Poor Jabrill Peppers.

After saying Michigan would hit Curtis Samuel and test Ohio State physically, the linebacker-safety hybrid failed to lay a finger on Samuel during his game-winning romp to the end zone in double overtime.

Michigan led by ten at one point, and Peppers registered the first interception of his collegiate career. But when the final whistle blew, he moved to 0-3 against his arch rival.

Ohio State fans rushed the field, and in the immediate scrum, an Ohio State fan appeared to bump Peppers. After the two exchanged words, Peppers swung and hit the fan in the mouth.

That's when Ohio State secondary coach Kerry Coombs intervened.

In Peppers defense, he just lost a bitterly contested game, and it's unclear what the Ohio State fan said. That doesn't excuse punching a guy in the face, but at least Peppers will likely be a multimillionaire in a few months anyway.

[Video from ESPN's Michigan State–Penn State halftime show.]