| |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
Final |
|
Bowling Green |
0 |
0 |
7 |
0 |
7 |
|
Ohio State |
14 |
7 |
0 |
14 |
35 |
The 3-2 Bowling Green Falcons with coach Gregg
Brandon met the top-ranked, 5-0 Ohio State Buckeyes & coach Jim Tressel
hoping to build on near-upset they had in 2003. The Buckeyes proved
too talented & posted a 35-7 workmanlike victory over the Falcons.
Heisman Trophy winning, All-American QB Troy Smith led the Buckeyes with 3 touchdown passes but the game was much
more about Ohio State taking advantage of excellent field position the
Falcons gave to them as the avoided punting to returners All-Big Ten WR Ted Ginn, Jr. &
WR Anthony Gonzalez. The Buckeyes opened with a 9-play, 64-yard drive
capped by a 3-yard touchdown pass from Smith to TE Rory Nicol. Smith
completed all 5 of his pass attempts on the drive for 44 yards & it seemed
clear that the Falcons did not have the talent or experience to match-up
with the Ohio State offense. Bowling Green's hope of staying in the
game took a hit when PK Sean Ellis' 50-yard field goal attempt was blocked
by Ohio State CB Kurt Coleman. The Buckeyes went 53 yards in 9 plays
with the highlight a spectacular run on a broken play by Smith. Faced
with a
3rd down & 26 to go from the Bowling Green 42-yard
line, Smith lined-up in shotgun formation. A low snap that Smith
bobbled threw off any timing the play had but Smith moved to his right before
circling back to his left. Finding no one open downfield, the
quarterback broke back across to his right racing 34 for yards for a
1st down. RB Antonio Pittman scored from the
8-yard line on the next play giving the Buckeyes a 14-0 lead. Early in
the
2nd quarter, Bowling Green had their only turnover of the game; an
interception of QB Anthony Turner by Ohio State DE Vernon Gholston on a
deflected pass giving the Buckeyes the ball at the Bowling Green 21-yard
line. Smith completed 2 passes before Pittman scored on his second
8-yard touchdown run of the game as the Buckeyes pushed the lead to 21-0.
The
3rd quarter moved quickly as the Falcons tried to
rally against the top-ranked Buckeyes. Taking the
2nd half kick-off,
Bowling Green drove 85 yards in 15 plays using 8:39 of game time before
scoring on a 12-yard touchdown pass from Turner to WR Corey Partridge.
Ohio State responded with their own time consuming drive as they went 70
yards in 14 plays using 7:18 of game time. The score came on an
11-yard touchdown pass from Smith to WR Ray Small on the
3rd play of the final quarter & put the Buckeyes back
in control at 28-7. The final Ohio State points came after Bowling
Green P Alonso Rojas, the MAC's leading punter, finally kicked to the
Buckeyes' return threats as Ginn, Jr. returned the 48-yard punt 21 yards to
the Ohio State 43-yard line. On the next play, Smith hit Ginn, Jr.,
who had raced by the Falcon's defensive backs, in stride for a 57-yard
touchdown pass as the 0:21 drive sealed Bowling Green's fate.
Smith finished with 191 yards passing completing 17 of his 20 pass attempts
for 3 touchdowns while Ginn, Jr. added 10 catches for 122 yards to his
score. For the Falcons, Turner threw for 179 yards with a touchdown
but an interception while Rojas averaged just 29 yards per punt, after
averaging almost 38 yards per punt coming into the game, which kept the
Falcons behind in the field position game all day. The Falcons
finished the season 4-8 while the Buckeyes finished 12-1, Big Ten Champions
& ranked
2nd nationally. Bowling Green has
not played for The Belt again.
|
 |
 |
|
Ohio State
Buckeyes
© |
Michigan State
Spartans |
|
Played
October 14, 2006
at Spartan Stadium |
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 |
|
|
|
|
| |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
Final |
|
Ohio State |
7 |
17 |
7 |
7 |
38 |
|
Michigan State |
0 |
0 |
0 |
7 |
7 |
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
4th 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 RB Chris Wells fumbled while trying to convert
the Buckeyes' 3 & 1 at the Ohio State 29-yard line. Michigan State
CB Greg Copper recovered the fumble & the Spartans hopes were high.
