2005 Texas vs. Ohio State football game
Encyclopedia
Texas vs. Ohio State football game, played September 10, 2005, was the first-ever meeting between The University of Texas at Austin
and The Ohio State University
in a college football
game. The two teams came into the game ranked No. 2 and No. 4, respectively. It was the second game of the 2005 season
for both teams. Schools have become increasingly conservative in scheduling non-conference opponents of a high caliber, so a meeting of two top-five teams in the country was unusual this early in the season. For either team, winning the game would boost their chances of ultimately playing in the BCS National Championship Game while the loser likely faced the end of their national championship hopes.
According to observers such as USA Today
, the match-up between the Texas Longhorns
and the Ohio State Buckeyes
was one of the most-anticipated games of the 2005 season. Due to the high level of anticipation, ESPN
chose the game for the location of its weekly College GameDay broadcast.
The 2005 Texas Longhorn football team
(variously "Texas" or "UT" or the "Horns") was coached by head football coach Mack Brown
and led on the field by quarterback
Vince Young
. The 2005 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
(variously "Ohio State" or "OSU" or the "Bucks") was coached by Jim Tressel
. Justin Zwick
and Troy Smith
shared time as quarterback due to disciplinary measures enforced against Smith. The game was a back-and-forth affair which was ultimately won by Texas, 25-22. The game's attendance was 105,565, which set the then all-time attendance record for Ohio Stadium
. The game was televised nationally on ABC
and drew 9.9 million viewers.
ESPN
and College Football Rivals, were among the observers who named the game one of the best football games of the season. Texas' win kept them near the front of the national championship picture. They ultimately finished the season unbeaten, snaring the Big 12 Conference
and NCAA championships. Ohio State finished the season with ten wins and two losses and ranked No. 4 in the nation.
and the Texas Longhorns
are two of the most storied programs in college football. Before 2005 each school had participated in college football for more than 100 years. They are home to nationally known traditions from the Buckeye leaf stickers and the O-H-I-O chant at Ohio State to Bevo
and the Hook 'em Horns
of Texas.
One of the three most victorious programs in college football history as judged by either number of wins or winning percentage, the University of Texas has traditionally been considered a college football powerhouse. From 1936 to 2004, the team finished the season in the top ten 23 times, or one-third of the time, according to the Associated Press
. The team that coach Mack Brown fielded in 2005 has been called one of the most memorable in college football history by College Football News.
Like the Longhorns, the Buckeyes are an elite football program. The Buckeyes program has produced 164 first-team All-American players, including seven Heisman Trophy
winners.
The 2005 UT team was attempting to follow on the success of the 2004 season, in which quarterback Vince Young led the team to Mack Brown's first Bowl Championship Series
(BCS) game in the 2005 Rose Bowl and a top-5 finish in the polls. With the exception of Cedric Benson
, Derrick Johnson
, and Bo Scaife
, Texas returned most of their key players from 2004–2005, including redshirt
junior quarterback Vince Young.
Texas was given a pre-season No. 2 ranking (behind defending National Champions University of Southern California
) by Sports Illustrated
magazine and was also ranked second in the pre-season Associated Press Poll and USA Today
Coaches Poll
. This created anticipation that Texas might play for the national championship if they could win their road game against Ohio State University and if they could snap their five-game losing streak against the Oklahoma Sooners
who started the season ranked at No. 7.
Ohio State had similarly high pre-season expectations with their No. 4 ranking. There was preseason speculation they might win the Big Ten Conference
and possibly even to have a chance at the national championship. The team featured a "dynamic duo" of wide receivers in Ted Ginn, Jr. and Santonio Holmes
. Holmes entered his junior year as the No. 1 receiver for the Buckeyes after catching a pass in every game he played during the 2004 season; he finished the season with 769 yards and seven touchdowns on 55 catches. Ginn was known for his explosive plays and versatility. For instance in the 2004 game against the Michigan State Spartans
, he scored three touchdowns (one rushing, one receiving, and one punt
return).
For either team to play in the national title game, that team had to end up ranked No. 1 or No. 2
at the end of the regular season. Since the Bowl Championship Series
was formed in 1998, 9 of the 14 teams were unbeaten going into the championship game. The only time the national champion has not been unbeaten during that stretch was in 2003 when LSU
and USC
claimed a share of the title as each finished with one loss. Ohio State tackle Kirk Barton would later say "There’ll probably be two undefeated teams at the end of the road and if you’re not one of them you’re probably not going to be playing for the championship. So you’ve got to treat every game like it’s the Super Bowl
. You only get one opportunity."
, the match-up between the Longhorns and the OSU Buckeyes
was one of the most-anticipated games of the 2005 season. Teams have become increasingly conservative in scheduling non-conference opponents of a high caliber, so a meeting of the number 2 and number 4 teams in the country is unusual this early in the season. Due to the high level of anticipation, ESPN
chose the game for the location of its weekly College GameDay broadcast.
