No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Florida Meet in BCS Title Game – Ohio State Buckeyes
12/11/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 11, 2006
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THE BUCKEYES
Ohio State is 12-0 on the year and has won 19 straight games, including 14 consecutive Big Ten starts. The Buckeye captured the outright Big Ten title with an 8-0 mark. It is Ohio State’s third conference crown in the past six seasons with Jim Tressel as the head coach. This is just the second Ohio State team to start the season with a 12-0 mark. The 2002 Buckeyes were 14-0 and national champions.
THE TITLE GAME
This is Ohio State’s second appearance in the BCS title game. The Buckeyes defeated the Miami Hurricanes in January 2003, 31-24, in double overtime to cap off a 14-0 season. To get here this year, Ohio State had to defeat No. 2 Texas, No. 13 Iowa and No. 2 Michigan.
BCS GAMES
Ohio State is 4-0 in BCS games, including a 1-0 mark in the National Championship game. The Buckeyes previous BCS appearances were against Texas A&M in the 1999 Sugar Bowl, Miami in the 2003 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, Kansas State in the 2004 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl and Notre Dame in the 2006 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.
WIRE-TO-WIRE
Ohio State began the season ranked No. 1 in both the USA Today Coaches and the Associated Press preseason polls. The Buckeyes also topped the first Harris Interactive poll and were No. 1 in the initial Bowl Championship Series rankings. The 2006 Buckeyes are attempting to become the first OSU squad ever to go wire-to-wire as No. 1. This is the seventh Buckeye squad to open the season No. 1.
TRAVEL PLANS
The team will depart for Arizona Dec. 30. The squad and official party will be headquartered at the Scottsdale Princess Hotel beginning Jan. 2 and will practice at Pinnacle High School. Other than specific interview days, practices are closed. The team will return home Jan. 9.
THE SENIOR CLASS
There are 19 seniors, 18 of whom are in their fifth year, on this year’s roster. During the past four years, this class has a combined record of 40-8, will have played in four bowl games, including three BCS games, and has two Big Ten titles to its credit. Add in the 2002 campaign and this class is 54-8 with one national title and three Big Ten crowns.
SMITH WINS HEISMAN TROPHY
Senior quarterback Troy Smith became the sixth Ohio State player to win the school’s seventh Heisman Memorial Trophy. Smith, who also won the Davey O’Brien and Walter Camp awards, joins Les Horvath (1944), Vic Janowicz (1950), Howard “Hopalong” Cassady (1955), Archie Griffin (1974 and 1975) and Eddie George (1995) as Buckeye Heisman winners. Smith has thrown for 2,507 yards and a school record 30 touchdowns.
BUCKEYES EARN FIVE MAJOR AWARDS
Quarterback Troy Smith earned Ohio State’s seventh Heisman Trophy and also picked up the Walter Camp and Davey O’Brien awards to join teammates James Laurinaitis (Nagurski) and Joel Penton (Wuerffel) in picking up major individual postseason awards in 2006. The five awards this season give the Buckeyes a total of 35 major individual awards in their history and nine under sixth-year head coach Jim Tressel.
THREE BUCKEYES NAMED TO ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA TEAM
Split end Anthony Gonzalez and fullback Stan White were voted to first-team berths on the CoSIDA Academic All-America team and linebacker James Laurinaitis was a second-team choice. Additionally, center Doug Datish was named to a first-team berth on the all-district team and defensive tackle Joel Penton and split end Brian Robisikie were second-team picks. To be nominated, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 on a 4.00 scale, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings and be nominated by his sports information director.
POSTSEASON PLAY
Antonio Smith, Jay Richardson, Joel Penton, Roy Hall and Justin Zwick have been invited to play in the Hula Bowl Jan. 14, Brandon Mitchell and T. J. Downing in the East-West Shrine Game Jan. 20 and Troy Smith, Doug Datish, Quinn Pitcock and David Patterson in the Senior Bowl Jan. 27.
ALL-AMERICA HONORS
Troy Smith, Quinn Pitcock and James Laurinaitis received first-team All-America honors in 2006, giving the Buckeyes 170 first-team selections in their history.
A LOOK AT THE BUCKEYES
The Ohio State offense is averaging 36.3 points and 409.8 yards per game, while the defense is allowing 10.4 points and 273.0 yards each time out. The Buckeyes lead the Big Ten in scoring offense and scoring defense and are second nationally in the latter category. They lead the Big Ten and are fourth nationally in passing efficiency at 165.93
Ohio State scored 35 or more points in nine of its 12 games and 40 or more in four of the last five. OSU has converted 51 percent of its third down opportunities and is 44-of-52 in the red zone.
