COLUMBUS, Ohio — A brawl erupted at midfield on Saturday after the Michigan Wolverines stunned the No. 2 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes with a 13-10 victory. The altercation began as Michigan players attempted to plant their flag, prompting a confrontation with Ohio State players who were unhappy with the display.
Law enforcement intervened, deploying pepper spray to disperse the commotion as punches were exchanged and players shoved each other. In an official statement, the Ohio State police indicated that “multiple officers representing Ohio and Michigan utilized pepper spray” and confirmed that an investigation into the incident would take place.
The tension escalated when Jack Sawyer, a defensive end for Ohio State, grabbed the Wolverines’ flag and tore it from its pole, leading the scuffle toward the Michigan bench. At that point, police officers moved in to control the chaotic situation.
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day expressed sympathy towards his players’ reactions. “There are some prideful guys on our team who weren’t going to sit back and let that happen,” Day remarked regarding their response to Michigan’s postgame celebration.
Following the game, Ohio State players made themselves available to the media, but they largely dismissed inquiries regarding the confrontation. In contrast, Michigan running back Kalel Mullings, who recorded 116 rushing yards and a touchdown, criticized the Buckeyes players’ involvement in their celebration, labeling it as “classless.”
Reflecting on the incident, Mullings stated, “For such a great game, you hate to see stuff like that after the game. It’s just bad for the sport, bad for college football. But at the end of the day, you know some people got to — they got to learn how to lose, man. We had 60 minutes, we had four quarters, to do all that fighting.”
Michigan’s head coach Sherrone Moore echoed the sentiment for improved conduct on both sides. “There’s so much emotion on both sides,” he said. “Rivalry games get heated, especially this one. It’s the biggest one in the country, so we’ve got to handle that better.”