2006 Michigan vs. Ohio State football game
Encyclopedia
The 2006 Michigan vs. Ohio State Game was a regular season college football game between the unbeaten Michigan Wolverines
(ranked #2 in the nation), and the unbeaten Ohio State Buckeyes
(ranked #1 in the nation). The game took place at Ohio Stadium
in Columbus, Ohio
on the campus of the Ohio State University
. This college football game was the first game of the 21st Century to be coined a Game of the Century
. This game also marked the first time in the Michigan – Ohio State football rivalry that both teams came into a matchup undefeated and ranked #1 and #2 in the nation.
defeated the Notre Dame Fighting Irish
in the 2006 Fiesta Bowl
, while the Michigan Wolverines
lost to the Nebraska Cornhuskers
in the 2005 Alamo Bowl
. Ohio State came into the 2006 season ranked #1 in the nation after a promising end to the season by Heisman Trophy
candidate Troy Smith
. Michigan began the 2006 season ranked #15 with few people believing they would have a run at the national title.
On September 9, Ohio State defeated the Texas Longhorns, who were at the time ranked #2, by a score of 24–7 in Austin, Texas
. This Texas loss set up a matchup between the then ranked #15 Wolverines and the #2 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
on September 16. Michigan continued their undefeated season in an upset victory over Notre Dame by the score of 47–21, moving them up to #6 in the rankings.
Throughout the months of September and October, Michigan and Ohio State continued their undefeated seasons in Big Ten conference
play. Games between the Wolverines and Wisconsin Badgers
along with the Iowa Hawkeyes
and Buckeyes brought national attention to the growing idea of an eventual undefeated game between the Buckeyes and the Wolverines in late November.
On November 4, a close game with the Ball State Cardinals
almost derailed the perfect season for the Wolverines, who were ranked #3 at the time. Ohio State also had a close game against their rivals, the Illinois Fighting Illini
on November 4, in which they eventually won to keep their consistent streak of ten weeks remaining in the #1 position in the AP Poll. By November 11, the game was set. The Buckeyes defeated Northwestern 54–10 while Michigan was victorious over Indiana 34–3, meaning there would be an 11–0 Michigan Wolverines team ranked #2 vs. an 11–0 Ohio State Buckeyes team ranked #1 at Ohio Stadium
in Columbus.
delivered his annual address to the Michigan team on the Thursday before the game between Ohio State, this time a game titled "The Game of the Century". Though Bo was not feeling well and Lloyd Carr
, the current Michigan coach, told the coach to stay home and rest, he came in and continued his tradition. According to The Detroit News
: "Bo's speech was not about Ohio State, the Big Ten title or a national championship. The whole speech was about Tom Slade and how, if the players worked hard, listened to their coaches and stuck together as teammates, one day they might be as good a Michigan man as Slade. That was the goal at Michigan, not national championships." Schembechler finished by exhorting them to remember "the team, the team, the team!"
On November 17, Schembechler collapsed in a bathroom at WXYZ-TV just prior to the taping of Big Ten Ticket around 9:15 AM. He was taken to Providence Hospital
in Southfield, Michigan
where he was pronounced dead at 11:43 AM. At a press conference a few hours after his death, it was reported by his doctor, Dr. Kim Eagle of the University of Michigan Health System
, that his death was from the terminal stage of heart disease
, where the heart muscle itself does not respond to the pacemaker, a common cause of death for persons afflicted with severe heart disease.
Schembechler died the day before one of the biggest games in the history of the Michigan – Ohio State football rivalry. He was not planning to attend the November 18 game in Columbus
, because his doctors had advised him that attending the game might be too much stress for his heart. Instead, Bo and his wife, Cathy, had packed the car and had planned to drive to suburban Dayton, Ohio to watch the game with his former Miami teammate and best friend, Bill Gunlock.
rankings. Ohio State won the game by a score of 42–39 and became the outright Big Ten champion, earning the right to play for a national championship at the BCS National Championship Game
in Glendale, Arizona
.
and the Buckeyes answered with a 14-play drive, all plays were passes, ending up with a one yard pass from Smith to Roy Hall
. By the halfway point in the first quarter, the game was tied 7–7 with the possession going back to Michigan. After exchanging possessions with no scoring, Ohio State, after throwing for most of the game, broke the running attack open with at 52-yard touchdown by the up-and-coming Buckeye star Chris "Beanie" Wells
. The second quarter also saw a 39-yard touchdown from Ted Ginn Jr. making the game score 21–7 with Ohio State running away from it. Michigan responded with an 8-yard passing touchdown from Adrian Arrington
, however Ohio State responded with a touchdown by Anthony Gonzalez
. After the first half of play, the Buckeyes were leading by a score of 28–14.