The Ohio State defense has held nine of its 12 opponents to less than 10 points and only two of the 12 have two or more touchdowns. The Buckeyes have forced 27 turnovers, resulting in 127 points. The defense has given up just 10 points off 16 OSU giveaways.
SMITH AT THE CONTROLS
With the win over Michigan to end the season, Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith is 25-2 as the Buckeyes’ starting quarterback, including a 10-1 mark against ranked teams, a 3-0 ledger against Michigan and a 1-0 bowl mark.
Smith has completed 199 of his 297 passes this year, good for 2,507 yards and a school-record 30 touchdowns. He has been intercepted just five times and three of those were deflections. The All-America signal caller leads the Big Ten in passing efficiency with a 167.8 figure and also leads the league in touchdown passes. He has thrown at least one TD pass in 11 of the Buckeyes’ 12 games and has two or more TD tosses in nine of those contests. Smith also has rushed for 233 yards and a touchdown. Smith has 54 career touchdown passes, three shy of the school record.
PITTMAN IN ELITE COMPANY
Ohio State tailback Antonio Pittman finished the regular season with 1,171 yards and 13 touchdowns to become the first OSU running back since Eddie George (1994-95) to put together back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. Pittman has seven 100-yard games this year and 15 for his career. Only George, Archie Griffin (1973-74-75), Tim Spencer (1981-82) and Keith Byars (1983-84) have rushed for consecutive 1,000-yard seasons at Ohio State.
THE `FUN BUNCH’
The Buckeye “Fun Bunch” of quarterback Troy Smith, wide receivers Ted Ginn Jr. and Anthony Gonzalez and tailback Antonio Pittman have put up impressive numbers for the Ohio State offense in 2006.
Smith has completed 67.0 percent of his passes for 2,507 yards and 30 touchdowns. The 6-foot-1-inch senior also has rushed for 233 yards and a touchdown.
Ginn has a team-high nine touchdown grabs on 59 receptions and is averaging 13.2 yards per catch, while Gonzalez has 49 receptions, is averaging 14.8 yards per catch and has eight TD receptions.
Pittman is the Buckeyes’ leading ground gainer with 1,171 yards on 232 carries and has a team-leading 13 touchdowns to his credit. The hard-running junior has seven 100-yard games this year.
GINN STREAKS CONTINUE
Ohio State receiver Ted Ginn Jr. has caught at least one pass in 31-consecutive games (beginning with Iowa in 2004) and has multiple catches in 29-consecutive games. His 10 receptions against Bowling Green earlier this year represents a career best, bettering his previous high of nine set last year at Michigan.
THIRD-AND-GONZO
Junior split end Anthony Gonzalez has 49 receptions on the year and 43 of those, including 14 of the last 15, have resulted in first downs. Gonzalez has eight touchdown catches.
STREAKS OF NOTE
Ohio State’s current 19-game winning streak is the longest in the nation and ties for the second longest in the modern era for the Buckeyes. Between 1967 and 1969, the Buckeyes reeled off 22-consecutive victories, including 17 straight Big Ten wins, for the longest streak in OSU annals. In 2002 and 2003, Jim Tressel’s Buckeyes rolled to 19-consecutive victories, including a perfect 14-0 record and the national championship in 2002. The current streak began last year against Michigan State.
DOUBLE DIGITS
This is the fourth Ohio State team to reach 10 or more wins under sixth-year head coach Jim Tressel. The 2002 team won the national championship with a 14-0 record, while his 2003 team finished 11-2. Last year’s team was 10-2. The Buckeyes have played in a BCS bowl each year they have won at least 10 games under Tressel.
OHIO STATE AT HOME
The Buckeyes boast an all-time record of 373-104-20 (.770) in Ohio Stadium. Ohio State has won 12 straight, and 16 of the last 17, games played in the Horseshoe. Ohio State’s all-time record in Columbus is 516-151-35 in 702 games.
OSU IMPROVES RECORD AS NO. 1
Ohio State is 63-8-1 when ranked as the nation’s No. 1 team. Overall, the Buckeyes are 295-68-9 when carrying a Top 10 ranking and 402-123-14 as a Top 25 team.
OHIO STATE IN BIG TEN PLAY
Over the years, Ohio State has either won outright or shared 31 Big Ten titles. This year’s title was the third under Jim Tressel. The Buckeyes shared the title in 2002 (with Iowa) and 2005 (with Penn State).
BUCKEYES PERFECT IN NO. 1 VS. No. 2 SHOWDOWNS
The No. 1 Buckeyes have faced a pair of No. 2 teams this year – downing both Texas and Michigan. Ohio State is now 4-0 all time in showdowns involving the nation’s top two teams. In the 1969 Rose Bowl, second-ranked Ohio State defeated top-ranked Southern California, and in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl, the No. 2 Buckeyes upended top-ranked Miami.