This meeting was also the first-ever match-up between the two storied programs; the two teams had combined to play 1,594 games before meeting. For Texas, it also meant playing a second Big Ten Conference
powerhouse soon after winning the first-ever matchup between Texas and the University of Michigan
at the end of the 2004 season
.
The Buckeyes entered the game with an all-time record of 766-298-53 including an Ohio Stadium mark of 356-101-20. During the 115 years the school has played football, the Buckeyes had won seven national championships, the most recent being in 2002 when they finished with a perfect 14-0 record. Texas came into the game with an all-time record of 788-310-33 since 1893. The Longhorns victory total and victory percentage are both the third highest in the NCAA annals. The Longhorns had won three national championships, most recently in 1970. OSU ranked sixth all-time winning percentage and was tied with Alabama
for fifth in terms of total victories.
Before the game, it had been uncertain who would play at quarterback for Ohio State. Justin Zwick
had started for OSU in the 2004 season
but three straight loses and an injury to Zwick gave Troy Smith
a chance to start. However, an NCAA investigation found Smith took $500 from an Ohio State booster in violation of NCAA rules. Although he could have been dismissed from the team, ultimately he had to repay the money and was forced to sit out OSU's 2004 bowl game and the first game of 2005. Ohio State coach Jim Tressel
announced ahead of time that both Zwick and Smith would play in the game.
The game was played at Ohio State University
in Ohio Stadium
, also known as "The Horseshoe" or "the Shoe". This stadium is notoriously tough for visiting teams, as its large capacity and structural design create a tremendous amount of crowd noise that can make it difficult for the visiting team to call audibles at the line of scrimmage
. The Buckeyes had an active 36 consecutive game non-conference winning streak in the stadium. The game's attendance was 105,565, which set the all-time attendance record for Ohio Stadium. The game was televised nationally on ABC
and drew 9.9 million viewers.
by David Pino. The 42-yard kick was a career-long for Pino and also the first of what would be a career-high (single game) three field goals
. Ohio State strung together 11 plays for 64 yards but had to punt. With 1:37 to play in the first quarter, Texas extended this lead to 10-0 with a five-yard touchdown
pass from Vince Young to Billy Pittman
. Troy Smith came into the game for the first time and was still leading the Buckeyes at the end of the first quarter.
followed by a 36-yard touchdown pass from Troy Smith to Santonio Holmes
to tie the score at 10–10. They took the lead with two more field goals from Josh Huston; the first was from 36 yards and the second was from 25 yards. Following the kick-off, Texas took possession of the ball at their own 31 yard-line with only 31 seconds remaining in the first half. Young began the drive by throwing a 36-yard pass to the Ohio State 18 yard-line and then the receiver ran out of bounds to stop the clock with 20 seconds to play. On the next play, Young rushed for six yards and was tackled in-bounds, causing Texas to use a time out with 12 seconds on the clock. On second down, OSU's A.J. Hawk sacked Vince Young for a loss of 8 yards, forcing Texas to take another time-out with seven seconds remaining. Texas put in David Pino to complete a 37 yard kick with two seconds left, making the score 16–13 in favor of Ohio State. Texas kicked off and time expired on the ensuing 18-yard return by Erick Jackson.
(nicknamed "The Best Damn Band in the Land" or TBDBITL) and The University of Texas Longhorn Band
(nicknamed "The Showband of the Southwest") had ever performed back-to-back half-time
performances. The OSU band performed Script Ohio and the UT band performed Script Texas. Ohio State also held a ceremony to honor one of their long-time coaches, Woody Hayes
, by placing his name on the east side of the stadium.
at the UT 37. Two rushes by Antonio Pittman
resulted in a first down at the UT 30. After a short gain on first down and an incomplete pass on second down, Troy Smith recovered his own fumble on third down to set up a successful 44-yard field goal by Huston. Texas used six plays, including a 63-yard pass to Billy Pittman before being stopped at the Ohio State eight yard-line. David Pino made the 25-yard field goal. On the ensuing kick-off by Richmond McGee
, OSU's Ted Ginn, Jr.
took the ball at the one yard-line and ran it out to almost mid-field. The drive ended with a successful 26-yard field goal by Huston. The following three possessions (two for Texas and one for Ohio State) resulted in punts. The third quarter expired with Ohio State leading 22 to 16 and with control of the ball near mid-field.
On an incomplete pass to Brian Carter, Texas benefited from a pass interference
penalty which moved the ball to the UT 48. Vince Young rushed for four yards and then threw an incomplete pass to Ramonce Taylor before taking a timeout with 4:42 left to play. Young's next pass was complete for a first down to Jamaal Charles who went out-of-bounds to completely stop the clock. Vince Young rushed for one yard to the OSU 38 and then took a time-out at 3:53. Young threw to Jamaal Charles who gained eight yards and went out-of-bounds. An offsides penalty by Ohio State and a one-yard rush by Jamaal Charles gave Texas second and nine from the Ohio State 24. On second and nine with 2:37 remaining to play, Vince Young passed a touchdown pass over the head of a defender to find Limas Sweed
in the end-zone. It was the 23rd touchdown pass by Young, putting him seventh in the all-time school record book. David Pino's kick gave Texas the lead at 23-22.