, the game score was now 28–24 Ohio State with 8:41 left in the 3rd quarter. Ohio State continued to pile onto their lead with a 56-yard run from Antonio Pittman
, becoming the last score of the quarter with the score becoming 35–24. As Ohio State seemed to pull away, Michigan came back with a Mike Hart touchdown to begin the 4th quarter. However, this would not be enough as the Buckeyes scored on a 13 yard pass to Brian Robiskie
. On the last score of the game, Michigan scored on a 16-yard pass to Tyler Ecker
and were successful on the two-point conversion. However, the Wolverine defense was not able to stop the Buckeye offense as the clock ran out. After 3 hours and 28 minutes of play, the Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the Michigan Wolverines to win their second straight Big Ten title and their third straight victory over their rival Michigan.
where they would face the SEC Champion, #2 Florida Gators
, ranked as the #1 team in the nation. There was a great deal of controversy as to who should face Ohio State for the championship: USC, Florida
, and Michigan both sat with one loss and voters initially kept Michigan at the number two spot. The following week USC leapfrogged Michigan into the number two spot after an impressive win over a top-10 Notre Dame team. USC, however, was defeated the following week to rival UCLA, leaving the debate open as to whether Michigan or Florida was most deserving of playing against Ohio State. Some media analysts believed that Michigan deserved another shot at the Buckeyes, as Florida was not particularly impressive in their conference championship game against Arkansas. Voters, however, refused to keep Michigan at #2, perhaps because they felt it would be unfair to give Michigan a rematch when Florida also had one loss and won their conference. The decision by the human voters in both the Coaches Poll
and Harris Poll proved to be the difference in the final BCS rankings, as Florida edged Michigan by an extremely small margin .
The Wolverines would go the 2007 Rose Bowl
where they would play the Pac-10 Champion, USC Trojans
, with Michigan coming into the game ranked #3 and the Trojans ranked #5. Troy Smith
received the Heisman Trophy
in December of 2006, becoming the seventh Ohio State Buckeye to win the trophy. With the new year of 2007, the Wolverines looked to avenge their loss against the Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl. However, Michigan was not able to capture the magic which they had earlier in the season, or keep the game close as they had with Ohio State. USC won the 2007 Rose Bowl by a score of 32–18 giving Michigan their second straight loss after winning eleven straight. Michigan finished the season ranked #8 in the AP Poll.
Ohio State, after being ranked the entire 2006 season #1 went into the 2007 BCS National Championship Game as a heavy favorite. The night of January 8th seemed to begin well for the Buckeyes with an opening kickoff return for a touchdown by Ted Ginn Jr. Ginn, however, was injured in the celebration of that touchdown and Troy Smith and Ohio State would struggle to find their offense for the rest of the night. The Buckeyes ended up losing the national championship game to the Florida Gators, 41–14.
The lopsided defeats suffered by both teams in their respective bowl games put the reputation of the Big 10 Conference in a negative light, with many analysts arguing that neither Michigan or Ohio State played a difficult schedule and were thus exposed by teams that played more difficult opponents. Some analysts argued that the Big 10 teams lacked the athleticism to compete effectively against teams with a great deal of speed, like USC and Florida. Other analysts cited the long layoff between the end of the Big 10 regular season, which ended 2 weeks before most other conferences, and the bowl season. As a result, Big 10 teams may have been unable to perform at the high levels seen during the regular season. Ohio State finished the season ranked #2.
2006 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 2006 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 2006 college football season. The team's head football coach was Lloyd Carr. The Wolverines came into the season with lower expectations than many Michigan teams of the previous few seasons, ranked #14...
(ranked #2 in the nation), and the unbeaten Ohio State Buckeyes
2006 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 2006 Ohio State Buckeyes football team was an American football team representing the Ohio State University in the college football season of 2006-2007. The team's head coach was Jim Tressel. The Buckeyes played their home games in Ohio Stadium...