BUCKEYES RECORD IMPRESSIVE WINS
During their 19-game winning streak, Jim Tressel’s Buckeyes have recorded wins over five of college football’s most successful programs – Michigan (twice), Notre Dame, Texas, Penn State and Iowa. Florida ranks 27th in the NCAA with 619 all-time victories.
BUCKEYES GET HIGH GRADES
A league-best 23 Ohio State football players were named to the Big Ten’s All-Academic team this past fall, marking the fifth year in a row the Buckeyes have led the conference in that area. A record 46 Ohio State football players qualified for last spring’s annual OSU Scholar-Athlete Dinner, which requires a grade-point average of 3.00 or better for the past academic year. As a team, the Buckeyes have an overall GPA of 2.83. A total of 52 football student-athletes earned a 3.00 or better during Ohio State’s spring quarter and 46 had a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 after spring grades were calculated.
THE BUCKEYES ALL-TIME
Ohio State has an all-time record of 787-300-53 in 116 seasons of competition. That includes a Big Ten record of 436-187-28 since 1913, an Ohio Stadium slate of 373-104-20 since 1922 and a bowl mark of 18-19.
OSU COACHES IN THE PRESS BOX
Offensive coordinator Jim Bollman and quarterbacks coach Joe Daniels will be in the press box for the Buckeyes during the game as will cornerbacks coach Tim Beckman and co-defensive coordinator Luke Fickell.
BUCKEYE CAPTAINS
Seniors Troy Smith, Doug Datish, Quinn Pitcock and David Patterson were voted by their teammates as captains of the 2006 Ohio State football team.
OHIO STATE 35, NORTHERN ILLINOIS 12
| Northern Illinois | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 12 |
| No. 1 Ohio State | 21 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 35 |
No. 1/1 Ohio State scored on its first four possessions of the game while Troy Smith threw for 297 yards and three touchdowns and Ted Ginn Jr. hauled in four catches for 123 yards and two scores in leading the Buckeyes to a 35-12 victory against Northern Illinois in front of 103,896 fans Sept. 2 at Ohio Stadium.
Smith completed 18-of-25 passes for 297 yards and three touchdowns without an interception or a sack. Ginn reeled in a 58-yard TD pass in the first quarter and a 56-yard reception in the fourth quarter. He also had 69 return yards with 44 yards on two punt returns and two kick returns for 25 yards, Antonio Pittman carried the ball 19 times for 111 yards and one touchdown, while Anthony Gonzalez caught four passes for 53 yards and one TD. True freshman Chris Wells, in his Buckeye debut, rushed for 50 yards on 10 carries.
The Buckeyes outgained the Huskies in total yardage, 488-343, and amassed 173 yards rushing on 36 carries while they posted 315 yards on 20-of-27 passing. The Huskies totaled 153 yards rushing and 192 yards passing. A lot of that yardage came from Garrett Wolfe, the nation’s leading returning rusher. He totaled 171 yards on the ground and had five catches for 114 yards.
The Buckeyes turned the ball over twice, both inside the NIU 10-yard line, and missed two field goals.
Brandon Mitchell finished the game with 10 tackles, including one tackle for loss, to lead Ohio State. Marcus Freeman added nine tackles. The defense saw five first-time starters, including Vernon Gholston, Antonio Smith, Marcus Freeman, Nick Patterson and John Kerr. Two offensive players – Hartline and Brian Robiskie – made their first starts as Buckeyes.
The win was the 28th straight win for the Buckeyes’ in their home opener.
OHIO STATE 24, TEXAS 7
| No. 1 Ohio State | 7 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 24 |
| No. 2 Texas | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
Led by Troy Smith, Ted Ginn Jr., Anthony Gonzalez and Antonio Pittman on offense and bolstered by a young but quickly coming-of-age defense, top-ranked Ohio State solidified its place in the polls with its 17-point victory over the defending national champion Longhorns.
Smith enhanced his early season Heisman Trophy status by completing 17 of 26 passes for 269 yards and a pair of touchdowns against a veteran Texas defense, giving him five touchdown passes and 566 passing yards in his first two games.
Ginn, the Buckeyes’ other Heisman hopeful, was on the receiving end of five passes for 97 yards, including a 29-yard touchdown grab just before halftime that put Ohio State in front 14-7 going into the locker room. Ginn’s grab capped off a business-like five-play, 66-yard drive that began with 1:55 remaining in the second quarter. The speedy flanker set the tone early with a 46-yard catch-and-run on the Buckeyes’ second play from scrimmage.
