This year’s rivalry week in college football was filled with chaos, as various upsets set off a range of emotions both on and off the field. Most familiar to Ohio students is likely the conflict at the Horseshoe following Michigan’s victory over Ohio State.
Following the Buckeyes' defeat, Michigan players attempted to plant their block M flag at midfield. This angered Ohio State players, fueling a brawl between the teams at the 50-yard line that resulted in the use of pepper spray against the players and a $100,000 fine from the Big Ten to both the Wolverines and the Buckeyes.
One team attempting to put a flag on the logo of their rival happened four different times Saturday. NC State and North Carolina, Arizona State and Arizona and Florida against Florida State all faced similar moments in the post-game. Trying to plant the team’s flag is not necessarily new, and obviously football is a very physical and oftentimes aggressive sport. However, the slew of flag incidents and subsequent fights raise an interesting debate in deciding who exactly is to blame when rivalries get out of hand.
In the case of Ohio State and Michigan, there are a couple of factors at play. First, OSU was ranked second in the Associated Press’s “Top 25 College Football Poll” before the game against unranked Michigan. For Ohio State to lose in such an upset was jarring for fans and players alike.
Of course, this does not give anybody the green light to start hitting their opponent. The loss clearly stung, and Michigan’s players should’ve known what they were getting into by further antagonizing an already emotionally wrought team. This all being said, OSU could’ve easily saved face in its response. Ohio State dragged out the conflict when Buckeye Jack Sawyer took the Michigan flag and tried to tear it in half.
Football rules can seem different from the rules the rest of the world follows; there are fuzzy lines players must walk between passion and aggression and overtly instigating in a way unconducive to the game. This is where it is important to remember the virtue of sportsmanship and the importance of not getting so caught up in a moment that the impact of a player’s actions reaches far beyond the moment an action was taken.
As these conversations occur, sports journalism is even more important in providing fans with the facts of these situations. At the same time, sports reporters must be conscious of not worsening already deep divisions among sports fans. Just as political reporters must be meticulous in not allowing personal bias to infiltrate their writing, sports reporters cannot place blame on either team, but instead provide the facts and allow readers to make their own informed decisions.
Both Michigan and Ohio State forgot the value that exists in sportsmanship and how that carries players both on and off the field. College football and the sports world as a whole would benefit from taking a step back and reevaluating what is really being fought for on the field.
Editorials represent the majority opinion of The Post's executive editors: Editor-in-Chief Alyssa Cruz, Managing Editor Madalyn Blair and Equity Director McKenna Christy. Post editorials are independent of the publication's news coverage. The Post can be reached via editor@thepostathens.com.
