Why Ryan Day blocked Buckeyes from planting flag after beating Michigan

The Wolverines did their best to stand their ground against the victorious Ohio State Buckeyes, but this year's postgame encounter was way different.

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day leads his team onto the field prior to the NCAA football game against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich. on Nov. 29, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ohio State finally exacted revenge on the Michigan Wolverines Saturday afternoon with a 27-9 win in Ann Arbor, but it's what happened after the game that has the internet abuzz.

As both teams approached midfield following a rather one-sided performance from the nation's No. 1 team, the Wolverines pulled a move oddly the opposite of how last year's encounter ended.

Michigan opted to guard its coveted "M" at midfield, a gesture that has since gone viral.

Coach Ryan Day insisted his team take the high road, offering to win the game with class by not having the Buckeyes plant their flag at the Wolverines' midfield in the inverse of what took place this past season.

There was an attempted flag planting… but Ryan Day said no.

The Buckeyes will celebrate in the locker room pic.twitter.com/cDN29QNXTi

— Adam King (@AdamKing10TV) November 29, 2025

Watching the entire sequence unfold after the loss rubbed Wolverines defensive back Bryson Kuzdzal the wrong way.

"Can't let that happen. We didn't know if they were going to (do something) or not, but we're not gonna let that happen," Kuzdzal told reporters.

Michigan has not left the field and is guarding the M 👀 pic.twitter.com/lvwKgx6PaT

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 29, 2025

Day expanded upon his post-game interview with Fox Sports' Jenny Taft regarding the encounter upon meeting with the media following the win.

"I'd imagine over the years what I'd say after winning this game at this press conference," Day said. "I'm going to save all those comments. The best thing to do is to win with humility. That's what we're gonna do. And I think it speaks to our program. It speaks to what it means to be a Buckeye. And we wanted to take this rivalry game [against Michigan] back this year. And so, the way our guys played certainly spoke to that."

Day's team now shifts its focus to a familiar opponent in the Indiana Hoosiers, who clinched their spot in the title game Friday night against the Purdue Boilermakers. Both will play each other next weekend in Indianapolis, with the winner more than likely being the top seed in the College Football Playoff.

The Buckeyes are trying to win a conference championship for the first time in five years, along with attempting to defend its title as the best team in college football with them being the defending national champions from this past season.

It may not be the easiest road traveled, but it certainly is the road less traveled for a team that was once under much scrutiny because of its head coach and now has a chance to show why it's the most dominant player in the sport.