The Buckeyes also received a career-best performance from Gonzalez, who hauled in eight catches for 142 yards. The junior split end and honor student got Ohio State on the board with 1:04 to play in the first quarter by latching on to a 14-yard pass from Smith that put the icing on a 50-yard drive.
Pittman led the Buckeyes in rushing for the second consecutive week, finishing with 74 yards on 16 carries, an average of 4.6 yards per attempt. His 2-yard touchdown run with 6:31 to play capped off the scoring and put the game out of reach. The Buckeyes, who took over the ball at their own 28-yard line after a missed Texas field goal, marched 72 yards in 10 plays for the score.
The Buckeye defense limited the Texas offense to 326 total yards and just the one touchdown and set up two OSU scores with timely takeaways.
Sophomore linebacker James Laurinaitis was involved in both turnovers. First, he forced a first-quarter fumble at the OSU 1-yard line that cornerback Donald Washington scooped up and returned 49 yards to set up the Smith-to-Ginn touchdown pass. Then, on the first play of the third quarter, he intercepted a Colt McCoy pass and ran it back 25 yards to the Texas 31-yard line. Kicker Aaron Pettrey gave the Buckeyes a 10-point cushion with a 31-yard field goal.
With the aggressive defensive front keeping the pressure on throughout the evening, Laurinaitis finished with a game-best and career-high 13 tackles to go along with two forced fumbles, his first career interception and a pass broken up. Safety Brandon Mitchell was credited with nine stops, while Washington, who was making his first start at corner, had five. Cover corner Malcolm Jenkins and nickel back Antonio Smith each had five stops as Ohio State kept Texas under 40 points for the first time in 13 games.
Sophomore punter A.J. Trapasso kept the Longhorns corralled in their own territory by averaging 50.8 yards per punt on six kicks – the third best single-game performance in Ohio State history. That average includes a 39-yard punt at the end of the game that rolled out-of-bounds on the Texas 6-yard line. The Longhorns’ average field position after a Trapasso thumper was their own 21-yard line.
The victory squared the series at 1-1 and gave Ohio State an all-time record of 4-0 in the Lone Star state.
OHIO STATE 37, CINCINNATI 7
| Cincinnati | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| No. 1 Ohio State | 3 | 10 | 7 | 17 | 37 |
Ohio State ran its record to 3-0 with a 37-7 victory over visiting Cincinnati. The win was the Buckeyes’ 10th in a row.
After falling behind 7-3 at the end of the first quarter (the first time all year that OSU had trailed), the Buckeyes scored 34 unanswered points en route to their seventh-consecutive win in Ohio Stadium.
Quarterback Troy Smith again led the Buckeyes to victory, completing 21 of 30 passes for 203 yards and a pair of touchdowns. OSU rolled up 444 yards in total offense and scoring drives of 85, 80 and 72 yards – three of their longest drives of the year.
Smith connected with Ted Ginn Jr. on a pair of scoring strikes in the second and third quarters to give Ohio State a comfortable 20-7 lead. But it was Antonio Pittman who put the game out of reach with a 48-yard scoring jaunt with just over nine minutes to go in the fourth period. Pittman finished his afternoon with 155 yards on 16 carries, an impressive 9.7 yards per attempt. Backup tailback Maurice Wells scored the other OSU touchdown on a nine-yard run. Aaron Pettrey added field goals of 47 and 43 yards and Ryan Pretorius hit from 52-yards away to complete the scoring.
Gonzalez and Ginn each had five receptions to pace the receiving corps as four different quarterbacks hooked up with 11 different receivers.
The Ohio State defense limited the Bearcats to 212 yards of total offense, including a scant 64 in the second half. Senior tackle Quinn Pitcock had a career-high three sacks and narrowly missed two more. He finished the day with five tackles. With Pitcock leading the way, the Buckeyes recorded eight sacks, 10 tackles for loss and had three interceptions.
Sophomore linebacker James Laurinaitis led the Buckeyes with nine tackles, including a sack, and picked off his second interception of the year.
OHIO STATE 28, PENN STATE 6
| No. 24 Penn State | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| No. 1 Ohio State | 0 | 0 | 7 | 21 | 28 |
Ohio State opened its Big Ten season with a 28-6 win over visiting Penn State. In winning their third straight conference home opener, the Buckeyes needed a pair of fourth-quarter interception returns for touchdowns to salt the game away.
Holding on to a less-than-comfortable 14-6 lead, the Buckeyes got a lift from cornerback Malcolm Jenkins whose 61-yard return gave them a 21-6 lead with 2:31 to play. Moments later cornerback Antonio Smith picked off his first career interception and returned it 55 yards to the north end zone and the game was officially over.
