| Michigan vs. Ohio State, 2006 "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] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The 2006 Michigan vs. Ohio State game was a regular-season college football game between the unbeaten Michigan Wolverines (ranked No. 2 in the nation) and the unbeaten Ohio State Buckeyes (ranked No. 1 in the nation) on November 18, 2006, at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, 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 the de facto Big 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 a conference championship game until 2011). Ohio State entered the 2006 season ranked No. 1, while Michigan was ranked No. 14 in the AP 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 a Mike Hart touchdown run and a Garrett Rivas field goal. Ohio State would extend their lead again following an Antonio Pittman touchdown run, though Michigan would bring the game within four points on another Hart touchdown run. A Troy Smith pass to Brian 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 the Big Ten championship outright, for the first time since 1984, and a berth in the BCS National Championship Game, while the Wolverines would accept a berth in the Rose Bowl. Smith became the seventh Ohio State player to win the Heisman Trophy, while multiple players on both teams were recognized with conference and national awards. Michigan was defeated 32–18 by the USC Trojans in the Rose Bowl, while Ohio State was defeated 41–14 by the Florida Gators in the national championship game.
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