| 2006 Michigan vs. Ohio State | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Conference game "Game of the Century" | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | November 18, 2006 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Season | 2006 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stadium | Ohio Stadium | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Columbus, Ohio | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Favorite | Ohio State by 6[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Bill LeMonnier[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Halftime show | The Ohio State University Marching Band | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 105,708[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| United States TV coverage | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Network | ABC[3] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Brent Musburger (play-by-play) Kirk Herbstreit (color) Bob Davie (color) Bonnie Bernstein (sideline) Lisa Salters (sideline) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nielsen ratings | 13.0[4] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The2006 Michigan vs. Ohio State game was a regular-seasoncollege football game between the unbeatenMichigan Wolverines (ranked No. 2 in the nation) and the unbeatenOhio State Buckeyes (ranked No. 1 in the nation) on November 18, 2006, atOhio Stadium inColumbus, Ohio. Called the "Game of the Century,"[5] this was the first time in the rivalry series that the teams entered the matchup ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the nation. In a game featuring lots of offense, Ohio State won 42–39.
Michigan and Ohio State first faced each other in 1897, and have met annually since 1918. Considered by some the greatest rivalry in American sports,[6] the rivalry had to that point been thede factoBig Ten Conference championship game on 22 occasions, with the game affecting the determination of the championship an additional 27 times (the Big Ten did not have aconference championship game until 2011). Ohio State entered the 2006 season ranked No. 1, while Michigan was ranked No. 14 in theAP preseason poll. With both teams winning all of their regular season games prior to their matchup, Ohio State remained No. 1 in all major polls, while Michigan moved up to No. 2 in the polls.
Both Michigan and Ohio State scored on their first offensive possessions, while the Buckeyes would eventually go up 21–7 midway through the second quarter. The Buckeyes took a 28–14 lead into halftime, with the Wolverines closing the gap in the third quarter, scoring on aMike Hart touchdown run and aGarrett Rivas field goal. Ohio State would extend their lead again following anAntonio Pittman touchdown run, though Michigan would bring the game within four points on another Hart touchdown run. ATroy Smith pass toBrian Robiskie would extend the Buckeyes' lead to 42–31. A late touchdown and two-point conversion would not be enough for Michigan, as the Buckeyes' would go on to win the game 42–39.
Following the game, Ohio State claimed theBig Ten championship outright, for the first time since 1984, and a berth in theBCS National Championship Game, while the Wolverines would accept a berth in theRose Bowl. Smith became the seventh Ohio State player to win theHeisman Trophy, while multiple players on both teams were recognized with conference and national awards. Michigan was defeated 32–18 by theUSC Trojans in theRose Bowl, while Ohio State was defeated 41–14 by theFlorida Gators in the national championship game.
Michigan andOhio State first faced each other in1897, and have met annually since1918. Coming into the game, Michigan held the all-time lead in the series 57–39–6, though Ohio State had won the previous two meetings. Called simply "The Game" by some, the rivalry is considered one of the greatest in American sports.[6][7][8][9] The rivalry was specifically intense during a period known as theTen Year War from 1969 to 1978 whenWoody Hayes of Ohio State andBo Schembechler of Michigan coached opposing teams. Schembechler died at the age of 77 on the eve of the game. This would be the first time since 1973 that both teams came into the rivalry game undefeated.[10]
At the beginning of the season, both teams were ranked in the top fifteen.[11] Following a victory over the then-second-rankedTexas on September 9, the Buckeyes' top rank was cemented. Michigan's victory over the then-second-rankedNotre Dame the following week on September 16, would bring them into the top ten at No. 6 in the AP poll. Both teams would go on to win their remaining games and enter the rivalry with Michigan, ranked No. 2 in theBCS standings, while Ohio State was ranked No. 1. This would be the first time in the BCS-era that the top-two-ranked teams would play each other in the regular season. Due to the No. 1 vs. No. 2 rankings from the conference rivals and the hype that led up to the matchup, the game was referred to as the "Game of the Century."[5][12][13]
