Baker Mayfield Endures Humiliating Week After Buccaneers' Loss
The Tampa Bay quarterback faced teasing from his coach and wore a rival team's jersey following a tough loss and his alma mater's defeat.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield experienced a particularly difficult week, marked by a significant loss on the field and a public display of his collegiate team's defeat. The Buccaneers suffered a 33-27 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in their opening week game, a contest in which Mayfield lost three fumbles.
The day prior to the Buccaneers' game, Mayfield watched his alma mater, the University of Oklahoma, lose to the University of Michigan with a score of 17-10. This collegiate upset set the stage for a humorous moment during Mayfield's press conference.
Mayfield arrived at his press conference wearing a Michigan Wolverines jersey, a move prompted by a bet with Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles. Bowles, whose son Troy plays for Michigan, serenaded Mayfield with the Wolverines' fight song, "The Victors," as the quarterback took the podium. Mayfield acknowledged the situation, stating, "That hurts, that hurts real bad." The jersey number Mayfield chose, 18, matched that of Bowles' son, who contributed nine tackles to Michigan's defense in their victory.
Michigan's win was bolstered by a strong performance from sophomore quarterback Bryce Underwood, who accounted for 111 passing yards and 87 rushing yards with a touchdown. Oklahoma had entered the game as the favorite, having previously given Underwood a challenging game.
Mayfield has historically shown strong ties to his alma mater, participating in youth camps on the Oklahoma campus and supporting the Sooners' baseball team during their College World Series run.
Despite the dual defeats, both as a player and a fan, Mayfield maintained composure, humorously embracing the Michigan colors during the press conference.