Urban Meyer does not want a repeat of last season's fight between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Michigan Wolverines, issuing a warning to his football players.
According to ESPN, fighting during a game will lead to an immediate ejection, which was the case in last season's game for running back Dontre Wilson and offensive lineman Marcus Hall.
Meyer reportedly told his team Sunday that he would go beyond the mandated ejection if anyone was thrown out for fighting.
"He wants the game to be very intense, but if anybody throws any punches this year, we're dismissed," linebacker Curtis Grant told ESPN. "You know he pretty much put it out there [Sunday], so there's no telling what will happen if you get into a fight this year. We've got to be on our best behavior."
Meyer did not disclose the kind of punishment he has in mind, but it could result in anyone who gets ejected during the Michigan game missing a significant contest.
"I had a talk with our team about that, and absolutely no case for that," Meyer said. "Intensity? Absolutely. There's a certain mentality we need to take to this field, but that's not acceptable.
"That's not the way we play the game, and I think a lot of lessons were learned. We went without one of our key linemen in the [conference] championship game the following week, and we played a game without two or three good players. That was a very strong conversation in the team meeting."
Ohio State is trying to secure a Big Ten Championship victory after a week two loss to Virginia Tech set the Buckeyes back in the rankings. With a win against Michigan and a conference title, Ohio State could make a convincing case for the College Football Playoff.
