Watch Ohio State-Michigan fight on sidelines near the brink of chaos

With the action picking up between Ohio State and Michigan, tempers boiled over as The Game almost erupted in chaos with a sideline fight breaking out.

Early on in The Game, it felt as if both the Ohio State Buckeyes and Michigan Wolverines were feeling one another out, despite the intimate history of the rivals. Drives were getting stopped short consistently and it was just 10-3 at the end of the first quarter.

Then things started to get loose — perhaps too loose.

The Wolverines were able to tie the game up on a long catch-and-run from J.J. McCarthy to Cornelius Johnson, which the Buckeyes answered with a field goal to retake the lead. But McCarthy and Johnson connected again for a long touchdown to claim the lead at Ohio Stadium.

And on the ensuing kickoff, there was almost absolute chaos.

Ohio State, Michigan fight and almost all-out brawl on sidelines

Ohio State’s Xavier Johnson took the return up the right sideline and was run out of bounds into the Michigan sideline. He started jawing with the opposition and then tempers started to flare. There was a ton of pushing and shoving as more and more players from both sides entered the fray as coaches and officials had to break everything up to avoid complete chaos.

Somehow, there were no flags thrown on the play.

That brief scuffle seemingly reignited the fire under the Buckeyes, though, as they responded with a quick touchdown drive that ended with a phenomenal catch from Marvin Harrison Jr. That’s where the score also held going into halftime with the home team up 20-17.

But when it comes to Ohio State-Michigan, it’s not really a game until we get a skirmish like this. So now The Game has officially begun.

For more College Football news, analysis, opinion and unique coverage by FanSided, including Heisman Trophy and College Football Playoff rankings, be sure to bookmark these pages.