Big Ten Daily (Oct. 8): Michigan Football Staffer Caught Threatening Washington Fans
Michigan is going to have to look at the film from Saturday, but not in the way you think. A football staffer was caught on video threatening Washington fans during the Wolverines' 27-17 loss to the Huskies in Seattle.
A video posted on social media shows a Michigan staff member — identified as Chris Bryant via multiple reports — making threatening comments to a few Washington fans behind the Wolverines' bench.
"Chill the f*** out before you get f***** up," Bryant is heard telling the fans on video. It's unclear what the spectators did to warrant that response from the Michigan staffer.
Michigan coaches can’t take the smoke 😬 #embarrassing pic.twitter.com/ZM3wcOvh2E
— Barstool Huskies (@Barstoolhuskies) October 7, 2024
On the Michigan Athletics website, Bryant is listed as the director of high school relations. However, his bio has been wiped clean. He was a former offensive lineman at Michigan before joining the staff. He's been on staff for 10 years.
After winning a national championship last season, Michigan has struggled in its first season under Sherrone Moore. The Wolverines are 4-2 with losses to Texas and Washington. They're likely already out of the College Football Playoff picture.
Did the emotions of a tough loss to Washington boil over on Saturday? Or did the fans instigate Bryant's actions by saying something inappropriate?
It will be interesting to see how Michigan handles the situation — if it handles it at all.
Big Ten makes AP Poll history
In the latest Associated Press poll, the Big Ten made history. For the first time ever, the conference accounted for three of the top-four spots in the rankings.
Ohio State was ranked No. 2, Oregon came in at No. 3 and Penn State was slotted at No. 4. The only non-Big Ten team to make the top-four was Texas, who is currently the top-ranked team in college football.
Yes, the Big Ten is aided by the fact that it now has 18 teams in the conference, but it remains an impressive accomplishment. Now, the question is, how long will it last?
The honest answer? It'll likely end this weekend.
No. 2 Ohio State travels to Eugene to play No. 3 Oregon on Saturday in one of the most-anticipated matchups of the college football season. The loser will likely drop outside of the top-four.
Plus, Penn State doesn't have the easiest week ahead, either. The Nittany Lions head to California for a matchup with USC. That should be an entertaining matchup, as well.
It may not be a long-lived accomplishment, but it's still an impressive feat for the Big Ten.
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