Texas kicked off to the Ohio State five yard-line and Holmes returned it 26 yards to the Buckeye 31. Justin Zwick was in at quarterback for Ohio State. On first-and-ten and needing a score to win the game, Zwick rushed around the left side to the 35 but a fumble was forced by UT's Drew Kelson. UT's Brian Robison
recovered the fumble at the 30 and advanced it nine yards before being tackled by Vernon Gholston
at the Ohio State 21.
With 2:19 to play and nursing a one-point lead, Texas was in position to win if they could run out the clock. They began with a 12-yard rush on the left side by Jamaal Charles for a first down. Charles then carried again up the middle for a two-yard gain to the Ohio State 7. OSU called a time-out to stop the clock at 1:36. On second-and-goal, Vince Young kept the ball and gained three yards before being tackled by A.J. Hawk. The Buckeyes again called time-out with 1:23 left. Young carried again for three yards before being brought down by B. Carpenter and A.J. Hawk just one yard short of the goal-line. This time, Texas took a time-out with 29 seconds left to play. Following the time-out, Young handed off to Henry Melton who was stopped for no gain. Ohio State took over on downs.
Troy Smith came back in as quarterback for Ohio State. On first down, Smith was sacked
for a loss of one yard by Aaron Harris. This gave Texas a safety, extending their lead to 25-22. Josh Huston attempted an onside kick, but Texas was able to recover it at the Ohio State 32. Texas took a knee to end the game.
Ohio State recovered three turnovers
in Texas territory, but each time the Texas defense held OSU to just a field goal. The five field goals by Josh Huston tied an Ohio State school and stadium record. He now shares the record with Mike Nugent
(at North Carolina State, September 19, 2004) and Bob Atha
(vs. Indiana
, October 24, 1981 in Ohio Stadium). Wide receiver
Ted Ginn, Jr.
, usually an important contributor for the Buckeyes, was held to only nine yards receiving but he also contributed 82 yards on three kick-off returns (the longest was for 46 yards) and eight yards on one punt return.
Texas' win at 25-22 was the lowest scoring game the team would experience all season, both in terms of points scored by Texas and in terms of total points. UT's victory against fourth-ranked OSU marked the highest ranked non-conference opponent the Longhorns had ever beaten at the opponent's home stadium. The previous high came in 1983 when third-ranked Texas pulled off a 20-7 upset at fifth-ranked Auburn. Texas became the first non-conference opponent to beat The Buckeyes
in Ohio Stadium since 1990, putting an end to a 36-game home victory string over non-conference opponents. The Longhorns also were the first team to ever beat the Buckeyes in a night game at The Horseshoe. It was UT's 10th straight victory in a night game road contest. ESPN
and College Football Rivals, were among the observers who named the game one of the best football games of the season.
as the only undefeated team, winning both the Big 12 Conference
championship and the National Championship. The Longhorns' penultimate victory of the season, in the Big 12 Championship Game, featured the biggest margin of victory in the history of that contest. Their ultimate victory in the 2006 Rose Bowl
against the University of Southern California
Trojans
for the national championship, as well as their overall season, have both been cited as standing among the greatest performances in college football history by publications such as College Football News
, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Scout.com, and Sports Illustrated
. The Longhorns and the Trojans were together awarded the 2006 ESPY Award by ESPN
for the "Best Game" in any sport. The Longhorns finished the season as the only unbeaten team, with 13 wins and zero losses overall.
The season gave Texas its second Big 12 football championship (27 conference championships total, including 25 in the Southwest Conference), and fourth consensus national championship in football. It was the ninth perfect season in the history of Longhorn football.
UT set numerous school and NCAA
records, including most points scored in a season (652). After the season ended, six Longhorns from this championship team were selected by professional football teams
in the 2006 NFL Draft
.
Ohio State finished the season with an appearance in the 2006 Fiesta Bowl
where they defeated the Notre Dame Fighting Irish
34-20. They finished the season ranked No. 4 in the nation
.
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
and The Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
in a college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
game. The two teams came into the game ranked No. 2 and No. 4, respectively. It was the second game of the 2005 season
2005 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the least amount of controversy surrounding the Bowl Championship Series title game in many years.To an extent it was a return to classic football...
for both teams. Schools have become increasingly conservative in scheduling non-conference opponents of a high caliber, so a meeting of two top-five teams in the country was unusual this early in the season. For either team, winning the game would boost their chances of ultimately playing in the BCS National Championship Game while the loser likely faced the end of their national championship hopes.
According to observers such as USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
, the match-up between the Texas Longhorns
Texas Longhorns football
The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...
and the Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
was one of the most-anticipated games of the 2005 season. Due to the high level of anticipation, ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
chose the game for the location of its weekly College GameDay broadcast.
The 2005 Texas Longhorn football team
2005 Texas Longhorn football team
The 2005 Texas Longhorn football team represented the University of Texas at Austin during the 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season, winning the Big 12 Conference championship and the national championship. The team was coached by Mack Brown, led on offense by quarterback Vince Young, and played...