(ranked #1 in the nation). The game took place at 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...
in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
on the campus of 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...
. This college football game was the first game of the 21st Century to be coined a Game of the Century
Game of the Century (college football)
The phrase "Game of the Century" is a superlative that has been applied to several college football contests played in the 20th century, the first full century of college football in the United States...
. This game also marked the first time in the Michigan – Ohio State football rivalry that both teams came into a matchup undefeated and ranked #1 and #2 in the nation.
2006 season
Prior to the 2006 college football season, the Ohio State Buckeyes2005 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...
defeated the Notre Dame Fighting Irish
2005 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team
The 2005 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team was a college football team who represented the University of Notre Dame in the 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Charlie Weis in his first year as head coach, and played their home games at Notre Dame Stadium...
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....
, while the Michigan Wolverines
2005 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 2005 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 2005 college football season. The team's head coach was Lloyd Carr. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium. That year Michigan Wolverines football competed in the Big Ten Conference in...
lost to the Nebraska Cornhuskers
2005 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
The 2005 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Bill Callahan and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska....
in the 2005 Alamo Bowl
2005 Alamo Bowl
The 2005 Alamo Bowl was a college football bowl game held on December 28, 2005 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. It was the 13th Alamo Bowl. The Nebraska Cornhuskers, second place finishers in the Big 12 Conference's North Division, defeated the Michigan Wolverines, third placed finishers...
. Ohio State came into the 2006 season ranked #1 in the nation after a promising end to the season by 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...
candidate 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...
. Michigan began the 2006 season ranked #15 with few people believing they would have a run at the national title.
On September 9, Ohio State defeated the Texas Longhorns, who were at the time ranked #2, by a score of 24–7 in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
. This Texas loss set up a matchup between the then ranked #15 Wolverines and the #2 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
2006 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team
The 2006 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team was a college football team which represented the University of Notre Dame during the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Charlie Weis in his second year as head coach and played their home football games at Notre Dame...
on September 16. Michigan continued their undefeated season in an upset victory over Notre Dame by the score of 47–21, moving them up to #6 in the rankings.
Throughout the months of September and October, Michigan and Ohio State continued their undefeated seasons in 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...
play. Games between the Wolverines and Wisconsin Badgers
2006 Wisconsin Badgers football team
The 2006 Wisconsin Badgers football team represented the University of Wisconsin–Madison during the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Led by first-year head coach Bret Bielema, the Badgers completed the season with a 12-1 record, including a 7-1 mark in the Big Ten Conference, good for a...
along with the Iowa Hawkeyes
2006 Iowa Hawkeyes football team
The 2006 Iowa Hawkeyes football team represented the University of Iowa during the 2006 college football season. The Hawkeyes played their home games at Kinnick Stadium and were coached by Kirk Ferentz...
and Buckeyes brought national attention to the growing idea of an eventual undefeated game between the Buckeyes and the Wolverines in late November.
On November 4, a close game with the Ball State Cardinals
Ball State Cardinals football
The Ball State Cardinals football team represents Ball State University in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football competition as a member of the Mid-American Conference .-Recent history:...
almost derailed the perfect season for the Wolverines, who were ranked #3 at the time. Ohio State also had a close game against their rivals, the Illinois Fighting Illini
2006 Illinois Fighting Illini football team
The 2006 Illinois Fighting Illini football team represented the University of Illinois in the 2006–2007 college football season. The team's head coach was Ron Zook, who was in his second season with the Illini. Illinois had a record of 2–10, as they did the year before...
on November 4, in which they eventually won to keep their consistent streak of ten weeks remaining in the #1 position in the AP Poll. By November 11, the game was set. The Buckeyes defeated Northwestern 54–10 while Michigan was victorious over Indiana 34–3, meaning there would be an 11–0 Michigan Wolverines team ranked #2 vs. an 11–0 Ohio State Buckeyes team ranked #1 at 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...
in Columbus.