On their first play from scrimmage, Spartan 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
2nd 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 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 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
2nd 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 Buckeye 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
2nd nationally. Michigan State has not played for The Belt again.
|
 |
 |
|
Indiana
Hoosiers |
Ohio State
Buckeyes
© |
|
Played
October 21, 2006
at Ohio Stadium |
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 |
|
Indiana |
0 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
.000 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
.000 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
.000 |
|
|
|
|
|
Ohio State
© |
5 |
25 |
8 |
1 |
.750 |
14 |
1 |
1 |
.906 |
9 |
2 |
0 |
.818 |
2 |
5 |
0 |
.286 |
| |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
Final |
|
Indiana |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
|
Ohio
State |
7 |
21 |
10 |
6 |
44 |
The top-ranked, 7-0 Ohio State Buckeyes of coach Jim
Tressel welcomed the 4-3 Indiana Hoosiers with coach Terry Hoeppner to
Columbus. Ohio State's Heisman Trophy winning, All-American QB
Troy Smith threw 4 touchdown passes while
the Buckeyes' defense held the Hoosiers to 158 yards of total offense in
a 44-3 Ohio State victory. Indiana came into the game off a win
against Iowa in which they trailed 21-3 before winning 31-28 & coach
Hoeppner had brain surgery twice in the past 10 months so the Hoosiers
believed they might get they breaks they needed. Even when Indiana
punted on their opening drive, it pinned the Buckeyes at their own
2-yard line. After forcing Ohio State to punt after just 3 plays,
Indiana got a 34-yard punt return from RB Marcus Thigpen. The
Hoosiers were unable to move the ball but did get a 34-yard field goal
from PK Austin Starr giving Indiana a 3-0 lead. Ohio State got
their offense moving late in the
1st quarter as they moved from their own 13-yard line
to the Indiana 23-yard line. Faced with a
3rd & 1, everyone expected a run to get the first
down but Smith ran a prefect play-action fake that had TE Rory Nicol
wide-open down the middle of the field. Smith hit Nicol in stride,
the Buckeyes took a 7-3 lead & never looked back. The
2nd quarter saw the Buckeyes score on drives of 53,
78, & 49 yards, taking a 28-3 halftime lead as all 3 drives ended with
Smith throwing a touchdown pass. On the first drive he hit All-Big
Ten WR Ted
Ginn, Jr. for a 31-yard touchdown pass, the second saw him connect with
a wide-open WR Anthony Gonzalez for a 5-yard touchdown pass, & the third
was a 1-yard touchdown pass to TE Jake Ballard. In the
3rd quarter, Ohio State opened the playbook to give
future opponents some other things to plan for. From the Indiana
38-yard line, it appeared Ohio State was running a reverse to Ginn, Jr.
but instead the speedy wideout slowed & threw a touchdown pass to Nicol
giving the Buckeyes a 35-3 lead. Ohio State PK Aaron Pettrey hit a
51-yard field goal late in the quarter & RB Chris Wells scored on a
12-yard touchdown run in the
4th quarter for the final score. Smith finished
with 220 yards passing with his 4 touchdowns while RB Antonio Pittman
rushed for 105 yards. Indiana QB Kellen Lewis threw for 106 yards
but was sacked 4 times as the Ohio State defense held the Hoosiers to
just 7 yards rushing in the rout. The Hoosiers finished the season
5-7 while the Buckeyes finished 12-1, Big Ten Champions & ranked
2nd nationally. Indiana has not played for The
Belt again.