(variously "Texas" or "UT" or the "Horns") was coached by head football coach Mack Brown
Mack Brown
William Mack Brown is head coach of The University of Texas at Austin Longhorn football team.Prior to his head coach position at Texas, Brown was head coach at Appalachian State, Tulane, and North Carolina. Brown is credited with revitalizing the Texas and North Carolina football programs...
and led on the field by quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Vince Young
Vince Young
Vincent Paul Young, Jr. , nicknamed "VY", is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He spent the first five seasons of his career with the Tennessee Titans. Young was the third overall draft pick in the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college...
. The 2005 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
2005 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 2005 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented The Ohio State University in the college football season of 2005-2006. The team's head football coach was Jim Tressel. The Buckeyes played their home games in Ohio Stadium. The team finished the season with a win-loss record of 10 and 2, and...
(variously "Ohio State" or "OSU" or the "Bucks") was coached by Jim Tressel
Jim Tressel
James Patrick Tressel is a gameday consultant for the Indianapolis Colts, and former collegiate football head coach at both The Ohio State University from 2001 to 2011 and at Youngstown State University from 1986 to 2000. Tressel is most notable for his time at Ohio State. He was hired by the...
. Justin Zwick
Justin Zwick
Justin Zwick is an American football quarterback who most recently played with the Columbus Destroyers in the now defunct Arena Football League. He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes from 2002-2006.-High school:...
and Troy Smith
Troy Smith
Troy James Smith is an American football quarterback for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens of the NFL in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Ohio State.Smith has also played for the San Francisco 49ers. He...
shared time as quarterback due to disciplinary measures enforced against Smith. The game was a back-and-forth affair which was ultimately won by Texas, 25-22. The game's attendance was 105,565, which set the then all-time attendance record for Ohio Stadium
Ohio Stadium
Ohio Stadium is the home of the Ohio State Buckeyes football team and is located on the campus of The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. The stadium was added to the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service on March 22, 1974...
. The game was televised nationally on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
and drew 9.9 million viewers.
ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
and College Football Rivals, were among the observers who named the game one of the best football games of the season. Texas' win kept them near the front of the national championship picture. They ultimately finished the season unbeaten, snaring the Big 12 Conference
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
and NCAA championships. Ohio State finished the season with ten wins and two losses and ranked No. 4 in the nation.
Leading into the 2005 season
The Ohio State BuckeyesOhio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
and the Texas Longhorns
Texas Longhorns football
The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...
are two of the most storied programs in college football. Before 2005 each school had participated in college football for more than 100 years. They are home to nationally known traditions from the Buckeye leaf stickers and the O-H-I-O chant at Ohio State to Bevo
Bevo (mascot)
Bevo is the name of the mascot of the sports teams at the University of Texas at Austin, a Texas longhorn steer with burnt orange coloring. The shape of the Longhorn's head and horns gives rise to the school's hand symbol and saying, Hook 'em Horns...
and the Hook 'em Horns
Hook 'em Horns
Hook 'em Horns is the slogan and hand signal of The University of Texas at Austin. Students and alumni of the university employ a greeting consisting of the phrase "Hook 'em" or "Hook 'em Horns" and also use the phrase as a parting good-bye or as the closing line in a letter or story.The gesture is...
of Texas.
One of the three most victorious programs in college football history as judged by either number of wins or winning percentage, the University of Texas has traditionally been considered a college football powerhouse. From 1936 to 2004, the team finished the season in the top ten 23 times, or one-third of the time, according to the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
. The team that coach Mack Brown fielded in 2005 has been called one of the most memorable in college football history by College Football News.
Like the Longhorns, the Buckeyes are an elite football program. The Buckeyes program has produced 164 first-team All-American players, including seven Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
winners.
The 2005 UT team was attempting to follow on the success of the 2004 season, in which quarterback Vince Young led the team to Mack Brown's first Bowl Championship Series
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
(BCS) game in the 2005 Rose Bowl and a top-5 finish in the polls. With the exception of Cedric Benson
Cedric Benson
Cedric Myron Benson is an American football running back for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears fourth overall in the 2005 NFL Draft...
, Derrick Johnson
Derrick Johnson
-Kansas City Chiefs:Johnson started every game for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2005, becoming the first Chiefs linebacker in 20 years to start all 16 games of his rookie campaign. He was subsequently awarded the Mack Lee Hill Award by the Chiefs...
, and Bo Scaife
Bo Scaife
Oliver Edward "Bo" Scaife, III is an American football tight end for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
, Texas returned most of their key players from 2004–2005, including redshirt
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
junior quarterback Vince Young.
Texas was given a pre-season No. 2 ranking (behind defending National Champions University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
) by Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
magazine and was also ranked second in the pre-season Associated Press Poll and USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
Coaches Poll
Coaches Poll
The USA Today Coaches' Poll is the current name for a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and Division I college basketball teams....