In the preseason polls, Michigan opened the 2006 season ranked No. 14 in theAP Poll, while being ranked No. 15 in theCoaches' Poll.[11] The Wolverines' opened the season against theVanderbilt Commodores and defeated them 27–7.[14] Following a 41–17 victory overCentral Michigan, the No. 11 Wolverines traveled toNotre Dame Stadium to play the No. 2Fighting Irish.[15][16] Following a dominating performance on offense and defense, which included three interceptions of IrishquarterbackBrady Quinn, the Wolverines defeated Notre Dame 47–21 and moved to No. 6 in the polls the following week.[17] Michigan opened their conference schedule defeating theWisconsin Badgers 27–13, and theMinnesota Golden Gophers in theLittle Brown Jug game.[18][19]
Michigan remained consistent at No. 6 in the polls and defeated their in-state rivalMichigan State 31–13, holding the Spartans to just 60 rushing yards, while they themselves ran the ball for 211 yards.[20] Following the victory, Michigan moved up to No. 4 in the AP Poll and No. 5 in the Coaches' Poll.[21] The Wolverines then traveled toBeaver Stadium and defeatedPenn State 17–10, moving up to No. 2 in the AP Poll and No. 3 in the Coaches'.[22][23] After a 20–6 victory overIowa and a 17–3 victory overNorthwestern, the Wolverines moved to No. 2 in all major polls.[24][25][26] Although a closer game than expected, Michigan finished off their non-conference schedule with a 34–26 victory overBall State.[27] Michigan's 34–3 win overIndiana would bring them to 11–0 on the season and keep them ranked No. 2 in all major polls.[28][29] On November 17, former Michigan coach Bo Schembechler collapsed and was taken to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.[30] Schembechler's death happened just one day before one of the biggest games in the rivalry, though he had not planned on attending the game.[31]
Coming into the game with Ohio State, the Wolverines ranked twelfth in the nation in rushing offense, led byMike Hart who had 1,373 yards and 11 touchdowns.[32] Michigan quarterbackChad Henne compiled 1,932 passing yards, 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions, withMario Manningham,Steve Breaston andAdrian Arrington leading the team in receptions.[32] The Michigan defense ranked third in the nation, allowing only 231.4 yard per game, while also having the best rush defense, holding opponents to only 29.9 rushing yards per game and giving up only three rushingtouchdowns.[32]
In the preseason polls, Ohio State opened the 2006 season as the No. 1 ranked team in both the AP and Coaches' Poll.[11] The Buckeyes' opened their season by defeating theNorthern Illinois Huskies 35–12.[33] Ohio State traveled toDarrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium to play the second game of a home-and-home series withTexas, following a 25–22 defeat inColumbus, Ohio in2005. Ohio State defeated the then-second-ranked Longhorns 24–7, remaining the No. 1 team in all major college football polls.[16][34] Ohio State defeated theCincinnati Bearcats 37–7 the following week, withTroy Smith throwing for 203 yards and two touchdowns.[35]
Ohio State faced the No. 24Penn State Nittany Lions inColumbus and defeated them 28–6 after scoring three touchdowns in the fourth quarter. The Buckeyes defeated the No. 13Iowa Hawkeyes the following week 38–17 inKinnick Stadium. Ohio State finished their non-conference schedule defeatingBowling Green 35–7 and then defeated Michigan State the next week inSpartan Stadium 38–7, with the Buckeyes defense controlling much of the game. Blowout victories over Indiana and Minnesota would be followed by a 17–10 victory overIllinois for theIllibuck trophy. A 54–10 victory over Northwestern the following week gave the Buckeyes an 11–0 record heading into the rivalry game, with their ranking remaining consistent at No. 1 in all major polls.[29]
Quarterback Troy Smith entered the game against Michigan with 2,191 passing yards and 26 touchdown passes, while also leading theHeisman Trophy debate.[32]Ted Ginn Jr. andAnthony Gonzalez led the Buckeyes in receiving yards with 677 and 673 yards, respectively.[32] The Buckeyes rush defense had given up only 90.2 yards per games and three touchdowns, while they were tied for first in the nation with 21 interceptions.[32]James Laurinaitis andMalcolm Jenkins led the team with five and four respectively.[32]
Traditionally, the rivalry game between Michigan and Ohio State kicked off at noon onABC.[36] However, due to the circumstances of the matchup,ESPN and ABC moved the kickoff time to 3:30 p.m. EST, making it one of the only times the rivalry game had been played under the floodlights.[36]
The 2006 edition of "The Game" kicked off at 3:44 p.m. EST on November 18, 2006, in front of a crowd of 105,708 atOhio Stadium inColumbus,Ohio.[2] The game received extensive media coverage from ABC and ESPN, including in the preceding week and from a visit from ESPNCollege GameDay the morning of the game.[3] The game itself drew a 13.0 rating, with an estimated 21.8 million viewership on ABC, making it the most watched regular-season college football game since the1993 game between Florida State and Notre Dame.[4][37]
