Florida State was left out of the playoffs last year because one player was out. If Ohio State players get suspended for attacking the Michigan players after the game, should they also be left out of the playoffs? Some of the players involved were significant starters.
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I actually think they should be left out because of the behavior, not because of who is suspended from the behavior.
And the NCAA should pass a rule banning this dumb “plant our flag” crap, it’s just inciting the problem. There were two games with fights because of it yesterday. Each team needs to be taught to win with dignity and to lose with dignity.
Agreed on banning flag planting. It’s literally unsportsmanlike conduct and vandalism even.
I was shocked to see so many people on other forum defending or even condoning the practice.
I 100% support flag planting, or walking on the logo, or whatever as long as it’s not directed at specific people. That’s how taunting has always been handled, and that’s how it should continue to be handled. Home teams rush the field, away teams get to plant the flag (or trident in ASU’s case).
To the losing home team, mind your own fucking business and let people celebrate. The winning team isn’t responsible for their behavior.
I don’t actually have a problem with the flag planting, though I totally agree that it was the catalyst for both the incidents you are referring to. I also honestly don’t really have a problem with Ryan Day’s response, though I understand why people say that it is lame (and I don’t disagree with them either). I don’t even really have a huge problem with the buckeye’s response itself as let’s be honest it was mostly just pushing and jawing, though this aspect is certainly the closest in my eyes the incident is to crossing a line (there were some full swings and that’s passing a line even in my book). But at the end of the day I don’t have a problem with people being emotional about these games and displaying some of those emotions physically (chirping, pushing, flag planting etc). To be clear just because I don’t have a problem with some of the actions, doesn’t mean I don’t understand that they are dangerous and against a set of rules so there absolutely should be some sort of repercussions. I think this also includes the officers that maced people after the scuffle was broken up. I also don’t want it to sound like I’m defending the buckeyes or Day. They come off as losers from this in my eyes, but its also not like flag planting is actually a cool way to celebrate a win. Do something cool like that DIII? match up where the winner points a statue towards their school if they win.
To be clear, I don’t think a team should be left out of the playoffs for something like that. Since it occurs after the game, it seems like a fine to the offending school makes the most sense (and may already exist). Beyond that, maybe a half/whole game suspension for the player and/or coach?
I think fine both schools, have any players that crossed physical lines sit out a half and maybe an extra fine for Day? But I wouldn’t go so far as to ban flag planting. Those cops are off the game staff, no more sideline views for them. I’d still listen to an argument for keeping OSU out of the tournament based solely on on the field arguments though. Anemic doesn’t even begin to describe their presence yesterday and Michigan is not good this year.
I don’t know how many OSU players will get suspended in the first place – Ryan Day appears to have mentally checked out from leading his team and surely the program wouldn’t want to do anything to handicap their playoff run. Not sure the conference will do anything either. As bad as it sounds, I think they’d only step in if the fight were even worse, like when an MSU player swung a helmet in the Michigan tunnel a few years back. I will say the police handled this much worse than that incident, though.
There’s also a big difference between losing the starting QB due to injury and maybe a handful of random guys for a game. Not that I defend the committee’s handling of the FSU thing at all (IMO the playoff should have been #1 UW, #2 UM, #3 FSU, #4 UT).
Given the amount of teams that lost I don’t think the fight matters. Ohio state is still a premium name to have in the playoffs. Florida State got left out because they weren’t a legitimate contender or a big name.
The fight was dumb, but it’s going to happen in rivalry games when one team wins 4 in a row, especially as an unranked upset.
