Rivalry Week Flag-Planting: Michigan, NC State, Florida cause skirmishes at midfield after victories | Sporting News

It's the most wonderful time of the yearcollege football's Rivalry Week.

The weekend gave us plenty of upsets, like Michigan over No.

2 Ohio State, Syracuse over No.

6 Miami, and No.

15 South Carolina over No.

12 Clemson.

In-state rivalry games resulted in Florida beating Florida State 31-11, and NC State beating North Carolina 35-30.

But we also saw a particular trend on rivalry weekendwinning teams planting their flag on the opposing teams' midfields.

Michigan, NC State, Florida all plant flags after their respective victories Saturday.

The result, as you can imagine, were more than a few skirmishes and brawls that broke out.

Michigan-Ohio State gave us our first flag-plant of the day This one was so heated that there was even pepper spray involved! Michigan got things started on Saturday afternoon in Columbus, Ohio.

The three-touchdown-underdog Wolverines shocked the Buckeyes 13-10 for a fourth straight year.

The win also knocked Ohio State out of the Big Ten title game against Oregon, sending Penn State to that game instead.

After the game, a Michigan player tried planting a Michigan "M" flag right at Ohio State's midfield.

Buckeye players, who were at the opposite end zone, came over and immediately confronted the Wolverine player.

As you can imagine.

there was anger and tension: A fight has broken out between Michigan and Ohio State after The Game pic.twitter.com/XPwdAjfYzN An on-field view of the Michigan flag plant and the altercation with Ohio State that followed pic.twitter.com/If9Ng7ecW0 A Michigan flag is planted in the center of The Shoe and things get even more heated between Ohio State and Michigan pic.twitter.com/fPcvJ6Z8ND The scuffle was so bad that Ohio State police administered pepper spray to try and disperse the players: Ohio States Jack Sawyer rips away the Michigan flag and throws it amid the insanity after the game.

Cops.

Pepper spray was even used.

Two Michigan players were on the ground rubbing their faces.

A photographer as well.

Police later lined up at 50 to build a human wall.

pic.twitter.com/xANs878xe7 A lot of people got hit w the pepper spray.

Both teams.

https://t.co/xyA8Tyo21Q Thanks for the mace went nice with the dub #4-0 #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/qc0EGbVfh2 The Ohio State police issued a statement after the game.

Following the game, officers from multiple law enforcement agencies assisted in breaking up an on-field altercation.

During the scuffle, multiple officers representing Ohio and Michigan deployed pepper spray.

OSUPD is the lead agency for games & will continue to investigate.

But that wasn't the last flag plant that we saw Saturday.

MORE: Pepper spray used to break up Michigan-Ohio State fight North Carolina State attempted to plant a flag on UNC's midfield North Carolina and NC State meet on rivalry week every year.

Although both teams entered this one 6-5 and far from in the ACC race, this one was significant.

It was Tar Heel head coach Mack Brown's final regular season game, as the school announced it was moving on from the coach after six seasons in Chapel Hill.

UNC led 20-13 entering what was a wild back-and-forth fourth quarter.

The game's final 15 minutes featured six lead changes, a blocked field goal and a failed two-point conversion.

Ultimately, NC State prevailed 35-30 to win its third-straight in the series against the Tar Heels.

After the victory, NC State players attempted to plant a Wolfpack flag at UNC's midfield.

But a Tar Heels player wasn't having it, and threw the flag off to the sideline.

Naturally, the players got into it from there: NC State - UNC fight that starts after trying to plant flags on mid field logo pic.twitter.com/kVY3XyuhER An all out brawl broke out a the end of the UNC vs.

NC State game when state tried to plant the flag at the fifty.

pic.twitter.com/YvJenAXw1g After UNC loses to NC State, the Wolfpack attempt to plant a NC state flag at midfield.

Tar Heel wide receiver JJ Jones promptly takes the flag and throws it at the NC State bench before fights break out.

pic.twitter.com/V9RXJhyRFV After the game, NC State head coach Dave Doeren spoke about what this rivalry means, as well as winning three in a row over UNC: There is a reason I havent been able to wear blue for 12 years.

NC State coach Dave Doeren pic.twitter.com/fCGxZPwbEe The win sends NC State to a bowl game for a third straight season.

Florida-Florida State also ended with some flag planting The 6-4 Florida Gators entered this one riding some huge momentum, with back-to-back wins over LSU and Ole Miss.

Florida State, meanwhile, entered having a historically bad season, sitting at 2-9 on the year.

Still, there's a lot of pride in this in-state rivalry game, so it was expected to be a decent matchup.

But Florida took care of business, winning 31-11 against a struggling Noles offense.

After the game, a Florida player planted a Gator flag at FSU's midfield Seminoles' logo.

Naturally, FSU players were quite upset about this: More flag planting leading to fights.

This time it's Florida vs Florida State.

Check out the head coaches (part 2 incoming showing it more on replay) pic.twitter.com/99CMUtN7Cr FSU head coach Mike Norvell was seen after the game seeming to make a comment about the gesture to Florida's Billy Napier after the game: So Mike Norvell goes to yell at Billy Napier who tried to make the peace then Norvell is the one who grabbed the Florida flag and threw it away from the logo [image or embed] After the game, both coaches addressed their respective thoughts on the incident #FSU Head Coach Mike Norvell discusses Florida planting a flag at midfield after the game and his thoughts on the ensuing altercation Full Interview: https://t.co/2ilRjByn5m pic.twitter.com/9SyV3fjOv4 Billy Napier on the postgame scuffle and flag-planting: "It's not who we want to be as a program, it's embarrassing to me and it's a distraction to a really well-played football game...We shouldn't have done that, and we won't do that going forward, and there will be consequences...

These three games appear to be the only rivalry week flag plants, for now...

Texas A&M-Texas avoided postgame incidents: Someone must've informed Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian of the emerging trend of the day.

After the Longhorns beat the Aggies 17-7 to clinch a spot in the SEC title game on Saturday, Sark was actively herding his players away from the midfield logo: "No need for that.

We can celebrate in other areas.

That's how you handle that." "Take your victory and flip it forward.

And play for bigger things now." Kirk Herbstreit and Chris Fowler praise Texas coach Steve Sarkisian for pulling his team away from the Texas A&M logo.

pic.twitter.com/H6wqfZOnRd Although it was the first time since 2011 that these two bitter rivals have met, it was a civil ending to the game.

Texas will face Georgia in the SEC championship game.

Steve Sarkisian on stopping Texas players from stomping on the A&M logo: I just watched Michigan and Ohio State get in a brawl from my hotel room.

Said it wasnt something they should do.

MORE: Projected College Football Playoff field after Week 14.

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