The Buckeyes also had an interception earlier in the game by linebacker James Laurinaitis, giving them eight on the year to that point, three more than all of last year. The OSU defense limited Penn State to 248 yards and allowed the Nittany Lions to convert just three of 14 third-down opportunities.
Ohio State’s other two touchdowns came on a 12-yard run by Antonio Pittman, who finished the game with 110 yards, and a 37-yard pass from Troy Smith to Brian Robiskie. The former gave the Buckeyes their first lead at 7-3 after the Nittany Lions had taken a 3-0 lead into the locker room at intermission. On the latter, Smith rolled to his right, reversed his field and somehow threw a perfect strike to Robiskie, giving the Buckeyes a 14-3 lead.
The two teams combined for just 501 yards in total offense on a rainy, windy afternoon in Ohio Stadium.
OHIO STATE 38, IOWA 17
| No. 1 Ohio State | 7 | 14 | 7 | 10 | 38 |
| No. 13 Iowa | 3 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
Led by senior quarterback Troy Smith’s career-high four touchdown passes and a spirited defense that came up with four takeaways, top-ranked Ohio State downed No. 13 Iowa, 38-17, in Iowa City, knocking the Hawkeyes from the unbeaten ranks in front of a highly-partisan Kinnick Stadium crowd of 70,585.
With the win, Ohio State improved to 5-0 on the year and 2-0 in Big Ten play. It was the Buckeyes third win of the year over a Top 25 team (No. 2 Texas and No. 24 Penn State were the other two) and their second win in prime time on the road and on national TV.
Smith, who ran his record as a starter to 18-2, put the Buckeyes ahead to stay with a 12-yard pass to split end Anthony Gonzalez with 11:34 to play in the first quarter.
The senior signal caller added a 6-yard strike to Roy Hall in the second quarter, teamed up again with Gonzalez from 30 yards out in the third period and capped off the scoring with a 12-yard toss to Brian Robiskie with 4:23 to play in the fourth. In addition to completing 16 of 25 passes for 186 yards and the four TD tosses, Smith also rushed for 20 yards in another near flawless performance at the OSU helm.
Gonzalez was on the receiving end of five of those passes, all going for first downs. On his 30-yard touchdown grab, Gonzalez had the first down, but then reversed his field and circled around right end and somehow tight roped down the sideline and into the end zone on one of the more spectacular plays of the season. Ted Ginn Jr. led all receivers with seven receptions for 69 yards.
Tailback Antonio Pittman rushed 25 times for 117 yards and a touchdown, while freshman Chris “Beanie” Wells added 78 yards for the Buckeyes who rolled up a season-high 214 yards on the ground.
The OSU defense, meanwhile, recorded three interceptions and a fumble recovery to keep the Iowa offense in check.
Safety Brandon Mitchell played a role in two of those takeaways, snagging a second quarter interception that led to Pittman’s touchdown and recovering a fourth-quarter fumble that halted an Iowa drive.
Linebackers Marcus Freeman and James Laurinaitis also had interceptions, both of those coming in the fourth quarter as Iowa turned the ball over on its final three possessions of the night.
The OSU defense also recorded five tackles-for-loss, including sacks by Freeman and Laurinaitis, and limited Iowa to 87 yards on the ground.
OHIO STATE 35, BOWLING GREEN 7
| Bowling Green | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| No. 1 Ohio State | 14 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 35 |
Troy Smith threw for three touchdowns, Antonio Pittman ran for two and Ted Ginn Jr. caught a career-high 10 passes as Ohio State downed visiting Bowling Green, 35-7, Oct. 7 in Ohio Stadium.
The Ohio State defense recorded its 13th takeaway of the year and held its opponent to seven points or less for the fourth time in six outings.
In addition to 13-consecutive wins, Jim Tressel’s team also has won nine straight in Ohio Stadium.
Smith completed 17 of 20 passes for 191 yards, including touchdown strikes to Rory Nicol, Ted Ginn Jr. and Ray Small. It was Nicol’s first touchdown catch of the year and Small’s first as a collegian. Ginn’s score covered 57 yards and was the longest play of the day.
Pittman carried the ball just 13 times, but scored on a pair of 8-yard runs to equal his entire touchdown output of a year ago (seven).
Defensive tackle Vernon Gholston picked off his first career interception and had two tackles-for-loss and a sack. He is the team leader in tackles-for-loss with nine. His interception and 8-yard return gives the Buckeyes an interception in every game this year.
Malcolm Jenkins and James Laurinaitis paced the Buckeyes in tackles with nine. Jenkins had six solos to lead both teams. Laurinaitis now has a team-high 50 tackles on the year.
