The Game brawl: Players appear to be pepper sprayed on field after Michigan, Ohio State fight

After Michigan pulled off an upset of Ohio State on Saturday in The Game, a brawl broke out and players had to be separated. Some players got pepper-sprayed, as well, according to Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde.

Players from both teams got hit with pepper spray as police tried to break up the brawl, said Forde, who was in the middle of it. Video from the FOX broadcast showed Michigan players appearing to wash their eyes afterward, as well.

The fight occurred as Michigan attempted to plant a flag at mid-field at Ohio Stadium following the 13-10 victory. It marks the Wolverines’ fourth straight victory over the Buckeyes – their longest winning streak in the rivalry since 1988-91.

A lot of people got hit w the pepper spray. Both teams. https://t.co/xyA8Tyo21Q

— Pat Forde (@ByPatForde) November 30, 2024

Michigan players on the sideline after the altercation between Ohio State and Michigan pic.twitter.com/m5tdgIOma4

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 30, 2024

In its statement, Ohio State Police said officers from both sides deployed their pepper sprays. The agency will also continue investigating.

“Following the game, officers from multiple law enforcement agencies assisted in breaking up an on-field altercation,” the statement read. “During the scuffle, multiple officers representing Ohio and Michigan deployed pepper spray. OSUPD is the lead agency for games & will continue to investigate.”

Ohio State entered Saturday’s game looking to punch its ticket to the Big Ten Championship and snap its losing streak against its vaunted rival. However, Michigan’s defense held strong and didn’t allow the Buckeyes to get into a rhythm, and a field goal in the final seconds sealed the 13-10 Wolverines victory to pull off the stunner.

Once things settled down and the field started to clear, Michigan running back Kalel Mullings reacted to what just unfolded. He  said the players should’ve left it on the field rather than let it bleed over into postgame and added the two teams had four quarters to be physical, and it didn’t need to continue afterward.

“For such a great game, you hate to see stuff like that after the game,” Mullings told FOX’s Jenny Taft. “It’s just bad for the sport, bad for college football. But at the end of the day, some people, they’ve got to learn how to lose. You can’t be fighting and stuff just because you lost the game.

“All that fighting, we had 60 minutes, we had four quarters to do all that fighting. Now, people want to talk and fight. That’s wrong. It’s just bad for the game. Classless, in my opinion. People got to be better.”