If the University of Michigan wins the national collegiate football championship, perhaps it should appear in the NCAA record books with a footnote.

The Wolverines, 12-0 on the season and set to face Texas Christian University in the title semi-final on New Yearís Eve, won the last eight of its games with a player who should not have been on the field, at least not for all of them.

Mazi Smith, the star defensive lineman and a team captain, was arrested on Oct. 7 on suspicion of a felony firearms violation in Washtenaw County. And yet he was allowed to join his teammates the next day in defeating the Indiana Hoosiers.

The county sheriffís department, in a report not made public until he was officially charged Nov. 30, said Smith had a handgun and 69 rounds of ammunition in three clips in his car when he was pulled over for speeding. He did not have a concealed pistol license but told officers he was in the process of obtaining one. He has since done so.

The charges have been reduced to a misdemeanor, to which Smith was allowed to plead guilty. Heís scheduled to be back in court for sentencing Jan. 12, conveniently three days after the last possible appearance for Michigan in the College Football Playoff Final.

UM has been curiously nonchalant about the arrest and charges. Coach Jim Harbaugh says only that he spoke with Smith, and then declared him a fine young man. Thatís likely true. But it doesnít excuse the fact that UM kept secret the arrest of a key member of its football team for nearly two months or explain why the team decided no disciplinary action was necessary.

Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit says the arrest was handled according to policy, with no consideration given to Smithís status as a football player.

The delay in filing charges and UMís silence on the arrest conveniently served the Wolverineís chase for a national title. Smith, an All Big Ten defensive lineman, is playing a key role in that run.

A felony firearms arrest — a felony arrest of any sort — is a very serious matter. In addition, the University of Michigan has a strict no-guns policy. Itís not been disclosed whether Smith brought the weapon on campus. He explained in his court appearance that he was driving with the gun because he feels uncomfortable now that more people are starting to recognize him.

When members of Michigan State Universityís football team attacked a UM player after their game in the tunnel of the Big House on Oct. 29, Harbaugh was quick to call for an investigation. MSU Coach Mel Tucker suspended eight players involved in the attack for the rest of the season, and seven have been charged with assault, including one, Khary Crump, with a felony.

Other schools have also suspended players this season for run-ins with the law. The University of Kentucky, for example, benched star running back Chris Rodriguez for four games after a preseason DUI arrest and questions about his time cards at work.

The NCAA suspended Ferris State wide receiver Tyrese Hunt-Thompson for the season after he hit a Grand Valley State player with his helmet in a post-game dust-up on Dec. 3. Ferris State was also in pursuit of a national championship, in Division II, which it won Saturday without Hunt-Thompson.

And yet the University of Michigan didnít consider an arrest on suspicion of a felony gun crime worth even making public until weeks later.

Sparing Smith any sort of team penalty for the offense sends the message that what matters most at Michigan is winning a championship. And that itís not willing to hold itself to the same standards it demands of its rivals.

— The Detroit News