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2006 college football season

2006 Michigan-Ohio State: A Great Rivalry’s Biggest Moment

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The Michigan-Ohio State rivalry has defined Big Ten football for several decades. The Ten-Year War of 1969-78, fought by legendary head coaches Bo Schembecler for Michigan and Ohio State’s Woody Hayes, is its most famous era. But it’s most renowned game was in 2006.

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Ohio State was ranked #1 in the country and Michigan #2. A trip to the BCS National Championship Game was on the line, along with the traditional prize of the Big Ten title. Let’s look back on how the 2006 Michigan-Ohio State game came about, and how it unfolded.

The Buckeyes were coming off a year where they shared the Big Ten crown with Penn State and then beat Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl. 2006 was a year of great expectation in Columbus and Oho State was ranked #1 to open the season.

On September 9, Ohio State visited Texas, a revenge game, as UT had come north the previous year and gotten a win that set the tone for a national championship run. Now the Buckeyes wanted to return the favor. OSU quarterback Troy Smith got his Heisman campaign rolling with 269 yards passing, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Smith repeatedly targeted wideouts Anthony Gonzalez and Ted Ginn, and the Longhorns were exposed as a rebuilding team in Ohio State’s 24-7 win.

The Buckeyes then began steamrolling through the rest of the schedule. They had two good running backs in Antonio Pittman and Chris “Beanie” Wells, along with All-American linebacker James Laurinaitis. Smith ended up winning the Heisman Trophy, while Laurinaitis got the Bronko Nagurski Award, as the nation’s top defensive player.

Ohio State was only tested once, a 17-10 win at Illinois on November 4, and their #1 ranking remained intact as they awaited the season-ending visit from Michigan.

The Wolverines weren’t highly touted coming into the year, ranked #14. On September 16 they made their statement when they visited #2 Notre Dame and came home with a 47-21 win. The Michigan defense intercepted Brady Quinn three times, and linebackers LaMarr Woodley and Prescott Burges each scored defensive touchdowns. The vertical passing game of Chad Henne going to Mario Manningham was making big plays, and Michigan jumped to #6 in the polls.

Six straight Big Ten wins were highlighted by a 27-13 win over Wisconsin, a game that was the Badgers’ only loss (UW did not play Ohio State). And Michigan’s defense put on a show for the nation in a 17-10 prime-time win at Penn State, holding the Nittany Lions to (-14) rushing yards.

Michigan was getting consistent, tough running from Mike Hart and had All-American offensive tackle Jake Long to go with all their other weapons. They got a surprise test from Ball State in November. The Cardinals were then coached by current Wolverine boss Brady Hoke and Michigan had to make a last defensive stand to preserve a 34-26 win. All that was left was to go to Columbus.

The day before the game, Schembecler passed away after a heart attack. With Hayes having been gone since 1987, the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry’s biggest game would take place with both of its legends gone, though hopefully being permitted a view from the Eternal Press Box.

Michigan got on the board first with a Hart touchdown run. Ohio State put the ball in Smith’s hands. The ensuing drive took 14 plays and every one was a pass—one can only imagine what Bo & Woody had to say about that. But it worked, and the drive ended with a game-tying touchdown. The Buckeyes then got rolling with a 52-yard touchdown run from Wells and a 39-yard scoring pass to Ginn.

The teams traded touchdowns and it was 28-14 at the half, with Ohio State firmly in command. Michigan was able to take back momentum in the third quarter and cut the lead to 28-24, but the Buckeyes immediately answered with a 56-yard touchdown run from Pittman.

Michigan responded by cutting the lead to 35-31 in the fourth quarter. On third-and-15 a Smith pass fell incomplete, but linebacker Shawn Crable was whistled for helmet-to-helmet contact. It was an automatic first down, and Ohio State ended up on the Michigan 23-yard-line. Smith took advantage of the break and hit Brian Robiskie for a TD that stretched the lead back to 11.

The Wolverines had another offensive answer, and cut it to 42-39 with 2:16 left, but they would never get the football back. As competitive as the score looked through the second half, Michigan never actually got the ball with a chance to tie or take the lead at any point after midway through the second quarter. It was a good game, but not quite as dramatic as the score might make it sound.

No one could deny there was some serious offensive firepower, as the teams combined for over 900 total yards. Smith finished 29/41 for 316 yards. Pittman rushed for 139 yards, while Hart rolled up 142. There was a consensus view that these two teams had clearly separated themselves from the rest of the country and that Michigan should be granted a rematch in the BCS National Championship Game.

