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Baker Mayfield knows a thing or two about riling up a rival by planting a flag on the football field after a big win in enemy territory—a practice that became a scorching hot topic of conversation thanks to what transpired over the weekend. The quarterback was one of the many people who chimed in on that matter, and his take is easily one of the most reasonable you’ll hear.
The final week of the college football season is historically reserved for the rivalry games that have the potential to drum up plenty of drama, and the slate we were treated to in 2024 was certainly no exception.
Michigan stunned Ohio State to win its fourth game in a row against the Buckeyes before chaos unfolded in Columbus when members of the home team took exception to the Wolverines attempting to plant a flag in the field, which sparked a huge melee that led to multiple players being hit with pepper spray.
We were treated to similar scenes when NC State topped North Carolina and Florida brought Florida State’s season to a merciful end with a win on the road, and it was only a matter of time until The Discourse turned to the conversation concerning the merits of flag-planting and whether or not the NCAA should consider instituting new policies to dissuade players and teams from those shows of disrespect.
Baker Mayfield somewhat infamously pulled the same move when he led Oklahoma to a victory over Ohio State in 2017, and he made it pretty clear he wasn’t too bothered by the Texas player who drove a Longhorns flag through his jersey after the Sooners fell in the Red River Shootout earlier this year.
On Sunday, Mayfield got the chance to address the recent spate of flag-related incidents after the Buccaneers beat the Panthers, and as far as I’m concerned, he has the objectively correct opinion when it comes to a move he clearly doesn’t have any issues with.
Baker Mayfield was asked about the four flag planting incidents during college rivalry weekend. It was something he did at Ohio State in 2017. “College football is meant to have rivalries. That’s like the Big 12 banning the ‘horns down’ signal. Just let the boys play.” pic.twitter.com/XCLmjvUrDQ
— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) December 2, 2024
I understand why the NCAA might feel the need to deploy a kneejerk reaction to avoid the kind of scene we were treated to after Michigan beat Ohio State, but I can only hope they don’t take any unnecessarily drastic measures.