Ohio State won thecoin toss and elected to defer, giving Michigan the ball to start the first half.[2] The openingkickoff byAaron Pettrey was taken for a touchback by Michigan, with the Wolverines starting their first possession at their own 20 yard line.[38] Mike Hart received the ball on the first play from scrimmage, rushing for three yards.[38] Three straight completions from quarterback Chad Henne drove them into Ohio State territory.[38] A nine-yard run from Hart, followed by a 25-yard pass from Henne to Mario Manningham, brought Michigan to the Buckeyes' one yard line. A touchdown run from Hart gave the Wolverines an early 7–0 lead.[39] Quarterback Troy Smith and the Buckeyes responded on their ensuing possession, with Smith passing the ball on the first eight plays of the possession.[38] A touchdown pass from Smith toRoy Hall tied the game at 7–7.[39] After converting afirst down on their next possession, the Wolverines were forced topunt.[38] Ohio State was also unable to move the ball on its next possession, punting after seven plays. On the ensuing Michigan possession, the Buckeye defense sacked Henne for a loss of three yards as the first quarter ended.[38]
The second quarter began with Michigan again being unable to move the ball, and being forced to punt after a three and out.[38] The Buckeyes took their first lead of the game two plays later on a 52-yard touchdown run from freshmanrunning backChris Wells, with the score now 14–7 in favor of Ohio State.[39] A personal foul penalty committed by the Buckeyes extended the ensuing Wolverines drive, though they would punt three plays later.[38] Starting from their own 9, Ohio State drove 91-yards in four plays, scoring on a 39-yard touchdown pass from Smith to receiver Ted Ginn Jr., extending the Buckeye lead to 21–7.[39] Following three straight runs by Mike Hart, the Buckeye defense again gave the Wolverines a first down on a pass interference penalty.[38] Michigan took advantage of the penalty scoring two plays later on a 37-yard touchdown pass from Henne toAdrian Arrington, cutting the Ohio State lead to 21–14.[39] Ohio State started their next drive with seven consecutive pass attempts, driving 72 yards to the Michigan 8.[38] A touchdown pass from Smith toAnthony Gonzalez gave Ohio State a 28–14 lead.[39] Time expired on the ensuing kickoff, giving Ohio State the two touchdown advantage going into halftime.[39]
Ohio State received the ball to start the second half, with the Wolverine defense forcing their first three and out of the game.[38] Three runs for 58 yards by Mike Hart set up Michigan at the Ohio State 2.[38] Hart scored his second touchdown of the day on a two-yard run, cutting the Buckeye lead again to one possession at 28–21.[39] Three plays later, on Ohio State's next possession, Troy Smith threw an interception toAlan Branch, giving Michigan possession of the ball at the Buckeye 25 yard line.[38] Michigan was unable to convert a first down off of the interception, settling instead for a 39-yard field goal fromGarrett Rivas, cutting the Ohio State lead to 28–24.[39] Ohio State responded three plays later on a 56-yard touchdown from Antonio Pittman, giving the Buckeyes a 35–24 lead.[39] After driving to the Ohio State 34, Michigan was unable to convert on a fourth down, turning it over to Ohio State.[38] Three and outs by both teams on their ensuing possessions, gave the ball back to Ohio State with over a minute remaining in the quarter.[38] Afumble by Smith again gave the ball back to the Wolverines, this time at the Ohio State 9. A rush from no gain from Hart was the last play of the third quarter.[38]
On the second play of the fourth quarter, Michigan scored on a third touchdown from Mike Hart, cutting the Buckeye lead again to one possession at 35–31.[39] Troy Smith turned the ball over for a third time on the ensuing Buckeye possession, this time on a fumble that was recovered by the Wolverines at the Michigan 32.[38] After a three and out, Michigan was forced to punt, pinning Ohio State back at their own 17.[38] An 11 play, 83-yard drive by the Buckeyes took them to the Michigan 13, where they scored on a touchdown pass from Smith to Brian Robiskie, giving the Buckeyes a 42–31 lead.[39] Michigan's next possession began with five straight completions from Henne.[38] After driving to the Ohio State 16, the Wolverines scored on a touchdown pass from Henne to Tyler Ecker.[38] The Wolverines completed atwo-point conversion on a pass from Henne toSteve Breaston, making it a three-point game at 42–39 in favor of Ohio State.[39] The ensuingonside kick by the Wolverines was recovered by Ginn of the Buckeyes.[38] Time expired in the game, following three straight runs from Pittman, giving Ohio State the 42–39 victory.[39]
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| Michigan | Ohio State | |
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| 1st Downs | 17 | 24 |
| Total Yards | 397 | 503 |
| Passing Yards | 267 | 316 |
| Rushing Yards | 130 | 187 |
| Penalties | 5–45 | 4–50 |
| 3rd Down Conversions | 4–13 | 6–11 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 3 |
| Time of Possession | 28:58 | 31:02 |
