Michigan player seemingly head-butts official, but remains in game vs. Ohio State
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Michigan linebacker Jaishawn Barham was super pumped to play and beat Ohio State on Saturday afternoon, like the rest of his Wolverines teammates.
But the senior seemed extra amped for the occasion, especially during a forgettable moment midway through the first quarter of the bitter Big Ten rivalry game. With Michigan trying to beat Ohio State for the 5th straight time and off to a great start with a 6-0 lead, Barham did what looked like a forbidden thing at any level of football.
He head-butted an official.
With Ohio State facing a 3rd-and-goal and trying to get out of that early hole, Barham let his emotions get the best of him in that moment and appeared to head-butt the official, who didn’t take kindly to the gesture.
So, instead of having that 3rd-and-goal from the Michigan 5, the Buckeyes benefitted off the head-butt, which earned Barham an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty but not an ejection. Ohio State suddenly had first-and-goal from the Wolverines’ 2-yard line, thanks to Barham.
The lack of self-control by Barham didn’t ultimately cost Michigan in the worst way, as Ohio State had to settle for a field goal. So, the Wolverines still led 6-3 after the dust settled on the penalty and the goal-line stand.
But it was quite a wakeup call for Michigan, for Barham and, of course, for the official who got his bell rung early in Saturday’s game.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