|
 |
|
|
Minnesota
Golden Gophers |
Ohio State
Buckeyes
© |
|
Played
October 28, 2006
at Ohio Stadium |
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 |
|
Minnesota |
1 |
1 |
5 |
0 |
.167 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
.000 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
.250 |
|
|
|
|
|
Ohio State
© |
5 |
26 |
8 |
1 |
.757 |
15 |
1 |
1 |
.912 |
9 |
2 |
0 |
.818 |
2 |
5 |
0 |
.286 |
| |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
Final |
|
Minnesota |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Ohio
State |
10 |
7 |
13 |
14 |
44 |
The 3-5 Minnesota Golden Gophers with coach Glen
Mason traveled to Columbus to meet the top-ranked, 8-0 Ohio State
Buckeyes of coach Jim Tressel. On a windy afternoon with gusts
over 40 m.p.h., Ohio State turned to its punishing rushing attack
sprinkled with just enough short passes to keep the Golden Gophers
off-balance. The Buckeyes amassed 266 yards rushing led by RB
Antonio Pittman's 116 yards with 2 touchdowns as Ohio State rolled to a
44-0 rout of Minnesota. The Buckeyes started quickly as All-Big
Ten WR Ted
Ginn, Jr. returned the opening kick-off 35 yard to the Ohio State
43-yard line. Pittman then rushed for 37 of the 57 yards on the
drive scoring on a 10-yard touchdown run. PK Aaron Pettrey kicked
a 42-yard field goal on the Buckeyes next drive to give Ohio State a
10-0 lead. An apparent crack in the Buckeyes offense appeared in
the
2nd quarter as both RB Chris Wells & Heisman
Trophy winning, All-American QB Troy Smith
fumbled with the Golden Gophers recovering both times. The amazing
stat for the Buckeyes defense continued as they have not allowed a point
off a Buckeye turnover to date. Late in the quarter, Ohio State
drove 71 yards in 10 plays with Smith throwing an 18-yard touchdown pass
to WR Brian Robiskie for a 17-0 halftime lead. Any hopes of a
rally for the Golden Gophers ended quickly in the
3rd quarter as Ohio State's All-Big Ten CB Antonio Smith
intercepted Minnesota QB Bryan Cupito on the third play of the half
giving the Buckeyes the ball at the Minnesota 23-yard line. On
Ohio State's third snap of the half, Troy Smith scrambled through the
Golden Gophers defense, dodged a linebacker, & scored on a 21-yard run
for a 24-0 Buckeye lead. Ohio State CB Jamario O'Neal intercepted
Cupito on the next Minnesota drive & the Buckeyes drove 41 yards with
Pittman scoring the touchdown on a 13-yard run. The blocked
extra-point attempt still gave Ohio State a 30-0 lead as the
3rd quarter ended. Wells' 3-yard touchdown run
& a 1-yard quarterback sneak by back-up QB Justin Zwick finished the
Buckeyes scoring. Troy Smith finished with 183 yards passing with
a touchdown while Cupito threw for 120 yards but was intercepted 3
times. Minnesota played without All-American, Mackey Award
winner TE Matt Spaeth out due
to injury while Ohio State's defense held Minnesota to 47 yards rushing &
182 total yards in the rout. The Golden Gophers finished the
season 6-7 while the Buckeyes finished 12-1, Big Ten Champions & ranked
2nd nationally. Minnesota has not played for The Belt
again.
|
|
 |
|
Ohio State
Buckeyes
© |
Illinois
Fighting Illini |
|
Played
November 4, 2006
at
Memorial Stadium |
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 |
27 |
8 |
1 |
.764 |
16 |
1 |
1 |
.917 |
9 |
2 |
0 |
.818 |
2 |
5 |
0 |
.286 |
|
Illinois |
1 |
1 |
4 |
0 |
.200 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
.000 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
.000 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1.000 |
| |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
Final |
|
Ohio
State |
7 |
10 |
0 |
0 |
17 |
|
Illinois |
0 |
0 |
0 |
10 |
10 |
The top-ranked, 9-0 Ohio State Buckeyes of coach Jim
Tressel traveled to Champaign-Urbana to meet the 2-7 Illinois Fighting
Illini of coach Ron Zook. The Buckeyes had to survive an on-sides
kick attempt with less than 2:00 play to retain The Belt in a 17-10
victory over the Fighting Illini. After taking a 17-0 lead in the
1st half, it appeared the Buckeyes were on their way
to another routine, 4 touchdown victory but the Fighting Illini defense
shutdown the Ohio State offense. Illinois' offense dominated play
in the
2nd half but was not able to get into the end zone
until 1:40 left in the game. The Buckeyes opened the game in what
is becoming their typical fashion; a long touchdown drive that takes the
opposing crowd out of the game. This drive went 14 plays over 80
yards in 6:44 with RB Chris Wells getting the touchdown on a 2-yard run.
