Ohio State Buckeyes ©	Michigan State Spartans
Played October 14, 2006 at Spartan Stadium East Lansing, Michigan

  

 

Teams' Belt Records

 

Team	Belt Reigns	Overall Record				Home Record				Away Record				Neutral Record
		W	L	T	PCT	W	L	T	PCT	W	L	T	PCT	W	L	T	PCT
Ohio State ©	5	24	8	1	.742	14	1	1	.906	8	2	0	.800	2	5	0	.286
Michigan State	0	0	5	0	.000	0	2	0	.000	0	3	0	.000

 

The top-ranked, 6-0 Ohio State Buckeyes with coach Jim Tressel traveled to East Lansing to meet the 3-3 Michigan State Spartans with coach John L. Smith.  The Spartans limped into this match-up with several key injuries as well as a damaged psyche.  After starting the season 3-0, a 4^th quarter collapse against Notre Dame seemed to send Michigan State on a downward spiral.  This game did nothing to improve their mental state as the Buckeyes' balanced, efficient offense, stingy defense, & the Spartans mistakes meant a 38-7 victory for Ohio State.  Michigan State's fate seemed sealed on their first offensive play.  Ohio State's RB Chris Wells fumbled while trying to convert the Buckeyes' 3 & 1 at the Ohio State 29-yard line.  Michigan State's CB Greg Copper recovered the fumble & the Spartans hopes were high.  On their first play from scrimmage, Spartans' QB Drew Stanton threw a screen pass to RB Jehuu Caulcrick who took the ball to the Ohio State 1-yard line but a holding penalty returned the ball to the Ohio State 24-yard line.  The Buckeyes defense took over from that point on as the stopped Caulcrick for a 1-yard loss, forced an incomplete pass, & sacked Stanton for a 16-yard loss taking Michigan State out of field goal range.  Even the punt was a bad omen as the Spartans seemed to have a chance to down the ball inside the Ohio State 1-yard line but the coverage man let his feet touch the end-line giving the Buckeyes the ball at the Ohio State 20-yard line.  That was as close as the Spartans got to the Buckeyes the rest of the game.  Ohio State drove 80 yards in 12 plays, mixing runs & passes, with RB Antonio Pittman slipping through the line for the score on a 2-yard run.  The Buckeyes pushed the lead to 10-0 early in the 2^nd quarter when PK Aaron Pettrey connected on a 32-yard field goal.  Midway through the quarter, the Spartans were forced to punt from their own 9-yard line.  Ohio State's All-Big Ten WR Ted Ginn, Jr. took the punt at his own 40-yard line, made one move, then raced 60 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown giving the Buckeyes a 17-0 lead.  Ohio State's LB Marcus Freeman set-up the Buckeyes next score by intercepting Stanton at the Michigan State 39-yard line.  It took 7 plays to get into the end zone as Ohio State's Heisman Trophy winning, All-American QB Troy Smith hit WR Anthony Gonzalez on a 12-yard touchdown pass for a 24-0 halftime lead.  The Buckeyes first drive of the 2^nd half reasserted their dominance as they drove 53 yard in 5 plays with Smith dodging Michigan State defenders before finding WR Brian Robiskie on a 7-yard touchdown pass.  A 13-play, 88-yard touchdown was capped by Wells scoring on a 5-yard touchdown run giving the Buckeyes a 38-0 lead.  Michigan State's score came against the Buckeyes' reserves as back-up QB Brian Hoyer moved the Spartans 69 yards in 12 plays before RB A.J. Jimmerson scored on a 6-yard touchdown run.  Smith finished with 234 yards passing with 2 touchdowns while Gonzalez added 7 catches for 118 yards to his score.  For the Spartans, Stanton was held to 54 yards passing with an interception while being sacked 3 times & physically punished by the Ohio State defense.  The Spartans finished the season 4-8 in Smith's final season while the Buckeyes finished 12-1, Big Ten Champions & ranked 2^nd nationally.  Michigan State has not played for The Belt again.