OHIO STATE 38, MICHIGAN STATE 7
| No. 1 Ohio State | 7 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 38 |
| Michigan State | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
The Buckeyes ran their road record to 3-0 with their methodical 38-7 dismantling of Michigan State. Jim Tressel’s Buckeyes have won their last six road games, five of which have been Big Ten contests. In their three road games this year, the Buckeyes have outscored Texas, Iowa and Michigan State by a combined total of 100 to 31 and have never trailed.
At Michigan State, the Buckeyes marched 80 yards in 12 plays on their second possession of the game for a quick 7-0 lead and never looked back. Tailback Antonio Pittman put Ohio State ahead to stay with a 2-yard run, giving him at least one rushing touchdown in 12 consecutive games. Troy Smith’s 37-yard completion to Ted Ginn Jr. set up the score.
The Buckeyes added 17 points in the second quarter on a 32-yard field goal by Aaron Pettrey, a 60-yard punt return by Ginn and a 12-yard Smith-to-Anthony Gonzalez pass. The latter was set up by a Marcus Freeman interception that gave Ohio State the ball on the MSU 29 with 2:27 to play in the first half.
Smith also connected with Brian Robiskie from seven yards out in the third quarter. Freshman Chris “Beanie” Wells wrapped up the scoring on a five-yard run at the start of the fourth quarter giving the Buckeyes a commanding 38-0 lead.
The Buckeyes rolled up 421 yards in total offense against the Spartans. Michigan State, conversely, managed just 198 yards against the Buckeyes’ defense, including just 63 yards on the ground.
Led by senior tackle Quinn Pitcock, the Buckeyes recorded 10 tackles-for-loss and seven sacks against the Spartans. Pitcock had two sacks, while defensive end Jay Richardson and linebacker James Laurinaitis each had two tackles-for-loss. Laurinaitis led the Buckeyes in tackles with nine, the sixth time this year that he has paced the team.
Freeman’s interception was the Buckeyes’ 13th of the year, giving Ohio State at least one interception in every game this year.
OHIO STATE 44, INDIANA 3
| Indiana | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| No. 1 Ohio State | 7 | 21 | 10 | 6 | 44 |
Ohio State staked Indiana to an early 3-0 lead then rolled up 44 unanswered points on the way to their 14th-consecutive victory over the Hoosiers. The 44 points were the most scored by the Buckeyes this season and the most since a 48-point effort against Northwestern in Game 10 last year. The three points by the Hoosiers were the fewest this year by an opponent and marked the sixth time this season the defense has held an opponent to seven points or less.
Led by quarterback Troy Smith and running back Antonio Pittman, the Buckeyes rolled up a season-high 540 yards in total offense – 270 rushing and the same number passing against the IU defense.
Smith completed 15 of 23 passes, including 15 of his last 19, for 220 yards and four touchdown passes. Pittman ran for 105 yards on 16 carries and received ample support from backups Chris Wells and Maurice Wells, each of whom rushed for 62 yards. Chris Wells scored the Buckeyes’ lone rushing touchdown of the day on a 12-yard run.
Ted Ginn Jr. led the OSU receiving corps with five catches for 72 yards and a touchdown. Ginn also threw a 38-yard touchdown pass, the first completion of his career. Tight end Rory Nicol had his first two-touchdown day, catching a 23-yard score from Smith and a 38-yard bullet from Ginn. Freshman tight end Jake Ballard also got in on the act with a 1-yard TD reception from Smith.
“When a senior quarterback throws it to a freshman you better catch it,” Ballard who made a diving grab of Smith’s perfectly thrown toss, said.
Aaron Pettrey added a career-long 51-yard field goal to the OSU cause.
The Ohio State defense recorded 10 tackles-for-loss, including four sacks, and held Indiana to just 7 yards rushing. Senior cornerback Antonio Smith had a career-high 12 tackles, including four tackles-for-loss and a sack. Senior defensive end Jay Richardson had a pair of sacks and cornerback Malcolm Jenkins and safety Andre Amos each had interceptions, giving the Buckeyes at least one interception in every game this year.
OHIO STATE 44, MINNESOTA 0
| Minnesota | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| No. 1 Ohio State | 10 | 7 | 13 | 14 | 44 |
Ohio State recorded its first shutout of the year and first since the 2003 season with a 44-0 win over Minnesota Oct. 28. The Buckeye defense, which extended its streak of not allowing a touchdown to eight consecutive quarters, limited the Gophers to 182 total yards, including just 47 yards rushing. The OSU offense equaled its season high in points and rolled up 484 yards. The Buckeyes converted 7-of-10 first-down opportunities and were 5-of-6 in the red zone, all touchdowns.