In light of what has happened in national championship games from 2006-12, it seems almost silly that an SEC champion had to argue its way in over a Big Ten runner-up, but that’s what happened. After USC was upset by UCLA, the debate focused on Florida and Michigan. Common sense prevailed and the Gators were sent to Tempe, presumably to be cannon fodder for Ohio State.

The bowl season didn’t go well for either Big Ten power. Michigan lost the Rose Bowl decisively to USC, and Ohio State looked completely unprepared for Florida’s speed in a 41-14 national championship game defeat.

But whatever the national implications, the Big Ten in general and this rivalry in particular, has always been parochial. The 2006 Michigan-Ohio State game didn’t end up ultimately settling a national championship, but it riveted Columbus, Ann Arbor, the Midwest and the entire nation in a way no previous game had.

2006 Notre Dame Football: Great Expectation Ends With A Blah Feeling

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The expectations were soaring for the 2006 Notre Dame football team. The first year under head coach Charlie Weis had been filled with promise, as the Irish returned to the major bowl stage in 2005. Now it was time to take that proverbial next step, and Notre Dame opened the season #2 in the country.

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But while the season was good, with another big bowl trip and a big year from quarterback Brady Quinn, the ultimate lack of big wins left a “blah” feeling with the Irish faithful.

Quinn was in his senior year and coming off a junior campaign that saw him finish fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting. He had talented, experienced receivers in Jeff Samardzija and Rhema McKnight, who combined for almost 2,000 yards receiving. Darius Walker rushed for over 1,200 yards. Perhaps the first ominous sign came in the season opener at Georgia Tech, when it took Notre Dame nearly all of the first half to put points on the board.

Georgia Tech, unranked at the time (though they would eventually win the ACC Coastal Division) led 10-0 on their homefield. Quinn finally broke through with eleven seconds left, running in from five yards out. Notre Dame was able to pull out a 14-10 win when Walker ran for the game-winner.

In spite of the unexpectedly close game, there were still good signs. The Irish defense, the team’s weak point in 2005, had played well. The Yellow Jackets had a receiver you may have heard of, one by the name of Calvin Johnson, and in the second half he caught just two passes for 16 yards.

The notion of the game’s first half just being a slow start that had no long-term meaning gained credence a week later when Notre Dame routed #19 Penn State 41-17, a game they led 20-0 at half. Quinn tossed three touchdowns. It set the stage for a visit to South Bend from #11 Michigan.

Michigan’s demise was being predicted around the country. They suffered through a pedestrian 7-5 season in 2005, and had looked unimpressive in winning their first two games. All that went out the window on a stunning Saturday afternoon. The Wolverines forced Quinn into three interceptions and a fumble. They didn’t allow Samardzija or McKnight to catch a pass until the lead was 34-7. It ended 47-21.

The Wolverines would eventually reach their season finale with Ohio State undefeated. In the meantime, the question marks about Michigan were transferred to Notre Dame, as the Irish dropped to #12 in the polls.

Notre Dame’s schedule got easier and Quinn’s offense systematically churned out wins over unranked teams. The Irish survived a 40-37 shootout in Michigan State, then won home games over Purdue, Stanford and UCLA. Notre Dame went to Baltimore and beat Navy decisively, came home and beat North Carolina, and went to Air Force and dropped a 39-17 win on the Falcons. A 41-9 win over Army on November 18 moved ND to 9-1.

While none of these teams were really good, most weren’t all that bad either and Notre Dame had scored 289 points in the eight wins (36ppg). While the Irish had only a longshot hope at the national title, they were up to #6 in the country. And the chance for redemption against really good teams was still there. The season finale with third-ranked USC was up, and regardless of the outcome, the landscape for a major bowl invite was favorable.

The results showed though, that Notre Dame was still not ready for prime-time. The Irish looked completely overmatched at Southern Cal, losing 44-24. Notre Dame got a Sugar Bowl bid to play fourth-ranked LSU, and looked even worse, losing that game 41-14. That progress from the defense that seemed real after the season opener, ended with giving up 132 points in the season’s three biggest games (the Michigan game, along with USC and LSU).

