Michigan linebacker Jaishawn Barham made contact with an official during the first quarter of Saturday’s rivalry game against Ohio State, and despite what appeared to be an apparent headbutt, he wasn’t ejected from the game. Instead, the Mayrland transfer drew a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, and that was it.
NBC’s rules analyst Terry McAulay didn’t think that was nearly enough.
Automatic ejection. In no universe should he be allowed to play another down. https://t.co/xWw8Bhtqdk
— Terry McAulay (@tjmcaulay) November 29, 2025
The incident happened late in the first quarter with Michigan leading 6-0. After Barham tackled Ohio State running back CJ Donaldson for a loss on second-and-goal from Michigan’s 3-yard line, the linebacker got into an exchange with an official and made contact with the official’s face area with his helmet. Officials flagged Barham for unsportsmanlike conduct, giving Ohio State an automatic first down.
Almost headbutted the ref 😳 pic.twitter.com/C5FhGAKkTx
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 29, 2025
On the Fox broadcast, Gus Johnson and Joel Klatt mentioned Barham was lucky to avoid an ejection. Neither brought Mike Pereira into the booth to weigh in on the call nor offered the play up to Fox rules analyst. It’s unknown if Pereira was working another game or wasn’t consulted on this particular call.
But McAulay took to X to make his position clear, and he wasn’t alone in thinking Barham should have been ejected.
Headbutting a ref without getting ejected is wild pic.twitter.com/BPebPioLt5
— Bad Sports Refs (@BadSportsRefs) November 29, 2025
Don’t know how you aren’t thrown out of the game after this move?
Headbutting the referee
Ultra low IQ football #Michigan #OSUvsMICH #Buckeyes pic.twitter.com/bhJ62q9Tqn
— nflrefstats (@nflrefstats1) November 29, 2025
So, head butting an official would usually lead to an ejection 😂
What is happening?
That’s been assault, bro. Play on pic.twitter.com/mLN9Fr62jo
— Trey Wallace (@TreyWallace_) November 29, 2025
Head Butting The official 15 yard penalty no ejection pic.twitter.com/jdilmuLMFk
— Pardon My Take (@PardonMyTake) November 29, 2025
You don’t get thrown out for head-butting an official?
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) November 29, 2025
This is an ejection. These officials did Michigan a favor. pic.twitter.com/zLRayGSFgw
— RJ Young (@RJ_Young) November 29, 2025
That might be the dumbest play I’ve ever seen. A Michigan player just headbutted a ref. How is he not ejected????
— Sir Yacht (@SirYacht_) November 29, 2025
Barham contact with an official. I rewound it. That’s an automatic ejection.
— Dennis Dodd (@dennisdoddcbs) November 29, 2025
If headbutting an official doesn’t warrant ejection in the biggest rivalry game in college football, it raises the question of what actually does. McAulay clearly believes this crossed a line that should have resulted in immediate removal from the game. The fact that it didn’t, and that the broadcast moved on without pressing for further explanation from their rules analyst, hasn’t really sat well with anyone — McAulay included — in the aftermath.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.