College Football Legend Held Responsible for Flag-Planting Trend

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By J.R. DeGroote | Last updated Nov 30, 2024 11:34 PM ET

Flag planting during rivalry week ignited chaos across college football, with many blaming Baker Mayfield for sparking the controversial trend.

Mayfield notoriously planted Oklahoma's flag at midfield in 2017 after his fifth-ranked Sooners notched a 31-16 victory over the Buckeyes.

"Part of it was [what happened] last year," Mayfield said after the game. "It was embarrassing for them to sing their fight song on our field. They're probably feeling the same way right now."

Flag plantings have occurred sporadically since the Heisman winner's iconic moment, but nothing compares to Saturday, when the act catalyzed multiple on-field brawls.

There were four high-profile on-field ruckuses triggered by rivals planting their flags, with the most dramatic unfolding in the Ohio State-Michigan clash. Despite entering "The Game" as a three-touchdown underdog, the Wolverines pulled off a stunning 13-10 upset.

Similar postgame scuffles erupted in other intense rivalries, including Florida-Florida State, Arizona State-Arizona, and North Carolina-NC State, as emotions boiled over during postgame flag-planting celebrations.

"Baker Mayfield started a flag planting pandemic. I love it," one fan said.

It also sparked multiple memes, one of the best featuring "Oppenheimer's stare of regret."

"Baker Mayfield watching all of these flag plants around college football today," Deadspin wrote on X.

Baker Mayfield watching all of these flag plants around college football today pic.twitter.com/67KQrZCj9G
— Deadspin (@Deadspin) December 1, 2024

Many anticipate flag planting will end up outlawed after multiple incidents.

"Guaranteed: college football will add a rule this offseason that says you can't plant flags," Fox Sports' Jason McIntyre wrote on X. "This crap has been a bad look in college football today."

Earlier this year, Mayfield was involved in another flag-planting controversy during the Red River Rivalry. After Texas defeated Oklahoma, Longhorns players planted a flag at midfield by driving it through Mayfield's jersey, adding fuel to the heated rivalry.

"It's just a kid from Austin, Texas who went to Oklahoma and won his last two Red River games and being rent-free in their heads for almost a decade," Mayfield told reporters.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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