Buckeye Nation (yours truly included) believed our beloved team to be unstoppable in 2006. We had a quarterback who’d eventually win the Heisman, a star receiver in Ted Ginn Jr., a star back in Antonio Pittman and began the season ranked first in most football polls, a ranking that would continue throughout the season. We were certain we would go wire-to-wire in the polls.
Our final mission was to play our third second-ranked team of the season. After steamrolling past Texas earlier, and a nail-biter against That School Up North in the Horseshoe on a cold November night, we were certain the Florida Gators would be a cakewalk compared to TSUN. Needless to say, there were many happy fans in Buckeye Nation when we learned we wouldn’t have to prove ourselves at TSUN’s expense for the second time that season.
If only we knew the disaster our hubris would bring us that brisk January night in Glendale Arizona.
Since that double-overtime upset over the Miami Hurricanes, Ohio State reigned supreme in The Valley of the Sun, dismantling Kansas State in 2004 and Notre Dame in 2006. The 2006 Buckeyes emerged from the regular season victorious, winning the Big Ten Championship outright and had a final opportunity to prove themselves once and for all with a potential victory over the Gators in what was predominantly a hometown crowd.
So what went wrong?
The 2007 BCS National Championship Game started well for the Buckeyes when Ginn scored a touchdown off a 93-yard kickoff return only sixteen seconds into the game to put Ohio State up 7-0.
Then the unthinkable happened: Ginn limped off the field with an injury that cost him the opportunity to play in the rest of the game. The Gators fought back on a 46-yard drive that led to a 14-yard touchdown pass from Chris Leak to Dallas Baker to tie the score.
Ohio State’s offense was unable to break through the Gators’ defensive line, and Florida retaliated with another touchdown on a four-yard run by Percy Harvin giving the Gators a 14-7 lead.
Following another ineffective offensive drive by the Buckeyes, Florida moved the ball 71 yards on 10 plays, enabling DeShawn Wynn to score another touchdown for the Gators early in the second quarter.
4 comments Last one added about 1 year ago — Leave a Comment
S M Napier about 1 year ago
Great article. I think what killed OSU, they heard all season. They where the Champions and just give them the Title. Plus leading up to the National Championship game, all the media basically gave them the title and never gave the Gators a chance. Read where Coach Meyer recorded & clipped the Press comments. Then made his players watch and read it. Then held a team meeting, inspired his players to go out and prove everyone wrong. Lastly, it's time for everyone to realize, just how speedy the SEC teams really are either offensively & defensively. Unfortunately, OSU knows it the best and regardless who you are playing never overlook your opponent. You earn it, it's not given to you and ignore hype it just makes you let your guard down.
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Ryan Staab about 1 year ago
That was something I forgot to mention, or at least further elaborate on. It stung when Meyer, in a post-game interview, said something akin to "This championship is for all the people who thought we had no business being here..." or something to that extent. It hurt, but dammit, he was right.
The biggest concern I should've had, in retrospect, was at a pep rally the Buckeyes held at Chase Field in Phoenix (where the Diamondbacks play) the Sunday before the game. The crowd was pumped, but the players who spoke (Smith, and I don't remember who else, but Tressel made a few comments as well) were completely listless, assuming they'd roll over the Gators the following day. It was like they were the 2002 Miami Hurricanes and the Florida Gators were the 2002 Buckeyes, if that makes any sense?
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Jeff Smirnoff about 1 year ago
Well done. There was that "something doesn't smell right" feel about that game from the get go. The Bucks had never been challenged except versus Michigan and I don't think they realized how tlaented Florida was. I think a lot of people thought Florida didn't deserve to be there because Urban Meyer has to "lobby" for their inclusion. Obviously, that was not the case. 2009 a big year to prove the doubters right or wrong.
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Tom Thompson about 1 year ago
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, LET THE SPEED THING GO PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! People that mention the SEC and their great speed are nothing more than sheeple that put on the blinders and believe whatever ESPN tells them.
OSU recruits (and gets) the same type of athletes as Florida, LSU and the rest of the SEC. What do you people think happens, these same athletic kids cross the mason-dixon line and they automatically lose speed? GET REAL!
Do you honestly want to know what happend against FLA? OSU read too many of their press clippings, and played a team that had an enormous chip on their shoulder. Smith was fat and out of shape because he was on the award circuit, and Florida did an excellent job of scouting the Bucks and formulated one of the best game plans I've ever seen and their players executed the plan flawlessly. I'm not creating excuses, but I'm so tired of hearing about the SEC and how they run circles around Northern teams.
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