Ohio State scored early in the
2nd quarter as RB Antonio Pittman finished a 38-yard
scoring drive with a 1-yard touchdown run. The drive was set-up
when Ohio State LB Curtis Terry recovered a fumble by Illinois RB
Derrick McPherson. A strong wind assisted the Buckeyes on their
next score as PK Aaron Pettrey connected on a 50-yard field goal that
appeared would have been good from 60 yards as Ohio State took a 17-0
lead to the locker room. Neither team managed much offense in the
3rd quarter as the teams combined to punt 6 times.
The teams exchanged punts again to open the
4th quarter before Illinois back-up QB Tim Brasic,
taking over for the ineffective starter QB Juice Williams, drove the
Fighting Illini to a 27-yard field goal from PK Jason Reda. Many
expected Ohio State to finally settle down & take control but Illinois'
S Kevin Mitchell intercepted Buckeyes' Heisman Trophy winning,
All-American QB Troy Smith on a deflected pass
giving Illinois the ball at the Illinois 35-yard line. On the next
play, Illinois hopes seemed dashed as Brasic was intercepted by Ohio
State's All-American LB James Laurinaitis. Although the Buckeyes didn't score,
the Fighting Illini had only 3:43 left & still trailed by 14 points at
17-3. Illinois drove 80 yards in 2:03 with RB Rashard Mendenhall
getting the touchdown on a 3-yard run. The on-side kick attempt
hit off one of the Buckeyes' up-backs before Ohio State WR Brian
Robiskie recovered & secured the win. Ohio State's Smith
threw for a season-low 108 yards while being intercepted once & sacked 3
times. Illinois quarterbacks were not sacked but combined for just
134 yards passing with Williams throwing for 77 yards & Brasic throwing
for 57 yards with an interception. The Illini finished the season
2-10 while the Buckeyes finished 12-1, Big Ten Champions & ranked
2nd nationally. Illinois would play for The
Belt again in 2008.
|
|
 |
|
Ohio State
Buckeyes
© |
Northwestern
Wildcats |
|
Played
November 11, 2006
at
Ryan Field |
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 |
28 |
8 |
1 |
.770 |
16 |
1 |
1 |
.917 |
10 |
2 |
0 |
.833 |
2 |
5 |
0 |
.286 |
|
Northwestern |
0 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
.000 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
.000 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
.000 |
|
|
|
|
| |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
Final |
|
Ohio
State |
21 |
12 |
14 |
7 |
54 |
|
Northwestern |
0 |
10 |
0 |
0 |
10 |
The top-ranked, 10-0 Ohio State Buckeyes with coach
Jim Tressel traveled to Evanston to meet the 3-7 Northwestern Wildcats
of coach Pat Fitzgerald. After a lack-luster offensive performance
against Illinois the previous week, Ohio State was intent on
re-establishing the dominance. Buckeyes' Heisman Trophy winning,
All-American QB Troy Smith threw 4
touchdown passes while the defense forced 5 turnovers as Ohio State
coasted to a 54-10 victory over the Wildcats. The Buckeyes took
control quickly when All-American LB James Laurinaitis forced a fumble from
Northwestern WR Shaun Herbert on just the fourth play of the game.
