Baker Mayfield showed up to his press conference rocking a close-fitting Wolverines No. 18 tank top, and yeah, it’s exactly as humiliating as it sounds. This wasn’t some fashion statement, though. This was the crushing aftermath of a bet gone horribly wrong for the former Heisman Trophy winner.
The Most Embarrassing Bet of the Season?
Turns out, Mayfield, who led the Sooners to glory back in 2017, made a wager with his head coach, Todd Bowles. The stakes? College football pride. Oklahoma faced off against Michigan on Saturday, and let’s just say the Sooners did not come out on top. In a 17-10 upset, Michigan stunned Mayfield’s alma mater, thanks in no small part to Bowles’ son, Troy. The younger Bowles, sporting that same No. 18 jersey for the Wolverines, absolutely showed out, racking up nine tackles and even snagging a fumble recovery. You can bet that performance was a dagger for Mayfield.
To twist the knife, Coach Bowles was reportedly belting out the Michigan fight song during Mayfield’s forced fashion display. Talk about rubbing it in! Mayfield, looking less than thrilled, straight-up told reporters the situation: “Oklahoma vs. Michigan, Todd’s son was on the winning side of it, and the Sooners were not. Therefore, I squeezed into this little tank top.” The image alone is enough to make any fan cringe for him.
Early Season Struggles Piling Up
But here’s the kicker: the college embarrassment is not the only tough pill Mayfield has had to swallow this early NFL season. His Tampa Bay Buccaneers are also trying to bounce back from their own season-opening loss. They dropped their first game to the Cincinnati Bengals, which means the vibes around the Bucs facility are probably already a bit strained. Losing a personal bet publicly like this, on top of a tough team loss, just adds insult to injury for a starting quarterback.
So, while Oklahoma is trying to regroup this Saturday against New Mexico, Mayfield and the Buccaneers have their own redemption arc to chase. They are facing off against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. This whole tank top saga might seem like a bit of fun, but for Mayfield, it’s an early season reminder that sometimes, things just do not go your way. Can he shake off this public embarrassment and lead his team to a much needed Week 2 victory? We will all be watching to see if he can turn the tide.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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