COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Thad Matta will never have to buy another piece of chewing gum.

The Ohio State coach thought no one noticed when he accidentally spit out his gum and then picked it up off the court and popped it back in his mouth in the hectic final minutes of Sunday’s No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown against Wisconsin.

But then ESPN started showing replays again and again and again. Thousands of people have watched it on YouTube.com. His players have started heckling him about his embarrassing moment in the spotlight.

“Driving home after the game I call my mom and she’s like, ‘Oh my God! You spit your gum out!”‘ a sheepish Matta said Thursday. “Like I told her, when I go to court for littering, I’m going to claim insanity. And I’ll get off on that one, I’ll guarantee you.”

The second-ranked Buckeyes edged No. 1 Wisconsin 49-48 to take over the top spot in the polls.

There was just over a minute remaining when Matta stood near the bench and his gum went flying as he yelled instructions to his team out on the floor. He hesitated for a second, then bent over, picked it up off the court and put it back into his mouth.

The episode was mentioned on the telecast. Then a clip of it was repeatedly shown on many sports highlight shows.

“I didn’t notice it when we were playing, but when I saw it on ESPN it was the funniest thing I have ever seen,” freshman point guard Mike Conley Jr. said.

Not long after the game, eight of Ohio State’s 12 players sent text-messages to Matta about the gum incident.

Fans also took notice.

“I’ve received more gum than I could chew in a lifetime,” Matta said. “I’ve taken a little bit of abuse for it.”

Matta, the father of two young girls, said he was aware of the “5-second rule,” permitting someone to scoop food off the floor and put it back in their mouth quickly.

Center Greg Oden disagreed.

“No,” he said with a grin. “I just throw it away.”