Troy Smith completed 14 of 21 passes for 183 yards and a touchdown and also ran for his first score of the season on a 21-yard run. Antonio Pittman rushed for 116 yards and a pair of touchdowns and freshman Beanie Wells added 90 yards on the ground.
Linebacker James Laurinaitis once again paced the team in tackles with 11. The Buckeye played the game without defensive tackle and co-captain Quinn Pitcock who suffered a concussion the week before against Indiana.
OHIO STATE 17, ILLINOIS 10
| No. 1 Ohio State | 7 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| Illinois | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 10 |
Ohio State recorded its 10th victory of the year at Illinois, but not without a struggle. After jumping out to a 17-0 lead at the half behind rushing touchdowns by Chris Wells and Antonio Pittman and a 50-yard field goal by Aaron Pettrey, the Buckeyes were taken to the wire before finally emerging with a 17-10 win.
Smith completed 13 of 23 passes for 108 yards, but was intercepted for just the third time this year and was sacked three times. He also rushed for 37 tough yards.
Ted Ginn Jr. hauled in five receptions and Antonio Pittman had three catches for the Buckeyes who had 195 yards of offense at the half, but just 29 after intermission.
The Ohio State defense responded by holding the Illini to 233 yards, including just 99 on the ground. The Illini had been averaging 181 yards per game rushing, second in the Big Ten.
The Buckeyes also picked up two more takeaways, giving them 22 on the year, including 19 interceptions. James Laurinaitis had the pick, his fifth of the year. Ohio State now has at least one interception in every game this year. The OSU offense has converted those takeaways into 93 points. Ohio State’s first 10 opponents have no points off Ohio State’s 11 giveaways.
OHIO STATE 54, NORTHWESTERN 10
| No. 1 Ohio State | 21 | 12 | 14 | 7 | 54 |
| Northwestern | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
All-America and Heisman Trophy candidate Troy Smith threw four touchdown passes for the third time this year, tailback Antonio Pittman went over the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the second consecutive season and the Ohio State defense recorded five turnovers leading to 34 points as the Buckeyes rolled over host Northwestern, 54-10, Nov. 11 in Evanston, Ill.
The OSU point total represents a season best and is the most points scored by the Buckeyes since 1996 and the most points in a Big Ten game since 1995. Ohio State recovered three fumbles and intercepted a pair of passes against the Wildcats, giving the Buckeyes at least one interception in every game this year. Brandon Mitchell returned his interception 46 yards for a touchdown, putting the Buckeyes ahead 21-0 with 3:38 to play in the first quarter. It was the Buckeyes’ third defensive TD of the year.
Redshirt freshman Brian Hartline was on the receiving end of two of Smith’s TD tosses. Ted Ginn Jr. and Anthony Gonzalez had the other two. Pittman finished with 80 yards and a touchdown to run his season total to 1,032 yard and freshman Beanie Wells came off the bench to rush for 99 yards and a score.
Ohio State finished with 425 yards in total offense and limited Northwestern to 297.
OHIO STATE 42, MICHIGAN 39
| No. 2 Michigan | 7 | 7 | 10 | 15 | 39 |
| No. 1 Ohio State | 7 | 21 | 7 | 7 | 42 |
Ohio State Heisman Trophy candidate Troy Smith completed 29 of 41 passes for 316 yards and four touchdowns to lead the top-ranked Buckeyes to three straight victories over Michigan with a 42-39 win against the second-ranked Wolverines Nov. 18 in front of a record crowd of 105,708 fans at Ohio Stadium.
The win clinched the first outright Big Ten title for the Buckeyes since 1984 and is its 31st conference title in school history. The victory extended the nation’s longest win streak to 19 games. Ohio State now is 12-0 overall and finished 8-0 in the Big Ten.
Ohio State improved to 5-1 against Michigan under sixth-year head coach Jim Tressel and heads to his fourth BCS game. Michigan finished 11-1 overall and 7-1 in conference games to tie Wisconsin for second place in the Big Ten.
Smith is the first player to quarterback Ohio State to three straight victories against Michigan since William H. “Tippy” Dye, who led the Buckeyes to wins from 1934-36. Dye, who was in attendance to watch Smith match his feat. In Smith’s three games vs. Michigan, he has 1,051 total yards and has thrown for seven touchdowns and rushed for another. Smith has completed 69 of 101 passes for 857 yards and has 33 rushes for 194 yards.
Smith’s 41 passes and 29 completions against Michigan were career bests. He has thrown 30 touchdown passes to set the school season record, besting Bobby Hoying’s 28 TD passes in 1995.
