COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A fight broke out at midfield after Michigan stunned No. 2 Ohio State 13-10 on Saturday when Wolverines players attempted to plant their flag on the OSU logo and were confronted by the Buckeyes.

What You Need To Know

  • A fight broke out on the field after the Ohio State Michigan game Saturday
  • This was as Michigan players were attempting to place their flag on OSU's logo, and Ohio State players confronted them
  • The fight was broken up by police, who used pepper spray
  • The Big Ten Conference said it has issued a $100,000 fine to both universities

Police used pepper spray to break up the players, who threw punches and shoves in the melee that overshadowed the rivalry game. One officer was injured and taken to a hospital, a police union official said.

Fraternal Order of Police 9 President Lt. Brian Steel shared on social media that the officer suffered a head injury but has been released from the hospital.

After the Ohio State players confronted their rivals at midfield, defensive end Jack Sawyer grabbed the top of the Wolverines' flag and ripped it off the pole as the brawl moved toward the Michigan bench. Eventually, officers rushed in to try to break up the fracas.

Ohio State coach Ryan Day said he understood his players' actions.

“There are some prideful guys on our team who weren't going to sit back and let that happen,” Day said.

The two Ohio State players made available after the game brushed off questions about it.

Michigan running back Kalel Mullings, who rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown, said he didn't like how the Buckeyes players involved themselves in the Wolverines' postgame celebration, calling it “classless.”

“For such a great game, you hate to see stuff like that after the game," he told Fox Sports in an on-field interview. “It’s just bad for the sport, bad for college football. But at the end of the day, you know some people got to — they got to learn how to lose, man. ... We had 60 minutes, we had four quarters, to do all that fighting.”

Ohio State police said in a statement that “multiple officers representing Ohio and Michigan deployed pepper spray.” University police said they will continue to investigate the brawl.

Brian Steel, president of the police union representing officers in Franklin County, posted on social media that an officer was injured.

“Officers are authorized to use pepper spray to stop assaults and protect themselves and others,” Steel added.

Michigan players could be seen rubbing their eyes after exposure to the chemical irritant.

Michigan coach Sherrone Moore said both teams could have handled the situation differently.

“So much emotions on both sides,” he said. “Rivalry games get heated, especially this one. It’s the biggest one in the country, so we got to handle that better.”

In a release issued by the Big Ten Conference, they said both teams' actions violated their sportsmanship policy and "violate fundamental elements of sportsmanship such as respect and civility, the nature of the incident also jeopardized the safety of participants and bystanders."

The conference said it has issued a $100,000 fine to both universities.

"The Big Ten Conference considers this matter concluded and will have no further comment," the release states.