Baker Mayfield, a forefather of controversial behavior and flag-planting as a college football star, has spoken out about the barbaric gridiron weekend that saw several fights across the country.
It may have been the perfect storm, considering it was the final week of the college football regular season, meaning it’s the last real chance for most teams to change their fate in the College Football Playoff.
Those season-defining matches were in most cases also rivalry matches with bitter enemies preparing for a scrum.
A Michigan-Ohio State flag-planting incident started the day, after the Wolverines upset the then second-ranked Buckeyes and celebrated the win by planting their corn and gold flag in the heart of Columbus.
The Ohio State selection considered that the worst form of disrespect and a brawl ensued. The fight was so fierce that police had to use pepper spray to gain the upper hand over the coolers’ heads.
“(Oklahoma)-Texas does it every time they play. It’s nothing special. You take your L and you move on. I’ll leave it at that,” Mayfield said, seven years after he planted the Sooners flag at the same location Michigan players did Saturday, with 99.9 percent less counterweight.
Mayfield has spoken out about the several brawls at college football games this weekend
Michigan-Ohio State started the day with a violent brawl that started with a flag-planting incident
Mayfield’s flag planting didn’t stop him from winning the Heisman Trophy in 2017, even after his crotch grab against Kansas was vilified as a rude gesture. His antics also didn’t stop the Cleveland Browns from selecting him first overall in the 2018 NFL Draft.
The Wolverines-Buckeyes brawl sparked a series of college football fights across the country, including incidents between Florida and Florida State, North Carolina State and North Carolina, Missouri and Arkansas, as well as Auburn and Alabama.
Notre Dame’s Rylie Mills also threw a punch in the middle of his team’s game against USC toward a downed opponent.
“College football is meant to have rivalries,” Mayfield continued. “That’s like the Big 12 banning the ‘horns down’ signal. Just let the boys play.”
Another brawl, caused by flag planting, occurred Saturday evening in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Rival rosters from Florida and Florida State couldn’t keep their hands off each other either
Notre Dame’s Rylie Mills also threw a punch at a downed opponent during the game against USC
Ohio State and Michigan were each fined $100,000 for the brawl, which is pocket money for two athletic programs of their stature.
It is expected that further penalties will be imposed on individual players and schools in the coming days.
There is also a belief that some conferences will ban flag planting to prevent some of the instigating actions of Saturday’s group brawl.
While Mayfield doesn’t outright condemn the fighting, his words still speak to the majority of rivalry games that don’t end in violence.