Plant Your Flag
CFB goes crazy with midfield flag planting during rivalry week; how it relates to NIL.
Taking a look at NIL lessons from Week 14 of the 2024 CFB season and how they can apply to sports, business and life.
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I hope each and every one of you enjoyed Thanksgiving week with the four Fs: Family, Friends, Food and Football!
The conversation around the turkey centered around what took place after most of these games as many rivals sought to victoriously plant their flag on their rivals’ logo.
As far as I can tell, Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield began this tradition when the Sooners beat Ohio State in 2017. It was a critical non conference game that eventually put the Sooners in the Playoff and left the Buckeyes at home.
Last weekend reach a new level of craziness never seen before.
Coaches yelled; fights broke out; and police sprayed pepper. Here are the biggest NIL lessons in the aftermath.
Find Your Why
Why is flag planting such a big deal? Because, for better or worse, it showcases the motivation of some to succeed.
These players have found their ‘Why’ or purpose. It translates to working harder; staying disciplined and focusing on the little things to achieve victory.
Here are the teams who planted a flag (or pitchfork), what do they have in common:
Michigan > Ohio State
N.C. St. > UNC
Florida > Florida State
Arizona St. > Arizona
Texas > Texas A&M (never really got a flag planted)
Their mission was clear—they all desperately wanted to beat their bitter rival.
The final two games listed also were for an opportunity to play in their conference title games and therefore the CFB Playoff.
All that emotion leading into a performance can produce a drastic output with unintended consequences. In this instance it was celebrating in the faces of your rival that yielded fights, slurs and pepper spray.
If you can find your why professionally, however, then you will be dialed in for that pitch; sales presentation or TV interview. You will understand how much work and sacrifice goes into something you have a white hot passion for.
Act with Class & Grace
It is very easy to sit on our couch and say to ‘act like you have been there before’ with regards to flag planting. However, this is a newer tradition that comes with CFB.
If you win and want your photo opp at midfield, that’s fine. Just be a bit less bodacious.
If you lose, just shake hands and walk away.
If you want nobody at midfield after the game, then have your school hire stadium security to go and protect it.
Although, we allow field storms and fans to tear down goalposts to carry them to the river in CFB. We allow teams to race jubilantly to the opposite sideline to reclaim their rivalry trophies.
Nobody ever had a problem with Wisconsin fake chopping down Minnesota’s goalposts (or vice versa) with Paul Bunyan’s Ax.
Nobody should have a problem with the flag plant. Simply walk away.
Deescalate Situations
The Michigan/Ohio State skirmish (and seriously, why is Michigan always the team involved in these scenarios?) should never have escalated the way it did to where police office were spraying pepper spray at coaches and players.
I’ve watched thousands of CFB games in my life. I don’t think I have ever seen police offices get involved in that manner.
Countless situations where fans rushed the field; there was the Miami-FIU brawl of ‘06; the Clemson-South Carolina fight in ‘04; the LeGarrette Blount punch of a Boise State player in ‘09.
No police ever needed to get involved like they did at the Horseshoe last Saturday to my recollection.
The lesson is to try to recognize these high risk scenarios and try to either a) remove yourself entirely or b) deescalate the situation so it doesn’t get out of hand.
This rings true especially if you are in a position of leadership or other power. Coaches such as Ryan Day; I’m sure many upperclassmen players and finally the police did a terrible job of deescalating what should have amounted to a glorified shouting match.
Avoid Hypotheticals
The argument for the 12-team Playoff has been as intense as ever. And the same refrain of SEC dominance has not changed.
What if Indiana played our schedule? What if SMU played Alabama on a neutral field? What would Ole Miss’ record be if they played in the Big 12?
With all due respect, none of those arguments matter and many in particular are not even strong. As I have written before, CFB’s biggest problem is an unclear definition of the word ‘best’ when selecting the Playoff teams. And that is why each year, the Selection Show turns into ‘How we justified Alabama’ show.
Georgia needed 8 OTs to beat Georgia Tech and then many other SEC teams either struggled or lost to other ACC competition. Spare me the charade.
The point is, do not rely on hypotheticals in life and expect to be rewarded. Take continuous action and stand by what you achieved.
Those that say ‘what if’ tend not to last.
Perform when it Matters
On Black Friday, Heisman frontrunners Travis Hunter (Colorado) and Ashton Jeanty (Boise State) each put on a show.
During the same 11 a.m. time slot, both simultaneously put up legendary numbers:
Jeanty rushed for 226 yards and a TD in a dominant 34-18 win over Oregon State
Hunter had 116 receiving yards, 3 TDs, & one INT in the 52-0 drubbing of Oklahoma State
Down the stretch, the pair have made it extremely difficult to select who should win the Heisman Trophy.
Hunter is fifth in the nation in receiving yards and second in TDs. He is one of 40 players to have four picks.
On the other hand, Jeanty leads the nation in both rushing yards and touchdowns and it is not particularly close.
To me, the durability and toughness gives Jeanty the slight edge, especially since the numbers surpass Heisman winner Derrick Henry and approach Barry Sanders.
The lesson is make sure you are ready to perform your best on the biggest stage. Prepare, envision and execute. Then let the chips fall where they may; but put forth your best effort when the lights are the brightest.
Both Hunter and Jeanty did that. And now Jeanty has one more opportunity in the Mountain West championship game. Win and clinch a conference title; playoff berth and maybe the Heisman.