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Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield apologizes for planting OU flag on Ohio State logo

Sam Cooper
College football writer

After a sterling performance in Saturday night’s win at Ohio State, Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield planted an OU flag at midfield of Ohio Stadium in triumph.

On Monday, Mayfield apologized, saying he got “caught up in an emotional moment” and did not “mean to be disrespectful” toward Ohio State.

“It was an emotional game. I knew it was going to have a lot of implications on the playoffs, so that’s the way we prepared. It was an emotional game, so after the game I did not mean for it to be disrespectful toward any Ohio State people at all, especially not the team or the players because they’re a great team and a great program,” Mayfield said.

“I didn’t mean for it to be disrespectful at all. We do the flag thing at OU-Texas and so that’s just something I got caught up in an emotional win. It should have been something I did in the locker room so I apologize for doing it in the middle of the field.”

Mayfield torched the OSU secondary for 387 yards and three touchdowns on 26-of-34 throwing in the dominant 31-16 win. After the win, Mayfield took a boastful victory lap with an OU flag around the stadium before planting it at midfield of the Horseshoe.

(via ESPN)
(via ESPN)
(via ESPN)
(via ESPN)

The celebration predictably ruffled some feathers in Columbus and around the country. Mayfield said after the game his victory lap was inspired in part by Ohio State singing its fight song on Oklahoma’s field after dismantling the Sooners 45-24 in Norman last year.

“That was embarrassing for them to sing their fight song on our field,” Mayfield said. “They are probably feeling the same way right now.”

Some will cry “too little, too late,” but the fact that Mayfield apologized at all means he feels at least somewhat contrite about the celebration. Still, he had reason to boast on Saturday night. Beating the No. 2 team on the road by 15 points is quite a feat and firmly has the Sooners among the elite in the nation in the season’s early going.

Oklahoma, which moved to No. 2 in the AP Top 25 after the win, hosts Tulane on Saturday.

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Sam Cooper is a writer for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!