The Ohio State and Michigan rivalry is always heated. On Saturday, the heat was more peppery than usual.
After Michigan pulled off a shocking upset of the No. 2 Buckeyes, Wolverines players went to midfield and tried to plant their flag on the O. Ohio State players took offense and started a brawl.
Over the course of the brawl, punches were thrown, the Michigan flag was torn off it's pole and, according to Pat Forde on the field, pepper spray was deployed.
Video later confirmed it.
Officers pepper spraying Ohio State and Michigan?? pic.twitter.com/o0tMyRX2Ii
— tom gal (@tomjgal) November 30, 2024
It sure looked like these players got a face full.
Michigan players on the sideline after the altercation between Ohio State and Michigan pic.twitter.com/m5tdgIOma4
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 30, 2024
Of course, anyone in the vicinity got some of that, including, almost certainly, the guy who sprayed it in the first place. We get that the police needed to find a way to clear the field, but pepper spraying into a crowd of players, coaches and media shouldn't have been the answer.
The scenes as Michigan and Ohio State scuffled were ugly, even before the pepper spray.
Michigan and Ohio State brawl at midfield
There were a bunch of angles of the fight, from on the field to overhead.
Ohio State fights Michigan as they parade on their logo pic.twitter.com/lQQoTCxDM0
— Ben Larimore (@larimore_ben) November 30, 2024
A fight has broken out between Michigan and Ohio State after The Game pic.twitter.com/XPwdAjfYzN
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 30, 2024
An on-field view of the Michigan flag plant and the altercation with Ohio State that followed ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/If9Ng7ecW0
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 30, 2024
Michigan went to plant the flag at midfield for the second straight time in Columbus and Ohio State decided now was the time to do something about it pic.twitter.com/i6xo9pHpGs
— Anthony Broome (@anthonytbroome) November 30, 2024
A brawl breaks loose at midfield after Ohio State’s loss to Michigan. Jack Sawyer tore down the Block M flag after the Wolverines planted it on the Block O. pic.twitter.com/8SO2yWGBwn
— Chase Brown (@chaseabrown__) November 30, 2024
A second outburst breaks out as an Ohio State player rips the flags from its pole. Punches thrown. pic.twitter.com/1CakJ5ml1O
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) November 30, 2024
Rivalry is great but players need to leave the fighting and aggression on the football field. This kind of thing can't happen in sports. It doesn't matter if you win or lose. It doesn't matter if you started it or just joined it.
It's easy to understand why the Ohio State players were pissed off. They've lost four rivalry games in a row, including two straight at home. Watching the rivals plant their flag on your logo has got to be the worst feeling. Throwing punches still isn't an acceptable response.
Actually, the best way to stop an opposing team from planting their flag is by beating them. The Buckeyes couldn't do that, falling 13-10 on their home field. Michigan kicked a go-ahead field goal with 45 seconds remaining to win.