Members of the Michigan football team did not want to see Ohio State get revenge for last year's post-game flag plant attempt, so they stood guard over the logo in the middle of the football field.
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This moment occurred after Ohio State delivered a dominant 27-9 win at Michigan's home stadium on Saturday. As the Buckeyes celebrated with the fans who made the trip to Ann Arbor, the members of the losing team all stood in front of the M logo.
"Gus, Michigan hasn't left the field," analyst Joel Klatt told play-by-play man Gus Johnson after the game. "They're guarding the M as Ohio State sits with their fans."
Michigan refuses to leave the field, guards the M so OSU won't plant the flag like they did last year pic.twitter.com/LERA03IzuS
— Heavens! (@HeavensFX) November 29, 2025
Planting the flag is nothing new in college football rivalry games. If a team wins in enemy territory, they take the team flag and plant it right in the center of the logo on the 50-yard line. Obviously, this usually leads to some on-field scuffles.
Last season's battle between Ohio State and Michigan served as a fitting example. Michigan won 13-10 at Ohio State's stadium, marking the fourth consecutive win in this series for the Wolverines.
The players then went and attempted to plant the flag in the Ohio State logo, which sparked a fight. One player ripped the Michigan flag off the pole and ran away. Others just began fighting in multiple areas. The police ultimately got involved while using pepper spray on players and yelling at them to get back.
Police use pepper spray to break up Michigan and Ohio State brawl (via @UMGoBlog) https://t.co/Jfz9CRAIDn pic.twitter.com/LjR70IGYoO
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) November 30, 2024
This year's iteration of The Game didn't have a large post-game fight, but it didn't showcase love either. Brutus, the Ohio State mascot, spelled out the word "Ohio" in the snow while standing next to the Michigan end zone. Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith celebrated a play by flipping off the Michigan fans.
This game capped off the regular season and moved Ohio State to 12-0 on the season. It marked the first time in nearly 2,200 days that Ryan Day's team beat the Wolverines. It also set the Buckeyes up to take the top seed in the College Football Playoffs.