Ohio State's S Brandon Mitchell recovered the ball at the Ohio State
45-yard line & the Buckeyes used five plays to go the 55 yards for the
touchdown. Smith found WR Brian Hartline for the score on a
14-yard touchdown pass. The Wildcats next possession ended
similarly as QB C.J. Bacher fumbled with Ohio State's All-Big Ten CB Antonio Smith
recovering at the Northwestern 27-yard line. Four plays later,
Buckeyes' RB Antonio Pittman bounced to the outside & scored from a yard
out giving Ohio State a 14-0 lead just 5:35 into the game. After
exchanging punts, Mitchell returned an interception from Bacher 46 yards
for a 21-0 Ohio State lead. The Wildcats got on the board early in
the
2nd quarter when PK Joel Howells connected on a
29-yard field goal. Another Buckeye score appeared imminent before
Pittman fumbled at the Northwestern 6-yard line. The Wildcats' DE
Corey Wootton recovered the ball for a touchback but Northwestern was
forced to try a punt. The Buckeyes blocked the punt & threw plays
later, Smith hit Hartline on a 9-yard touchdown pass giving Ohio State a
27-3 lead after Wootton blocked the extra-point attempt. The
Wildcats only touchdown came on an 8-yard touchdown pass from Bacher to
RB Tyrell Sutton. The Buckeyes' finished the
1st half scoring with a perfectly thrown pass
from Smith to All-Big Ten WR Ted Ginn, Jr. for a 34-yard touchdown pass. Ohio
State got touchdowns from WR Anthony Gonzalez, on a 6-yard touchdown
pass, & from RB Chris Wells, on a 1-yard run, in the
3rd quarter pushing the lead to 47-10 entering
the final quarter. The final touchdown came on a 4-yard touchdown
run by back-up QB Todd Boeckman. Smith finished with 185 yard
passing with 4 touchdowns & an interception. For Northwestern,
Bacher threw for 212 yards with a touchdown & 2 interceptions.
The Wildcats finished the season 4-8 while the Buckeyes finished 12-1,
Big Ten Champions & ranked
2nd nationally. Northwestern has not played for The Belt again.
|
 |
|
|
Michigan
Wolverines |
Ohio State
Buckeyes
© |
|
Played
November 18, 2006
at Ohio Stadium |
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 |
|
Michigan |
6 |
19 |
11 |
0 |
.633 |
10 |
4 |
0 |
.714 |
8 |
3 |
0 |
.727 |
1 |
4 |
0 |
.200 |
|
Ohio State
© |
5 |
29 |
8 |
1 |
.776 |
16 |
1 |
1 |
.917 |
11 |
2 |
0 |
.846 |
2 |
5 |
0 |
.286 |
| |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
Final |
|
Michigan |
7 |
7 |
10 |
15 |
39 |
|
Ohio
State |
7 |
21 |
7 |
7 |
42 |
The
2nd ranked, 11-0 Michigan Wolverines with coach Lloyd
Carr came to Columbus to meet the top-ranked, 11-0 Ohio State Buckeyes
with coach Jim Tressel. The game marked the second time this
season there was a match-up between teams ranked 1 & 2; Ohio State had
claimed the Belt from second-ranked Texas in September. While the
annual battle between the Buckeyes & Wolverines provided the typical
drama, the specifics of the game were anything but typical for the two
Big Ten powerhouses. Ohio State's Heisman Trophy winning,
All-American QB Troy Smith threw 4 touchdown
passes to 4 different receivers & the Buckeyes amassed 503 yards of
total offense but they still had to withstand a spirited Michigan rally
to retain the title with a 42-39 victory. The Wolverines tried to
take the Buckeyes game-script as they drove 80 yards in 7 plays on their
opening drive with All-Big Ten RB Mike Hart getting the touchdown on a 1-yard run.
Ohio State tied the game at 7-7 after driving 69 yards in 14 plays.
The touchdown came on a 1-yard pass from Smith to WR Roy Hall. The
Buckeyes took advantage of some good field position early in the
2nd quarter. Getting the ball at their own
42-yard line, Smith scrambled for a 6-yard gain before RB Chris Wells
broke an incredible 52-yard run for a score. Wells took the
handoff running to his left but was hit by a Wolverines' lineman.
