[There was certainly no love lost between certain schools over college football’s rivalry weekend. Skirmishes, fights, and all-out brawls broke out at several stadiums, with some clashes triggered by teams planting their flag at centerfield in their rivals’ stadiums – a sight that is becoming increasingly common.
In the 120th edition of “The Game,” a final-minute field goal from Dominic Zvada gave Michigan a 13-10 win over Ohio State in a stunning upset, although what happened after the matchup became the real headline. A Wolverines player attempted to plant a Michigan banner on the Buckeyes logo at midfield in Ohio Stadium, which led to pushing and shoving and eventually punches being thrown by members of both teams. Ohio State defensive end Jack Sawyer was seen snatching the flag and throwing it away. It took several minutes for stadium security and police to separate the two teams, with pepper spray being deployed to get the situation under control, according to multiple media reports.
In the Florida-Florida State rivalry game, Florida defensive end George Gumbs Jr. pinning his team’s flag on Florida State’s logo at Doak Campbell Stadium led to the immediate toppling of the flag by Seminoles players, resulting in scuffles. The Big Ten Conference fined Michigan and Ohio State $100k each for their roles in the postgame fight.
Similar scenes unfolded at the North Carolina (NC) State and University of North Carolina (UNC) rivalry game, where the Wolfpack celebrated with a flag but were met with resistance from the Tar Heels, who had staff separate the teams. Lastly, Arizona State players planted a trident in their logo at centerfield in the postgame celebration against the Arizona Wildcats, only for it to be snatched by Wildcats wide receiver Montana Lemonious-Craig, leading to a brief scuffle.
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