. This created anticipation that Texas might play for the national championship if they could win their road game against Ohio State University and if they could snap their five-game losing streak against the Oklahoma Sooners
Oklahoma Sooners
The University of Oklahoma features 19 varsity sports teams. Both men's and women's teams are called the Sooners, a nickname given to the early participants in the land rushes which initially opened the Oklahoma Indian Territory to non-native settlement. They participate in the NCAA's Division I-A,...
who started the season ranked at No. 7.
Ohio State had similarly high pre-season expectations with their No. 4 ranking. There was preseason speculation they might win the Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
and possibly even to have a chance at the national championship. The team featured a "dynamic duo" of wide receivers in Ted Ginn, Jr. and Santonio Holmes
Santonio Holmes
Santonio Holmes Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft after playing college football at Ohio State...
. Holmes entered his junior year as the No. 1 receiver for the Buckeyes after catching a pass in every game he played during the 2004 season; he finished the season with 769 yards and seven touchdowns on 55 catches. Ginn was known for his explosive plays and versatility. For instance in the 2004 game against the Michigan State Spartans
Michigan State Spartans
The Michigan State Spartans are the athletic team that represent Michigan State University. The school's athletic program includes 25 varsity sports teams. Their mascot is a Spartan warrior named Sparty, and the school colors are green and white...
, he scored three touchdowns (one rushing, one receiving, and one punt
Punt (football)
In some codes of football, a punt is a play in which a player drops the ball and kicks it before it touches the ground. A punt is in contrast to a drop kick, in which the ball touches the ground before being kicked....
return).
For either team to play in the national title game, that team had to end up ranked No. 1 or No. 2
2005 NCAA Division I-A football rankings
Three human polls and one formulaic ranking make up the 2005 NCAA Division I-A football rankings, in addition to various publications' preseason polls. Unlike most sports, college football's governing body, the National Collegiate Athletic Association , does not bestow a National Championship title...
at the end of the regular season. Since the Bowl Championship Series
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
was formed in 1998, 9 of the 14 teams were unbeaten going into the championship game. The only time the national champion has not been unbeaten during that stretch was in 2003 when LSU
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
and USC
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
claimed a share of the title as each finished with one loss. Ohio State tackle Kirk Barton would later say "There’ll probably be two undefeated teams at the end of the road and if you’re not one of them you’re probably not going to be playing for the championship. So you’ve got to treat every game like it’s the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
. You only get one opportunity."
Prior to the game
After they each won their home opener, Texas and Ohio State came into the game still ranked No. 2 and No. 4, respectively. According to observers such as USA TodayUSA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
, the match-up between the Longhorns and the OSU Buckeyes
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
was one of the most-anticipated games of the 2005 season. Teams have become increasingly conservative in scheduling non-conference opponents of a high caliber, so a meeting of the number 2 and number 4 teams in the country is unusual this early in the season. Due to the high level of anticipation, ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
chose the game for the location of its weekly College GameDay broadcast.
This meeting was also the first-ever match-up between the two storied programs; the two teams had combined to play 1,594 games before meeting. For Texas, it also meant playing a second Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
powerhouse soon after winning the first-ever matchup between Texas and the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
at the end of the 2004 season
2004 Texas Longhorn football team
The 2004 Texas Longhorns football team represented the University of Texas at Austin in the 2004 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by head football coach Mack Brown and led on the field by quarterback Vince Young...
.
The Buckeyes entered the game with an all-time record of 766-298-53 including an Ohio Stadium mark of 356-101-20. During the 115 years the school has played football, the Buckeyes had won seven national championships, the most recent being in 2002 when they finished with a perfect 14-0 record. Texas came into the game with an all-time record of 788-310-33 since 1893. The Longhorns victory total and victory percentage are both the third highest in the NCAA annals. The Longhorns had won three national championships, most recently in 1970. OSU ranked sixth all-time winning percentage and was tied with Alabama
Alabama Crimson Tide football
|TeamName = Alabama football |Image = Alabama Crimson Tide Logo.svg |ImageSize = 110 |Helmet = Alabama Football.png |ImageSize2 = 150 |CurrentSeason = 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team...
for fifth in terms of total victories.
Before the game, it had been uncertain who would play at quarterback for Ohio State. Justin Zwick
Justin Zwick
Justin Zwick is an American football quarterback who most recently played with the Columbus Destroyers in the now defunct Arena Football League. He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes from 2002-2006.-High school:...
had started for OSU in the 2004 season
2004 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 2004 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with several undefeated teams vying for a spot in the national title game, triggering controversy. In the 2003 season, no team finished the regular season unbeaten, and five teams finished the season with one loss...
but three straight loses and an injury to Zwick gave Troy Smith
Troy Smith
Troy James Smith is an American football quarterback for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens of the NFL in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Ohio State.Smith has also played for the San Francisco 49ers. He...
a chance to start. However, an NCAA investigation found Smith took $500 from an Ohio State booster in violation of NCAA rules. Although he could have been dismissed from the team, ultimately he had to repay the money and was forced to sit out OSU's 2004 bowl game and the first game of 2005. Ohio State coach Jim Tressel
Jim Tressel
James Patrick Tressel is a gameday consultant for the Indianapolis Colts, and former collegiate football head coach at both The Ohio State University from 2001 to 2011 and at Youngstown State University from 1986 to 2000. Tressel is most notable for his time at Ohio State. He was hired by the...
announced ahead of time that both Zwick and Smith would play in the game.
