The kid totaled 26 touchdowns in his senior season at Cincinnati St. Xavier and led his team to a regional final, so he’s a legitimate football player, not some Trojan horse operative. Moreover, modern college football uses helmet communication systems with encrypted radios. You literally can’t steal signals the way you used to, which makes Dom’s entire premise suspect from the jump.​ So, is Chase Herbstreit an OSU spy? He could be. Do we have any evidence? No. Can this theory be a way to cope for Dom, who does not represent a majority of Michigan fans? Highly likely.

But when you think about it, Dom’s theory just might be what the fans need.

When desperation meets reality

The fans have watched Michigan’s season spiral in ways that make any explanation seem plausible. The Wolverines sit at 4-2 after dropping games to Oklahoma (24-13) and USC (31-13), and the dream of extending their winning streak against Ohio State to five straight is looking shakier by the week. Michigan got throttled in Norman in early September, managing just 13 points while Oklahoma’s John Mateer ran over the defense with three total touchdowns. 

Then came the USC loss in early October at the Coliseum, where the Trojans picked off freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood and controlled the game from start to finish. For a fanbase that’s gotten used to beating Ohio State four years running, watching the team struggle to even stay competitive in big games feels like the walls are closing in.

Meanwhile, Ohio State is doing what Ohio State does. They are absolutely demolishing everything in sight. The Buckeyes are 6-0 and ranked No. 1 in the nation, outscoring opponents 221-41 through their first six games. Ryan Day’s squad just steamrolled No. 17 Illinois 34-16, and their defense is being talked about as the best in the College Football Playoff era.