Michigan players defended the Wolverines’ block “M” logo at midfield following their 27–9 loss to top-ranked Ohio State Saturday. After a flag-planting incident last year following Michigan’s upset of the Buckeyes in Columbus, Ohio, the Wolverines wouldn’t let their bitter rival repay the favor. Apparently that was never going to happen, though, based on the direction from Ryan Day and his Ohio State coaching staff.
Once the clock ran out in the snow-filled Big House, a pair of Buckeyes players did possess a flag as they made their way toward the “M” logo at midfield. They were quickly turned away by the coaching staff, who directed the team to go and celebrate in the locker room. A number of Ohio State coaches, including Day, stood around Michigan’s logo as they pointed their players in the opposite direction.
“We’re going to win with humility,” Day said in his postgame interview with sideline reporter Jenny Taft on the Fox Sports broadcast. “I’m just happy for a lot of people right now. It means a lot.”
Although Michigan players planted a flag at Ohio Stadium last year, they refused to let the Buckeyes do the same.
“We can’t let that happen,” Wolverines running back Bryson Kuzdzal said after the game via WXYZ Detroit’s Brad Galli. “We didn’t know if they were going to, but we weren’t going to let that happen.”
The home team was prepared this year as Michigan protected its home field (after the game, at least) for an extra few minutes before heading to the locker room. What wasn’t known, though, was Ohio State’s coaches refused to let their players partake in any funny business after last year’s fracas.