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
in Ohio Stadium
Ohio Stadium
Ohio Stadium is the home of the Ohio State Buckeyes football team and is located on the campus of The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. The stadium was added to the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service on March 22, 1974...
, also known as "The Horseshoe" or "the Shoe". This stadium is notoriously tough for visiting teams, as its large capacity and structural design create a tremendous amount of crowd noise that can make it difficult for the visiting team to call audibles at the line of scrimmage
Line of scrimmage
In American and Canadian football a line of scrimmage is an imaginary transverse line beyond which a team cannot cross until the next play has begun...
. The Buckeyes had an active 36 consecutive game non-conference winning streak in the stadium. The game's attendance was 105,565, which set the all-time attendance record for Ohio Stadium. The game was televised nationally on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
and drew 9.9 million viewers.
First quarter
The Buckeyes got the ball to start the game and Justin Zwick was the starting quarterback. He led his team to advance only five yards in three plays so they punted from their own 46 yard-line to the UT eleven yard-line. Less than five minutes into the game, Texas scored first on a field goalField goal (football)
A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...
by David Pino. The 42-yard kick was a career-long for Pino and also the first of what would be a career-high (single game) three field goals
Field goal (football)
A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...
. Ohio State strung together 11 plays for 64 yards but had to punt. With 1:37 to play in the first quarter, Texas extended this lead to 10-0 with a five-yard touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
pass from Vince Young to Billy Pittman
Billy Pittman
Billy Pittman is a former American football player. He played college football as a wide receiver for the University of Texas Longhorns from 2003 to 2007 and was the leading receiver on the 2005 Texas team that won the BCS National Championship.- High school career :He attended C.H. Yoe High...
. Troy Smith came into the game for the first time and was still leading the Buckeyes at the end of the first quarter.
Second quarter
Ohio State controlled most of the second quarter. Their first score was a 45-yd field goal by Josh HustonJosh Huston
Josh Huston is an American football placekicker who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2006...
followed by a 36-yard touchdown pass from Troy Smith to Santonio Holmes
Santonio Holmes
Santonio Holmes Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft after playing college football at Ohio State...
to tie the score at 10–10. They took the lead with two more field goals from Josh Huston; the first was from 36 yards and the second was from 25 yards. Following the kick-off, Texas took possession of the ball at their own 31 yard-line with only 31 seconds remaining in the first half. Young began the drive by throwing a 36-yard pass to the Ohio State 18 yard-line and then the receiver ran out of bounds to stop the clock with 20 seconds to play. On the next play, Young rushed for six yards and was tackled in-bounds, causing Texas to use a time out with 12 seconds on the clock. On second down, OSU's A.J. Hawk sacked Vince Young for a loss of 8 yards, forcing Texas to take another time-out with seven seconds remaining. Texas put in David Pino to complete a 37 yard kick with two seconds left, making the score 16–13 in favor of Ohio State. Texas kicked off and time expired on the ensuing 18-yard return by Erick Jackson.
Half time
Just as it was the first ever meeting of the two football teams, it was also the first time that The Ohio State University Marching BandThe Ohio State University Marching Band
The Ohio State University Marching Band performs at Ohio State football games and other events during the fall quarter...
(nicknamed "The Best Damn Band in the Land" or TBDBITL) and The University of Texas Longhorn Band
The University of Texas Longhorn Band
The University of Texas Longhorn Band, also known as the Showband of the Southwest or LHB, is the marching band of The University of Texas at Austin. The Longhorn Band was founded in 1900 by a distinguished professor of chemistry, Dr. Eugene P. Schoch. The band is currently under the direction of...
(nicknamed "The Showband of the Southwest") had ever performed back-to-back half-time
Half-time
In some team sports such as association football and rugby, matches are played in two halves. Half-time is the name given to the interval between the two halves of the match...
performances. The OSU band performed Script Ohio and the UT band performed Script Texas. Ohio State also held a ceremony to honor one of their long-time coaches, Woody Hayes
Woody Hayes
Wayne Woodrow "Woody" Hayes was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Denison University , Miami University , and Ohio State University , compiling a career college football record of 238–72–10.During his 28 seasons as the head coach of the Ohio...
, by placing his name on the east side of the stadium.
