As Ohio State lost their home game to their bitter rival Michigan, things got ugly. Following their win, Michigan players attempted to plant the Wolverine flag in the middle of the field right over the Ohio State logo. And that obviously didn’t sit well with Ohio players.
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Fights between the players from both teams broke out. At the heart of the incident was Wolverines’ Derrick Moore, who was holding the flag when Buckeyes’ Jack Sawyer tried to take it away.
Ohio HC Ryan Day blamed Michigan players for inciting his players and trying to create a scene by planting a flag on their field:
“I don’t know all the details of it but I know that these guys were looking to put a flag on our field and our guys weren’t going to let that happen. This is our field and certainly, we were embarrassed with the fact we lost the game but there are some prideful guys on this team that weren’t going to let this happen.”
Michigan HC Sherrone Moore also addressed the incident, attributing it to emotions running high among both his players and the Buckeyes. However, he emphasized that it was OU’s players who initiated the confrontation by charging at his team.
While such moments are not uncommon in the heat of a passionate rivalry, Moore acknowledged the need for better composure and handling of similar situations in the future.
In a tightly- contested affair, with both sides playing poorly, it all came down to a last-minute field goal from Dominic Zvada. The Wolverines won 13-10, taking home all three points and inflicting just their second defeat of the season on the Buckeyes.
So where does Ohio State go from here?
Ryan Day reflects on the loss
The Buckeyes HC expressed frustrations on losing the game against Michigan, stating that it’s their goal every year to win this heated rivalry.
“Everybody wants to win this game in the worst way and nobody wants to win it more than we do. It’s our number one goal every year and so when you don’t do that there are disappointment and frustrations. I don’t blame anybody for being upset. I’m upset more than anybody and those players are too.”
This was Ohio State’s fourth straight loss to Michigan despite building a $20 million roster.
Although they are still 10-2 and playoffs-bound, many believe Ryan Day will lose his job if he fails to win the National Championship with such a talented and expensive roster. Another loss in this heated rivalry and scoring just 10 points today didn’t help his cause.