Death of Bo Schembechler
On November 16, Bo SchembechlerBo Schembechler
Glenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler, Jr. was an American football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1963 to 1968 and at the University of Michigan from 1969 to 1989, compiling a career record of 234–65–8...
delivered his annual address to the Michigan team on the Thursday before the game between Ohio State, this time a game titled "The Game of the Century". Though Bo was not feeling well and Lloyd Carr
Lloyd Carr
Lloyd H. Carr is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Michigan from 1995 through the 2007 season. Under Carr, the Wolverines compiled a record of 122–40 and won or shared five Big Ten Conference titles...
, the current Michigan coach, told the coach to stay home and rest, he came in and continued his tradition. According to The Detroit News
The Detroit News
The Detroit News is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. The paper began in 1873, when it rented space in the rival Free Press's building. The News absorbed the Detroit Tribune on February 1, 1919, the Detroit Journal on July 21, 1922, and on November 7, 1960,...
: "Bo's speech was not about Ohio State, the Big Ten title or a national championship. The whole speech was about Tom Slade and how, if the players worked hard, listened to their coaches and stuck together as teammates, one day they might be as good a Michigan man as Slade. That was the goal at Michigan, not national championships." Schembechler finished by exhorting them to remember "the team, the team, the team!"
On November 17, Schembechler collapsed in a bathroom at WXYZ-TV just prior to the taping of Big Ten Ticket around 9:15 AM. He was taken to Providence Hospital
Providence Hospital
Providence Hospitals is a two hospital health care system with 304 licensed beds. It is located in downtown Columbia, South Carolina, and was founded by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Augustine in 1938...
in Southfield, Michigan
Southfield, Michigan
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which 0.04% is water. The main branch of the River Rouge runs through Southfield. The city is bounded to the south by Eight Mile Road, its western border is Inkster Road, and to the east it is bounded by Greenfield Road...
where he was pronounced dead at 11:43 AM. At a press conference a few hours after his death, it was reported by his doctor, Dr. Kim Eagle of the University of Michigan Health System
University of Michigan Health System
The University of Michigan Health System is the wholly owned academic medical center of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. UMHS includes the U-M Medical School, with its Faculty Group Practice and many research laboratories; the U-M Hospitals and Health Centers, which includes University...
, that his death was from the terminal stage of heart disease
Heart disease
Heart disease, cardiac disease or cardiopathy is an umbrella term for a variety of diseases affecting the heart. , it is the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Canada and Wales, accounting for 25.4% of the total deaths in the United States.-Types:-Coronary heart disease:Coronary...
, where the heart muscle itself does not respond to the pacemaker, a common cause of death for persons afflicted with severe heart disease.
Schembechler died the day before one of the biggest games in the history of the Michigan – Ohio State football rivalry. He was not planning to attend the November 18 game in Columbus
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, because his doctors had advised him that attending the game might be too much stress for his heart. Instead, Bo and his wife, Cathy, had packed the car and had planned to drive to suburban Dayton, Ohio to watch the game with his former Miami teammate and best friend, Bill Gunlock.
Game summary
After a long and successful season for both teams the annual rivalry was set to play out at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on November 18th. For the first time in the history of the rivalry, the two rivals faced off while holding the top two spots in the Bowl Championship SeriesBowl 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...
rankings. Ohio State won the game by a score of 42–39 and became the outright Big Ten champion, earning the right to play for a national championship at the BCS National Championship Game
2007 BCS National Championship Game
The 2007 BCS National Championship Game, sponsored by Tostitos, was an American football game played at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on January 8, 2007. The BCS No. 2 Florida Gators defeated the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes, 41–14. The Buckeyes secured a spot by finishing...
in Glendale, Arizona
Glendale, Arizona
Glendale is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, located about nine miles northwest from Downtown Phoenix. According to 2010 Census Bureau, the population of the city is 226,721....
.
First half
The game began with the Michigan Wolverines driving down the field to open the scoring up. Mike Hart scored the opening touchdown in the first quarter giving Michigan the lead 7–0. Troy SmithTroy 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...
and the Buckeyes answered with a 14-play drive, all plays were passes, ending up with a one yard pass from Smith to Roy Hall
Roy Hall
Roy Hall is an American football wide receiver for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
. By the halfway point in the first quarter, the game was tied 7–7 with the possession going back to Michigan. After exchanging possessions with no scoring, Ohio State, after throwing for most of the game, broke the running attack open with at 52-yard touchdown by the up-and-coming Buckeye star Chris "Beanie" Wells
Chris Wells (American football)
Chris "Beanie" Michael Wells is an American football running back for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League...