Third quarter
Texas got the ball at their 20 to start the second half. On the first play from scrimmage, Jamaal Charles rushed for three yards. On second down, Vince Young's pass was intercepted by Nate SalleyNate Salley
Nate Salley is an American football safety for the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League. He was originally drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Ohio State.-Early years:He was a two sport star at St.Thomas Aquinas High...
at the UT 37. Two rushes by Antonio Pittman
Antonio Pittman
Antonio Pittman is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the fourth round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Ohio State....
resulted in a first down at the UT 30. After a short gain on first down and an incomplete pass on second down, Troy Smith recovered his own fumble on third down to set up a successful 44-yard field goal by Huston. Texas used six plays, including a 63-yard pass to Billy Pittman before being stopped at the Ohio State eight yard-line. David Pino made the 25-yard field goal. On the ensuing kick-off by Richmond McGee
Richmond McGee
Richmond McGee is an American football punter for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as a street free agent in 2008...
, OSU's Ted Ginn, Jr.
Ted Ginn, Jr.
-College career:OSU track coach Russ Rogers recruited Ginn to run track, believing that he could qualify for the 2008 Olympics. However, his track career was put on hold in order to focus on football. Ginn was recruited as a defensive back by Ohio State....
took the ball at the one yard-line and ran it out to almost mid-field. The drive ended with a successful 26-yard field goal by Huston. The following three possessions (two for Texas and one for Ohio State) resulted in punts. The third quarter expired with Ohio State leading 22 to 16 and with control of the ball near mid-field.
Fourth quarter
Ohio State was unable to score and gave the ball back to Texas with 13:24 left in the game. Texas was forced to punt. On the Buckeyes' next possession they drove from their own 30 to the Texas 33 before settling for a sixth field goal attempt by Huston, this one from 50 yards out. Huston missed wide left to leave Ohio State still ahead by six points. Texas took over at their own 33 with 5:07 left in the game.On an incomplete pass to Brian Carter, Texas benefited from a pass interference
Pass interference
In American and Canadian gridiron football, pass interference is a penalty that occurs when a player interferes with an eligible receiver's ability to make a fair attempt to catch a forward pass. Pass interference may include tripping, pushing, pulling, or cutting in front of the receiver or...
penalty which moved the ball to the UT 48. Vince Young rushed for four yards and then threw an incomplete pass to Ramonce Taylor before taking a timeout with 4:42 left to play. Young's next pass was complete for a first down to Jamaal Charles who went out-of-bounds to completely stop the clock. Vince Young rushed for one yard to the OSU 38 and then took a time-out at 3:53. Young threw to Jamaal Charles who gained eight yards and went out-of-bounds. An offsides penalty by Ohio State and a one-yard rush by Jamaal Charles gave Texas second and nine from the Ohio State 24. On second and nine with 2:37 remaining to play, Vince Young passed a touchdown pass over the head of a defender to find Limas Sweed
Limas Sweed
Limas Lee Sweed, Jr. is a former American football wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He played collegiately for the Texas Longhorns. On April 26, 2008 Sweed was taken 53rd overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2008 NFL Draft.-High school:Sweed attended...
in the end-zone. It was the 23rd touchdown pass by Young, putting him seventh in the all-time school record book. David Pino's kick gave Texas the lead at 23-22.
Texas kicked off to the Ohio State five yard-line and Holmes returned it 26 yards to the Buckeye 31. Justin Zwick was in at quarterback for Ohio State. On first-and-ten and needing a score to win the game, Zwick rushed around the left side to the 35 but a fumble was forced by UT's Drew Kelson. UT's Brian Robison
Brian Robison
Brian Gale Robison is an American football defensive end for the Minnesota Vikings. He played college football for the Texas Longhorns...
recovered the fumble at the 30 and advanced it nine yards before being tackled by Vernon Gholston
Vernon Gholston
Vernon Gholston is an American football defensive end who is currently a free agent. He played college football at Ohio State and was drafted sixth overall by the New York Jets in the 2008 NFL Draft....
at the Ohio State 21.
With 2:19 to play and nursing a one-point lead, Texas was in position to win if they could run out the clock. They began with a 12-yard rush on the left side by Jamaal Charles for a first down. Charles then carried again up the middle for a two-yard gain to the Ohio State 7. OSU called a time-out to stop the clock at 1:36. On second-and-goal, Vince Young kept the ball and gained three yards before being tackled by A.J. Hawk. The Buckeyes again called time-out with 1:23 left. Young carried again for three yards before being brought down by B. Carpenter and A.J. Hawk just one yard short of the goal-line. This time, Texas took a time-out with 29 seconds left to play. Following the time-out, Young handed off to Henry Melton who was stopped for no gain. Ohio State took over on downs.
Troy Smith came back in as quarterback for Ohio State. On first down, Smith was sacked
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
for a loss of one yard by Aaron Harris. This gave Texas a safety, extending their lead to 25-22. Josh Huston attempted an onside kick, but Texas was able to recover it at the Ohio State 32. Texas took a knee to end the game.