The game was considered an offensive shootout, with both teams combining for 900 yards of total offense, and 81 total points.[13] The Buckeyes' compiled 503 yards of total offense, compared to the Wolverines' 397 yards.[39] Smith completed 29 of 41 passes for 316 passing yards[39] Smith's top receiver in the game was Ginn who had 104 yards on 8 receptions, followed by Robiskie with 89 yards on 7 receptions. Overall, Smith threw four touchdown passes and one interception.[39]
Henne entered the game as the Wolverines' starting quarterback; he completed 21 of 35 passes for 267 passing yards.[39] Manningham was the top receiver for Henne, who had 86 yards on 6 receptions, followed by Arrington who had 90 yards on five receptions.[39] Overall, Henne threw two touchdown passes in the game.[39]
In terms of rushing offense, Ohio State outgained Michigan 187 to 130 yards, led by Pittman who ran for 139 rushing yards on 18 carries.[39] Michigan was led on the ground by Hart, who carried the ball 23 times for 142 yards.[39] Ohio State was led by Pittman's 139 rushing yards, and also saw Wells, a freshman, run for 56 yards, while Manningham rushed for 13 yards on 2 carries for the Wolverines'.[39]
Defensively,David Harris led Michigan with ten totaltackles in the game, followed by Terrance Taylor with seven.[40] Branch had one interception and Rondell Biggs accounted for the Wolverines' onlyquarterback sack of the game.[40] For Ohio State, Laurinaitis led the Buckeyes with nine total tackles in the game, followed byAntonio Smith with eight. Smith, Lawrence Wilson, Joel Penton and Jay Richardson all accounted for the four of Ohio State's quarterback sacks.[40]
Both before and after the game, many believed there would be a rematch between Ohio State and Michigan in theBCS National Championship Game, with some suggesting that regardless of the outcome, both teams were still the best two in college football and should therefore be ranked No. 1 and No. 2 as a result.[41][42][43][44] Going into the game, Ohio State was ranked No. 1 in theBCS rankings by just 0.003 points over Michigan, whileUSC,Florida, andNotre Dame rounded out the top five.[45] Following the game, Ohio State remained No. 1 with a BCS average of 1.000, while Michigan remained in the No. 2 position.[46] Following USC's victory over Notre Dame the following week, the Trojans jumped the Wolverines into the No. 2 position, with Florida in the No. 4 position.[47] In the final week of the regular season, Florida defeatedArkansas in theSEC Championship Game and USC was defeated byUCLA. The final BCS rankings were released on December 3, 2006; Ohio State remained in the No. 1 position and Florida went into the No. 2 position, ensuring there would be no rematch in the championship game. Michigan remained No. 3 in the rankings and trailed Florida by only 0.0101 points.[48]
Following the loss, Michigan finished the regular season with an 11–1 record and ranked No. 3 in all major polls. Since Ohio State earned a bid in the BCS National Championship Game, Michigan received a bid in theRose Bowl, where they played the No. 5 USC Trojans.[49] At the end of the season, many Michigan players were recognized for their individual accomplishments. Defensive endLaMarr Woodley was unanimously named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, while also being named the Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year by the coaches'.[50] Offensive Jake Long received the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year award from the coaches'.[50] Several players also received a unanimous selection to the All-Big Ten First Team, including Woodley, running back Mike Hart, and cornerback Leon Hall.[50] Many players were also named to variousAll-American Teams, including Woodley, Hall, Long, Hart and defensive end Alan Branch.[51] Woodley also received theLombardi Award and Ted Hendricks Award.[52] The Wolverines finished the season with a 32–18 loss to USC in Rose Bowl and were ranked No. 8 in the final AP Poll and No. 9 in the final Coaches' poll.[53][54]
Following the win, Ohio State finished the regular season undefeated at 12–0, their first undefeated regular season since their2002 national championship. The Buckeyes' remained No. 1 in all major polls and received and earned a position in the BCS National Championship Game, where they played the No. 2 Florida Gators.[55] At the end of the season, many Ohio State players were recognized for their individual accomplishments, including quarterback Troy Smith who was unanimously named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year.[50] Many players were also recognized nationally including Smith, defensive tackleQuinn Pitcock, and linebacker James Laurinaitis, who were named to various nationalAll-American Teams.[51] Smith was awarded theHeisman Trophy (the seventh in school history), theWalter Camp Award, theDavey O'Brien Award, and was named the Associated Press Player of the Year.[56] Laurinaitis also received theBronko Nagurski Trophy for best defensive player.[57] The Buckeyes' finished the season with a 41–14 loss to Florida in the BCS National Championship Game and were ranked No. 2 in both the final AP and Coaches' poll.[54][58]