. The second quarter also saw a 39-yard touchdown from Ted Ginn Jr. making the game score 21–7 with Ohio State running away from it. Michigan responded with an 8-yard passing touchdown from Adrian Arrington
Adrian Arrington
Adrian Jarrard Arrington is an American football wide receiver who is currently a wide receiver of the New Orleans Saints. He was drafted by the Saints in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft and called up from the team's practice squad before Week 17 of the 2010 NFL season...
, however Ohio State responded with a touchdown by Anthony Gonzalez
Anthony Gonzalez
Anthony E. Gonzalez is an American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Colts in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Ohio State.-Early years:Gonzalez attended St...
. After the first half of play, the Buckeyes were leading by a score of 28–14.
Second half
The second half of the game began with Michigan coming back into the game, scoring on their first two possessions of the half. After a touchdown from Mike Hart and a field goal by Garrett RivasGarrett Rivas
-College career:As a freshman for the 2003 Wolverines, he was the regular kicker for the team from the start, making four point after touchdowns in the first game of the season...
, the game score was now 28–24 Ohio State with 8:41 left in the 3rd quarter. Ohio State continued to pile onto their lead with a 56-yard run from 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....
, becoming the last score of the quarter with the score becoming 35–24. As Ohio State seemed to pull away, Michigan came back with a Mike Hart touchdown to begin the 4th quarter. However, this would not be enough as the Buckeyes scored on a 13 yard pass to Brian Robiskie
Brian Robiskie
Brian Robiskie is an American football wide receiver for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League. The Cleveland Browns selected Robiskie in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft as the 36th overall pick. He was born in Los Angeles, California, and grew up in the Cleveland, Ohio...
. On the last score of the game, Michigan scored on a 16-yard pass to Tyler Ecker
Tyler Ecker
Tyler Rand Ecker is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan.-Washington Redskins:...
and were successful on the two-point conversion. However, the Wolverine defense was not able to stop the Buckeye offense as the clock ran out. After 3 hours and 28 minutes of play, the Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the Michigan Wolverines to win their second straight Big Ten title and their third straight victory over their rival Michigan.
Scoring summary
| Scoring play | Score | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st quarter | |||
| MICH – Mike Hart 1-yard run (Garrett Rivas Garrett Rivas -College career:As a freshman for the 2003 Wolverines, he was the regular kicker for the team from the start, making four point after touchdowns in the first game of the season... kick), 12:32 |
MICH 7–0 | ||
| OSU – Roy Hall Roy Hall Roy Hall is an American football wide receiver for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft... 1-yard pass from 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... (Aaron Pettrey kick), 6:03 |
tie 7–7 | ||
| 2nd quarter | |||
| OSU – Chris Wells Chris Wells (American football) Chris "Beanie" Michael Wells is an American football running back for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League... 52-yard run (Aaron Pettrey kick), 12:29 |
OSU 14–7 | ||
| OSU – Ted Ginn Jr. 39-yard pass from Troy Smith (Aaron Pettrey kick), 6:11 | OSU 21–7 | ||
| MICH – Adrian Arrington Adrian Arrington Adrian Jarrard Arrington is an American football wide receiver who is currently a wide receiver of the New Orleans Saints. He was drafted by the Saints in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft and called up from the team's practice squad before Week 17 of the 2010 NFL season... 37-yard pass from Chad Henne Chad Henne Chad Steven Henne is an American football quarterback for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League.He graduated from Wilson Senior High School and attended the University of Michigan... (Garrett Rivas kick), 2:33 |
OSU 21–14 | ||
| OSU – Anthony Gonzalez Anthony Gonzalez Anthony E. Gonzalez is an American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Colts in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Ohio State.-Early years:Gonzalez attended St... 8-yard pass from Troy Smith (Aaron Pettrey kick), 0:20 |
OSU 28–14 | ||
| 3rd quarter | |||
| MICH – Mike Hart 2-yard run (Garrett Rivas kick), 12:12 | OSU 28–21 | ||
| MICH – Garrett Rivas 39-yard field goal, 8:41 | OSU 28–24 | ||
| OSU – 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.... 56-yard run (Aaron Pettrey kick), 8:04 |
OSU 35–24 | ||
| 4th quarter | |||
| MICH – Mike Hart 1-yard run (Garrett Rivas kick), 14:41 | OSU 35–31 | ||
| OSU – Brian Robiskie Brian Robiskie Brian Robiskie is an American football wide receiver for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League. The Cleveland Browns selected Robiskie in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft as the 36th overall pick. He was born in Los Angeles, California, and grew up in the Cleveland, Ohio... 13-yard pass from Troy Smith (Aaron Pettrey kick), 5:38 |
OSU 42–31 | ||
| MICH – Tyler Ecker Tyler Ecker Tyler Rand Ecker is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan.-Washington Redskins:... 16-yard pass from Chad Henne (Steve Breaston Steve Breaston Steven William Breaston is an American football wide receiver and punt returner for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cardinals in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft... pass from Chad Henne), 2:16 |
OSU 42–39 | ||
Aftermath
The Ohio State victory propelled the Buckeyes to the 2007 BCS National Championship Game2007 BCS National Championship Game
The 2007 BCS National Championship Game, sponsored by Tostitos, was an American football game played at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on January 8, 2007. The BCS No. 2 Florida Gators defeated the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes, 41–14. The Buckeyes secured a spot by finishing...