After the long stretch Notre Dame spent in the wilderness following the Lou Holtz era, it seems tough to call back-to-back major bowl bid years a disappointment. Quinn went on to finish third in the Heisman balloting. But with a #17 final ranking, a season of great expectation had fallen considerably short. And nobody’s mood in South Bend would have been improved had it been known that the Weis era was about to fall completely apart.

2006 Florida Football: Making The Most Of An Opportunity

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Florida celebrated the 10-year anniversary of its 1996 national championship team in football as another season began with Urban Meyer in his second year as head coach after three failed seasons from Ron Zook, which in turn had followed Steve Spurrier bringing the program into national prominence and winning the aforementioned title.

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The 2006 Florida football team had exceptional defensive talent and were led by free safety Reggie Nelson, along with linebackers Earl Everett and Brandon Siler. The offense would introduce a new impact weapon in wide receiver Percy Harvin, on his way to SEC Freshman of the Year, eventually to the Minnesota Vikings and finally a Super Bowl ring in 2013 with the Seattle Seahawks.

Quarterback was in the hands of Chris Leak, although Meyer had a weapon on the bench, someone he liked to use out of the Wildcat formation to run—indeed someone you might have occasionally heard referenced by the sports media. That someone was Tim Tebow.

When the season began on September 2 against Southern Miss, Florida was ranked #7 in the country and they quickly rolled over the Golden Eagles and then Central Florida to set up their traditional September battle with Tennessee. It wasn’t the virtual automatic ticket to winning the SEC East it had been in the 1990s, but the winner of this game in Knoxville would still have a big leg up in the race to get to Atlanta and the conference championship game in December.

Florida fell behind 10-7 at the half and then watched Tennessee take the opening kick after halftime and drive the distance for a ten-point lead. The Gators clawed back to 20-14 in the fourth quarter. Tebow came in for a key fourth-down conversion inside Vol territory late in the game and picked up the first. Leak later connected with Dallas Baker for a 21-yard scoring pass, their second scoring connection of the night. Nelson intercepted a pass on the ensuing possession and Florida prevailed 21-20. The win moved them to #5.

The following two weeks saw wins over Kentucky and Alabama—the Tide were not a great team in this pre-Saban period, though they did hold a 13-7 on Florida in the third quarter before Leak threw two touchdown passes and Nelson brought an interception back 70 yards for a clincher in the 28-13 triumph. Up next was the kind of brutal three-game stretch that SEC teams have to navigate—games with LSU and Auburn, ranked ninth and eleventh, followed by a neutral-site game against #25 Georgia.

Florida’s home date with LSU did not begin well, as the team continued the pattern of slow starts that had put them in holes against Tennessee and Alabama. An early fumble set up an LSU touchdown, but Florida got it back when LSU returned the favor on a muffed punt. Tebow then threw his first career touchdown pass to stretch the lead to 14-7. Before it was over Tebow had tossed another while Leak was an efficient 17-for-26, and Florida had a 23-10 win.

Maybe the slow start thing had some merit to it, because Florida went to Auburn and played the Tigers even up in the first quarter and then Leak gave them a 10-3 lead with a touchdown pass to Baker in the second. Tebow threw a touchdown pass in the second quarter, but Auburn was able to get a field goal, as well as a safety when Florida committed a holding penalty in its own end zone.

Still, with a 17-11 on the road, Meyer had to like this team’s position. But the Tiger defense asserted itself and eventually Auburn nudged out to a 21-17 lead. Florida tried a last-gasp hook-and-lateral play that ended up being scooped up by the Tigers and taken in to seal the 27-17 final that would be the Gators first loss of the season and drop them to #9 in the polls.

The annual game with Georgia in Jacksonville is known as The World’s Greatest Cocktail Party and Florida got the party started early when wide receiver Andre Caldwell ran into the end zone from 12 yards out on a reverse, and then caught a 40-yard scoring strike from Leak. A defensive touchdown made it 21-0, although Georgia eventually got in the end zone and then made it a game when Tebow fumbled on his own 10 and the lead was cut to 21-14. But the Gator defense held firm.

One week later against Vanderbilt there was reason to celebrate as a 25-19 win clinched the SEC East, although with Leak throwing three interceptions and the defense nearly giving up a 19-point lead one wonders how much—if any –celebration Meyer allowed. Especially with who was coming to town next.

