COLUMBUS, Ohio — A fight broke out at midfield after Michigan stunned No. 2 Ohio State 13-10 on Saturday when Wolverines players attempted to plant their flag on the OSU logo and were confronted by the Buckeyes.
Police used pepper spray to break up the players, who threw punches and shoves in the melee that overshadowed the rivalry game. One officer suffered unspecified injuries and was taken to a hospital, a police union official said.
After the Ohio State players confronted their rivals at midfield, defensive end Jack Sawyer grabbed the top of the Wolverines' flag and ripped it off the pole as the brawl moved toward the Michigan bench. Eventually, officers rushed in to try to break up the fracas.
Ohio State coach Ryan Day said he understood his players' actions.
“There are some prideful guys on our team who weren't going to sit back and let that happen,” Day said.
The two Ohio State players made available after the game brushed off questions about it.
Michigan running back Kalel Mullings, who rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown, said he didn't like how the Buckeyes players involved themselves in the Wolverines' postgame celebration, calling it “classless.”
“For such a great game, you hate to see stuff like that after the game," he told Fox Sports in an on-field interview. “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.”
Ohio State police said in a statement that “multiple officers representing Ohio and Michigan deployed pepper spray.” University police said they will continue to investigate the brawl.
Brian Steel, president of the police union representing officers in Franklin County, posted on social media that an officer was injured.
“Officers are authorized to use pepper spray to stop assaults and protect themselves and others,” Steel added.
Michigan players could be seen rubbing their eyes after exposure to the chemical irritant.
Michigan coach Sherrone Moore said both teams could have handled the situation differently.
“So much emotions on both sides,” he said. “Rivalry games get heated, especially this one. It’s the biggest one in the country, so we got to handle that better.”