Ryan Day defends Ohio State players after Michigan post-game fight

"This is our field," Ohio State football coach Ryan Day said after his players were involved in a massive brawl with Michigan players after Saturday's upset loss.

Michigan and Ohio State players got into a huge brawl after UM players tried to plant their flag after upsetting the Buckeyes. / Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day offered a defense of his players following a massive brawl that erupted at midfield after the Buckeyes were upset by Michigan in Saturday’s edition of The Game.

The altercation began when Michigan players tried to plant their M flag inside the Block O at the 50 yard line, but were interrupted by OSU players trying to stop them, resulting in a huge fight that got police involved and saw several players and other bystanders soaked in pepper spray.

“I don’t know all the details of it,” Day said when asked about his players’ actions.

“But I know that these guys are looking to put a flag on our field and our guys weren’t going to let that happen.” 

Day added: “I’ll find out exactly what happened, but this is our field and certainly we’re embarrassed at the fact we lost the game, but there’s some prideful guys on our team that weren’t just going to let that happen.”

One of those prideful guys was Ohio State star defensive end Jack Sawyer, who ripped the M flag from one of the opposing players, drawing a roar of approval from the fans remaining in the stands.

Sawyer returned to Ohio State for his senior season in large part for the opportunity of beating Michigan, but instead he and the rest of his class will leave school 0-4 against the Wolverines.

Pictures from the Fox broadcast appeared to show players and other people on the field had been sprayed and one bystander was seen bleeding as he tried to escape the melee.

“I don’t know I know all that right now,” Day said when asked about possible injuries. “There was a couple things, kind of crazy, that went on down there, but I think everybody is okay.”

He added: “I just talked to the team after the game and again, without knowing all the details, there’s some prideful guys on our team that aren’t just going to sit back and watch that happen.”

What happened on the field should make an impact in the College Football Playoff selection committee’s future bracket projection, as Ohio State was eliminated from the Big Ten Championship Game as a result of the loss.

Coming into this week, the Buckeyes were the projected No. 5 seed and set to host a first-round game against projected No. 12 seed Arizona State.

And while Saturday’s loss shouldn’t drop Ohio State out of the playoff entirely, it could force the team into a road game in the first round in the next few weeks.

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