Analysis
Turnover (football)
In American football, a turnover occurs when the team with the ball loses possession of the ball, which is then gained by the other team. The two events that are officially classified as "turnovers" are fumbles or interceptions In American football, a turnover occurs when the team with the ball...
in Texas territory, but each time the Texas defense held OSU to just a field goal. The five field goals by Josh Huston tied an Ohio State school and stadium record. He now shares the record with Mike Nugent
Mike Nugent
Mike Nugent is an American football placekicker for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
(at North Carolina State, September 19, 2004) and Bob Atha
Bob Atha
Robert Atha was an American football placekicker, punter, and backup quarterback who played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes and NFL football For the Miami Dolphins and played for the Arizona Cardinals....
(vs. Indiana
Indiana University Bloomington
Indiana University Bloomington is a public research university located in Bloomington, Indiana, in the United States. IU Bloomington is the flagship campus of the Indiana University system. Being the flagship campus, IU Bloomington is often referred to simply as IU or Indiana...
, October 24, 1981 in Ohio Stadium). Wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
Ted Ginn, Jr.
Ted Ginn, Jr.
-College career:OSU track coach Russ Rogers recruited Ginn to run track, believing that he could qualify for the 2008 Olympics. However, his track career was put on hold in order to focus on football. Ginn was recruited as a defensive back by Ohio State....
, usually an important contributor for the Buckeyes, was held to only nine yards receiving but he also contributed 82 yards on three kick-off returns (the longest was for 46 yards) and eight yards on one punt return.
Texas' win at 25-22 was the lowest scoring game the team would experience all season, both in terms of points scored by Texas and in terms of total points. UT's victory against fourth-ranked OSU marked the highest ranked non-conference opponent the Longhorns had ever beaten at the opponent's home stadium. The previous high came in 1983 when third-ranked Texas pulled off a 20-7 upset at fifth-ranked Auburn. Texas became the first non-conference opponent to beat The Buckeyes
Ohio State Buckeyes
The Ohio State Buckeyes are the intercollegiate sports teams and players of The Ohio State University, named after the state tree, the Buckeye. The Buckeyes participate in the NCAA's Division I in all sports and the Big Ten Conference in most sports...
in Ohio Stadium since 1990, putting an end to a 36-game home victory string over non-conference opponents. The Longhorns also were the first team to ever beat the Buckeyes in a night game at The Horseshoe. It was UT's 10th straight victory in a night game road contest. ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
and College Football Rivals, were among the observers who named the game one of the best football games of the season.
After the game
Texas eventually finished the season of 2005-20062005 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the least amount of controversy surrounding the Bowl Championship Series title game in many years.To an extent it was a return to classic football...
as the only undefeated team, winning both the Big 12 Conference
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
championship and the National Championship. The Longhorns' penultimate victory of the season, in the Big 12 Championship Game, featured the biggest margin of victory in the history of that contest. Their ultimate victory in the 2006 Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl Game
The Rose Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2...
against the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
Trojans
2005 USC Trojans football team
The 2005 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California in the college football season of 2005–2006, winning the Pacific-10 Conference , and playing for the NCAA Division I-A national championship...
for the national championship, as well as their overall season, have both been cited as standing among the greatest performances in college football history by publications such as College Football News
College Football News
College Football News is a magazine and website published by College Football News, Inc., headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. News coverage includes scores, statistics, rankings, and reports on college football games. Analysis includes comparisons between teams, predictions of game outcomes and...
, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Scout.com, and Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
. The Longhorns and the Trojans were together awarded the 2006 ESPY Award by ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
for the "Best Game" in any sport. The Longhorns finished the season as the only unbeaten team, with 13 wins and zero losses overall.
The season gave Texas its second Big 12 football championship (27 conference championships total, including 25 in the Southwest Conference), and fourth consensus national championship in football. It was the ninth perfect season in the history of Longhorn football.
UT set numerous school and NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
records, including most points scored in a season (652). After the season ended, six Longhorns from this championship team were selected by professional football teams
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
in the 2006 NFL Draft
2006 NFL Draft
The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with additional coverage offered by ESPNU and, for the first time, by...
.
Ohio State finished the season with an appearance in the 2006 Fiesta Bowl
2006 Fiesta Bowl
The 2006 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, played on January 2, 2006, was the 35th edition of the Fiesta Bowl, featuring Notre Dame and Ohio State. Ohio State won the game 34–20....
where they defeated the Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
34-20. They finished the season ranked No. 4 in the nation
2005 NCAA Division I-A football rankings
Three human polls and one formulaic ranking make up the 2005 NCAA Division I-A football rankings, in addition to various publications' preseason polls. Unlike most sports, college football's governing body, the National Collegiate Athletic Association , does not bestow a National Championship title...
.
Further reading
- Longhorns' Perfect Drive: Texas' 2005 National Championship Season Sports Publishing (January 15, 2006) ISBN 978-1-59670-116-8
- Sports Illustrated CFB Texas # Time Inc. Magazine Company (January 9, 2005) ISBN 978-1-58060-762-9
- Sports Illustrated College Football Championship Commemorative Issue 2006 The Time Inc. Magazine Company (January 6, 2006) ISBN 978-1-58060-758-2
- Texas Pride: Longhorn Glory Shines Through an Unforgettable Championship Season Triumph Books (January 31, 2006) ISBN 978-1-57243-876-7