He spun back to the middle, broke a tackle at the line of scrimmage &
ran free giving the Buckeyes a 14-7 lead. Another Michigan punt
pinned the Buckeyes at their own 9-yard line, but Ohio State had another
touchdown in just 4 plays. After a 4-yard run by RB Antoino
Pittman, Smith broke from the passing pocket & found WR Brian Robiskie.
Robiskie broke a tackle & ran for a 39-yard gain. Pittman's 9-yard
run put the ball at the Michigan 39-yard line & left the Buckeyes in a
2nd & inches situation. With their
short-yardage formation in play, Smith instead ran a perfectly disguised
play-action fake & connected with All-Big Ten WR Ted Ginn, Jr. on a 39-yard
touchdown pass that gave Ohio State a 21-7 lead. The Wolverines
final got their offense rolling again & QB Chad Henne found WR Adrian
Arrington for a 37-yard touchdown pass to finish another 80-yard drive.
The Buckeyes ended the
1st half scoring with their own 80-yard drive as
Smith threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to WR Anthony Gonzalez for the
score giving Ohio State a 28-14 halftime lead. Michigan gained the
momentum in the
3rd quarter. After forcing the Buckeyes to punt
after just 3 plays, the Wolverines went to Hart. He accounted for
59 yards on the 60-yard drive with the touchdown coming on a 2-yard run
keeping Michigan within 7 points at 28-21. Michigan's All-Big Ten DT Alan Branch
intercepted Smith on a deflected ball giving the Wolverines the ball at
the Ohio State 25-yard line. Michigan had to settle for a 39-yard
field goal from All-Big Ten PK Garrett Rivas but they had closed a 14-point halftime
lead to just 4 points with 8:41 left in the
3rd quarter. The Buckeyes took advantage of
another long scoring play when Pittman broke through the line untouched
& scored on a 56-yard touchdown run the seemed to put Ohio State back in
control with a 35-24 lead. Late in the
3rd quarter, Branch recovered a fumble for Michigan
on a bad snap at the Ohio State 9-yard line. Hart scored the
touchdown on a 1-yard run just 0:19 into the final quarter & the
Wolverines trailed just 35-31. Michigan was unable to take
advantage of another Buckeyes' fumble & had to punt. Ohio State
drove 83 yards in 11 plays using 5:00 of game time with Smith throwing a
13-yard touchdown pass to Robiskie giving the Buckeyes a 42-31 lead with
just 5:27 to play. Michigan was far from finished though as they
drove 81 yards in 11 plays with Henne throwing a 16-yard touchdown pass
to TE Tyler Ecker. With the 2-point conversion, the Wolverines
closed to 42-39 with an onside kick attempt coming. Ohio State
recovered the onside kick, made a first down, & ran out the clock to
close a memorable match-up from the long series. Smith finished
with 316 yards passing with 4 touchdowns but an interceptions, Pittman
added 139 yards rushing to his score, & Ginn, Jr. had 8 catches for 104
yards to go with his touchdown. For Michigan, Henne threw for 267
yards with 2 touchdowns but was sacked 4 times while Hart rushed for 142
yards to go with his 3 touchdowns. The Wolverines finished the
season 11-2, ranked 8th nationally while the Buckeyes
finished 12-1, Big Ten Champions & ranked
2nd nationally. Michigan has not played for The
Belt again.
