Baker Mayfield defends the spirit of college football rivalries amid Michigan-Ohio State flag-planting controversy.
Flag planting throughout rivalry week unleashed mayhem in college football, leading many to point fingers at Baker Mayfield for initiating the contentious trend. Flag plantings have taken place intermittently since the Heisman winner’s legendary moment, but nothing compares to Saturday, when the gesture sparked several on-field clashes.
In 2017, Mayfield infamously placed Oklahoma’s flag at midfield following his fifth-ranked Sooners’ 31-16 win against the Buckeyes. But on this Sunday, Mayfield was questioned regarding the custom of placing flags on an adversary’s field after a victory and supporting the act.
Mayfield was also questioned about whether banning ‘flag planting’ after a game would be a misstep for the NCAA; he emphasized the significance of rivalries in college football and what accompanies those memorable matchups.
“I’ll say this, OU-Texas does it every time they play, It’s not anything special you take your ‘L’ (loss) and move on. Yeah, I’ll leave it at that.” : Mayfield mentioned.
“College football is meant to have rivalries, That’s like the Big 12 banning the ‘horns down’ signal. Just let the boys play.” : Mayfield said.
College football’s rivalry week was overshadowed by multiple on-field brawls between teams triggered by “flag-planting” festivities, marking the latest instances of ongoing security issues at stadiums throughout college football.
At the Ohio State incident on Saturday, authorities deployed pepper spray on students to quell a fight that erupted after Michigan players set a maize and blue M flag at midfield after their surprising victory over the Buckeyes. Flag-planting brawls erupted similarly after NC State’s victory over UNC on the road, as well as after Florida’s away win against Florida State. A fourth, comparable event took place following Arizona State’s rout of Arizona but featured a Sun Devil trident rather than a flag.
On Sunday evening, the Big Ten revealed that it was penalizing both universities with fines of $100,000 each for breaching the league’s sportsmanship policy.
None surpassed the Ohio State-Michigan fight, which resulted in bloodied players and coaches, along with at least one injured officer. OSU Police, the primary agency for the games, stated that several agencies helped to disperse the conflict and that officers from both Ohio and Michigan used pepper spray.
Four prominent on-field altercations occurred as a result of opponents planting their flags, with the most intense taking place during the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry. Although starting “The Game” as a three-touchdown underdog, the Wolverines achieved a surprising 13-10 victory. Mayfield also commented on the incident and shared his views with the media.
“Part of it was [what happened] last year, It was embarrassing for them to sing their fight song on our field. They’re probably feeling the same way right now.” : Mayfield said after the game.
Many expect that flag planting will ultimately be banned following several incidents. However, following several postgame altercations focused on the act of ‘flag-planting’ last weekend, the conversation about the practice has shifted in tone.
The famous incident involving Baker Mayfield planting an Oklahoma flag occurred on September 9, 2017, seven years ago, following the University of Oklahoma Sooners’ victory over the Ohio State Buckeyes 31-16 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. It was a much-awaited match, and the Sooner’s win was a significant victory.
Following the game, Oklahoma quarterback at that time, Baker Mayfield seized an Oklahoma flag and sprinted to the midpoint of the field, where he “planted” it into the Ohio State emblem. The act was perceived as a celebration and retribution, as Ohio State had won over Oklahoma the year before in Norman, Oklahoma, and had celebrated the event on their turf.
This controversial act sparked a debate within the NFL community, viewing it as offensive. Mayfield subsequently expressed that he became overwhelmed by the emotions of the situation and did not intend any disrespect toward Ohio State or its supporters.
Regardless of the apology, the event still stands as one of the most controversial instances of Mayfield’s college journey and a key element of the Oklahoma vs. Ohio State rivalry.
Perhaps for Texans, this was long overdue as Texas linebackers Anthony Hill Jr. and Barryn Sorrell secured a Longhorns flag into a Mayfield jersey at the Cotton Bowl Stadium’s midfield following their 34–3 victory almost a month ago.
Hill and Sorrell put their unique Texas twist on Mayfield’s infamous flag planting while also targeting the ex-Oklahoma standout.
Although the Longhorns believed they had the final victory over Mayfield, it’s evident that he doesn’t share that sentiment. Rather, he dismissed it and quipped that he’s relished living ”rent-free” in the minds of Texas players since his college years.
Image Credit – NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Sept. 9, 2017. [Adam Cairns/Dispatch]
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