The ‘Ol Ball Coach himself, Steve Spurrier, was bringing his South Carolina team to the Swamp. Spurrier had already been back for some of the 10-year anniversary festivities and given his pedigree as both national championship coach and Heisman Trophy-winning player for Florida, he was on amiable terms with the fan base—especially given that his only reason for leaving was a desire to go to the NFL, an ill-fated two-year tenure with the Washington Redskins.

This was his first game as an opposing coach in Gainesville and his team nearly pulled the upset and knocked Florida out of the national title race for good. Only the play of defensive tackle Jarvis Moss saved the Gators. Moss blocked a fourth-quarter extra point and ensured his team was holding a 17-16 lead late in the game. Then he blocked a 48-yard field goal with eight seconds left to preserve the win.

An easy win over Western Carolina was up next and then the Gators beat a mediocre Florida State team on the road 21-14. They would head to the SEC Championship Game the following week. Ohio State was the consensus #1 team in the country, having just beaten Michigan in a game that involved the two teams everyone considered the best in the land. So much that there was a strong push for a rematch. The likely alternative to Michigan was USC, who had one loss and was playing UCLA. Florida was in line after Southern Cal for the right to be the champion of the anti-rematch people.

The more immediate opponent was Arkansas, winner of the SEC West, and led by explosive running back Darren McFadden. Florida was able to get an early lead, getting a 10-0 cushion in the first quarter then having Leak hit Harvin on a 37-yard TD pass. With the game threatening to be blown open, the Razorbacks pulled to 17-7 at the half.

Perhaps Florida’s defense was spending too much time absorbing the shocking news that UCLA had beaten USC and opened up the national title race, because Arkansas got a TD pass from McFadden out of the Wildcat and then quickly scored again to make it 21-17.

With all the momentum, a big special teams mistake hurt Arkansas as they fumbled a punt when the return man tried to field a towering kick over the shoulder. The touchdown for Florida was a virtual gift and put them back up 24-21 and then in the fourth quarter Harvin bolted 67 yards to make it a ten-point game. Arkansas responded with a touchdown that made it tight, but Florida drove back down to the five-yard line.

Tebow came in and pitched out to Caldwell, who in turn threw a pass that produced the clinching touchdown. It was the third score of the game off a trick play between the two teams and it wrapped up an SEC title for Florida, 38-28.

Would that SEC title translate into a national championship shot? It’s hard to believe today, but the momentum for the rematch seemed overwhelming at the time. I found the whole notion appalling—I’m a Midwesterner and was even writing a blog Big Ten Country at the time, but this post here, written at the time, articulates my whole belief in the absurdity of creating rematches.

A rematch was as dumb an idea then as it was in 2011 when the SEC suddenly decided it loved the idea and force-fed an awful LSU-Alabama Part II down our throats. Fortunately, saner heads prevailed in 2006 and Meyer’s Gators would get the opportunity to do what no one would give Oklahoma State in 2011 a chance at—and it’s to beat a team that expert opinion was convinced was the best in the land.

Ohio State had the Heisman Trophy winner in Troy Smith, they’d beaten a good Texas team on the road and then mostly steamrolled through the Big Ten. While their 42-39 win over Michigan in Columbus had been close, it was only a late Wolverine touchdown that put it that way. In reality, after Ohio State went up 21-7 in the second quarter Michigan never got the ball with a chance to lead or tie.

Jim Tressel was seen at the time as the nation’s premier big-game coach, a title previously held by Bob Stoops (I think we rush to judgment on these complimentary titles as much as we do the negative ones and in both cases history often makes them look silly).

The Florida special teams coverage was the only thing looking silly when the BCS National Championship Game begin in Glendale, AZ. Buckeye return man Ted Ginn took the opening kick 93 yards for a touchdown. But that just put the Florida offense on the field and with their array of formations and motion, they had the Buckeyes off balance all night.

Three quick touchdowns put the Gators ahead 21-7. The Buckeyes were able to cut the lead to seven and were in position to run out the clock before halftime. Tressel surprisingly decided to throw and the ensuing three-and-out gave Florida a chance to get a big field goal—the 10-point lead made it less likely the Buckeyes could use their running game.

It probably wouldn’t have mattered. The Florida defense spent the night proving the foolishness of rematches and that you never know how good an opponent will be until you put them in the ring. They forced Smith into the worst game of his career and ended up winning 41-14. They had to fight and argue their way into the game, but once there, the 2006 Florida football team left no doubt who the nation’s best team was.