|
|
 |
|
Ohio State
Buckeyes
© |
Florida
Gators |
|
The BCS
Championship Game
Played
January 8, 2007
at
University of Phoenix Stadium |
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 |
30 |
8 |
1 |
.782 |
17 |
1 |
1 |
.921 |
11 |
2 |
0 |
.846 |
2 |
5 |
0 |
.286 |
|
Florida |
2 |
5 |
8 |
0 |
.385 |
3 |
4 |
0 |
.429 |
2 |
3 |
0 |
.400 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
.000 |
Previous
Belt Meetings: None
| |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
Final |
|
Ohio
State |
7 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
14 |
|
Florida |
14 |
20 |
0 |
7 |
41 |
The top-ranked, 12-0 Ohio State Buckeyes of coach Jim
Tressel met the
2nd ranked Florida Gators with coach Urban Meyer in
the BCS Championship game. Many "experts" expected the game to be
a rout as the Buckeyes had been the top-ranked team from the opening of
the season & had only been threatened by arch-rival Michigan. The
game ended in a 41-14 rout by the Gators over the shell-shocked
Buckeyes. The game was decided by the match-up between QB Chris
Leak of Florida & Ohio State's Heisman Trophy winning, All-American QB
Troy Smith. Coming out of high school, Leak was the acclaimed
prospect while Smith was the final recruit in the Buckeyes's class
signed as an athlete rather than a quarterback. Although he had
set numerous passing records for the Gators, Leak was seen by many as
under-achieving while Smith's legend grew throughout his Buckeye career.
Smith had always come up big in the most important games while Leak was
challenged in his senior season for playing time by freshman QB Tim
Tebow. Leak made his last game as a Gator his signature moment as
he played a near perfect game in leading the Florida rout. It
looked like the experts might be right as Ohio State's All-Big Ten WR
Ted Ginn, Jr. took the opening kick-off & returned it 93 yards giving
the Buckeyes a 7-0 just 0:16 into the game. The Gators took
advantage of a 15-yard facemask penalty as they had to drive just 46
yards for their first touchdown. Leak connected with WR Dallas
Baker on a 14-yard touchdown pass for the score that tied the game at
7-7. On Ohio State's first offensive possession it became clear
that the Gator's speed on defense was going to cause problems for the
Buckeyes. After forcing a punt after just 3 plays, Florida got a
short field again helped by an Ohio State personal foul penalty.
This time they took only 5 plays to drive 34 yards with WR Percy Harvin
scoring on a 4-yard run giving the Gators a 14-7 lead. Again the
Buckeyes' offense sputtered as Smith was unable to find open receivers &
Ginn, Jr. left the game with a sprained foot. Florida scored on
the opening play of the
2nd quarter on a 2-yard touchdown run by RB DeShawn
Wynn for a 21-7 lead. Ohio State put together their only real
drive of the game when they drove 64 yards in 4 plays, helped by a
disputed rough-the-passer penalty, & RB Antonio Pittman scored on an
18-yard touchdown run. As poorly as the Buckeyes had played they
still only trailed 21-14 with 13:32 left in the half. After the
teams exchanged punts, Florida PK Chris Hetland, who had made only 4
field goals all season, connected on a 42-yard field goal giving the
Gators a 24-14 lead. The next two series for the Buckeyes
determined the game. After getting stopped short on a
3rd down play, the normally conservative Tressel
decided to try & get a first down from the Ohio State 29-yard line but
the Gators' defense stuffed Ohio State RB Chris Wells for no gain.
Florida turned the good field position into a 27-14 lead when Hetland
hit a 40-yard field goal. With just 1:53 left in the half, Smith
tried to rally the Buckeyes before the intermission but he was sacked on
the first play of the drive & Florida DE Derrick Harvey recovered the
ball & returned it 9 yards to the Ohio State 5-yard line. Three
plays later, QB Tim Tebow hit WR Andre Caldwell for a 1-yard touchdown
pass giving the Gators a 34-14 halftime lead that effectively ended the
game. Tebow scored early in the final quarter to finish the
scoring. Leak was named the game's MVP after he completed 25 of 36
passes for 213 yards with a touchdown while Smith was held to 35 yards
passing completing just 4 of 14 attempts while being intercepted once,
fumbling once, & being sacked 5 times by the Gators' defense. The
Buckeyes finished the season 12-1, Big Ten Champions;
2nd ranked nationally while Florida finished 13-1,
SEC Champions, & National Champions. Ohio State has not played for
The Belt again.