The 6-foot-1-inch senior signal caller hit four different receivers Saturday, including Ted Ginn Jr., who finished with eight catches for 104 yards. Brian Robiskie caught seven passes for 89 yards as the Buckeyes totaled 503 yards of total offense. Antonio Pittman carried the ball 18 times for 139 yards and a touchdown as Ohio State finished with 187 rushing yards. Chris Wells had the other rushing touchdown and finished with five carries for 56 yards.
ABOUT THE GATORS
After winning the Southeastern Conference championship game with a 38-28 victory over Arkansas, Florida found itself as the No. 2 team in the final standings of the Bowl Championship Series to set up a date with top-ranked Ohio State Jan. 8 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. The Gators are 12-1 overall and 7-1 in the SEC. Florida beat Southern Miss, Central Florida, Western Carolina and Florida State in non-conference action and went through its conference schedule of Tennessee, Kentucky, LSU, Alabama, Georgia, Vanderbilt and South Carolina with a lone blemish at Auburn Oct. 14. The Gators have won six-consecutive games heading to Arizona.
Florida is averaging 28.8 points and 398.1 yards per game. On the ground, the Gators are averaging 160.3 yards and through air, are averaging 237.8 yards. Chris Leak has completed 207 of 329 passes (62.9 percent) for 2,729 yards and 22 touchdowns. The Gators have a pair of receivers with at least 55 receptions this year. Dallas Baker has caught 56 passes for 897 yards (16.0 yards per catch) and nine touchdowns, while Andre Caldwell has reeled in 55 passes for 571 yards and five scores. Four other receivers have at least two touchdowns this season. Three players have rushed for at least 400 yards, including DeShawn Wynn who has 124 carries for 630 yards and five touchdowns. He is averaging 5.1 yards per carry. Tim Tebow has 79 rushes for 430 yards and seven TDs, while Percy Harvin has 36 rushes for 406 yards and a pair of scores. Tebow also has completed 21 of 32 passes for 357 yards and four touchdowns.
Defensively, the Gators are holding opponents to averages of 13.5 points and 268.8 yards per game, breaking down to 74.5 yards on the ground and 194.3 yards passing. Florida ranks sixth nationally in rush defense, pass efficiency defense (100.31) and scoring defense. The Gators have intercepted 20 passes and have recovered seven fumbles and have sacked the opposing quarterback 29 times for 207 yards of losses. Earl Everett is the team’s leading tackler. He has 79 tackles, including six tackles for loss and one sack. Derrick Harvey is the team’s leader with 10.0 tackles-for-loss and eight sacks for losses of 58 yards. Ryan Smith has eight interceptions. Brandon Siler is second in tackles with 73, which includes nine tackles-for-loss and three sacks. He also has recovered one fumble.
FLORIDA’S LAST GAME
The Gators earned their spot in the BCS National Championship game opposite Ohio State after a 38-28 victory over Arkansas in the SEC Championship game Dec. 2 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. Florida got second-half touchdowns on a muffed punt, a 67-yard run and a pass from a wide receiver to overcome a 21-17 deficit late in the third quarter. With Florida trailing 21-17 late in the third quarter, Arkansas’ Reggie Fish fumbled a punt after trying to field it over his shoulder inside the Razorbacks’ 5-yard line, allowing Wondy Pierre-Louis to pounce on the ball in the end zone for a touchdown that gave Florida a 24-21 lead. After the Gator defense forced an Arkansas punt, Percy Harvin took off on a 67-yard touchdown run on Florida’s first play of the fourth quarter, widening the lead to 31-21. The Hogs quickly cut the margin back to three points, at 31-28, when Cedric Washington hit Felix Jones for a 29-yard touchdown on a double pass with 12:29 left to play. Florida, however, would strike back on its next drive, marching down the field on a eight-play, 80-yard drive that culminated in a 5-yard touchdown pass from Andre Caldwell, a receiver, to Tate Casey to reach the final score.
HEAD COACH URBAN MEYER
Florida head coach Urban Meyer (Cincinnati, 1988) is 21-4 in his second season in Gainesville and is 60-12 in his sixth season as a college coach. Meyer was 22-2 in two seasons (2003-04) at Utah before taking over the Gator program before the 2003 season. He also coached at Bowling Green for two years and was 17-6 in 2001 and 2002. Prior to coaching the Falcons, Meyer spent five seasons coaching wide receivers at Notre Dame (1996-2000). He began his coaching career in 1986 as a graduate assistant at Ohio State under Earle Bruce and worked with the tight ends. In 1987, he worked with the receivers before moving on to Illinois State, where he coached in 1988 and 1989. From 1990-95, he worked with wide receivers at Colorado State before moving to Notre Dame. Meyer is making his four bowl appearance as a head coach. At Utah, he led the Utes to berths in the Liberty and Fiesta bowls and last year, he guided the Gators to an appearance in the Outback Bowl.