where they would face the SEC Champion, #2 Florida Gators
2006 Florida Gators football team
The 2006 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2006 college football season...
, ranked as the #1 team in the nation. There was a great deal of controversy as to who should face Ohio State for the championship: USC, Florida
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
, and Michigan both sat with one loss and voters initially kept Michigan at the number two spot. The following week USC leapfrogged Michigan into the number two spot after an impressive win over a top-10 Notre Dame team. USC, however, was defeated the following week to rival UCLA, leaving the debate open as to whether Michigan or Florida was most deserving of playing against Ohio State. Some media analysts believed that Michigan deserved another shot at the Buckeyes, as Florida was not particularly impressive in their conference championship game against Arkansas. Voters, however, refused to keep Michigan at #2, perhaps because they felt it would be unfair to give Michigan a rematch when Florida also had one loss and won their conference. The decision by the human voters in both the 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....
and Harris Poll proved to be the difference in the final BCS rankings, as Florida edged Michigan by an extremely small margin .
The Wolverines would go the 2007 Rose Bowl
2007 Rose Bowl
The 2007 Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 2007 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. It was the 93rd Rose Bowl Game and part of the 2006-2007 Bowl Championship Series at the conclusion of the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season...
where they would play the Pac-10 Champion, USC Trojans
2006 USC Trojans football team
The 2006 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California in college football season of 2006-2007, winning the Pacific-10 Conference and playing in the Rose Bowl...
, with Michigan coming into the game ranked #3 and the Trojans ranked #5. 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...
received the 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...
in December of 2006, becoming the seventh Ohio State Buckeye to win the trophy. With the new year of 2007, the Wolverines looked to avenge their loss against the Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl. However, Michigan was not able to capture the magic which they had earlier in the season, or keep the game close as they had with Ohio State. USC won the 2007 Rose Bowl by a score of 32–18 giving Michigan their second straight loss after winning eleven straight. Michigan finished the season ranked #8 in the AP Poll.
Ohio State, after being ranked the entire 2006 season #1 went into the 2007 BCS National Championship Game as a heavy favorite. The night of January 8th seemed to begin well for the Buckeyes with an opening kickoff return for a touchdown by Ted Ginn Jr. Ginn, however, was injured in the celebration of that touchdown and Troy Smith and Ohio State would struggle to find their offense for the rest of the night. The Buckeyes ended up losing the national championship game to the Florida Gators, 41–14.
The lopsided defeats suffered by both teams in their respective bowl games put the reputation of the Big 10 Conference in a negative light, with many analysts arguing that neither Michigan or Ohio State played a difficult schedule and were thus exposed by teams that played more difficult opponents. Some analysts argued that the Big 10 teams lacked the athleticism to compete effectively against teams with a great deal of speed, like USC and Florida. Other analysts cited the long layoff between the end of the Big 10 regular season, which ended 2 weeks before most other conferences, and the bowl season. As a result, Big 10 teams may have been unable to perform at the high levels seen during the regular season. Ohio State finished the season ranked #2.