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Posted on by Jeff Cummins

THE GAME – Michigan vs Ohio State Football – Looking Back – 2006

Looking Back is a Special Feature by Jeff Cummins Highlighting Key Rivalry Games

The second installment of this year’s series looking back at the football rivalry between Michigan and Ohio State takes us to 2006. After a few subpar seasons, Michigan’s junior class was finally meshing, and the Michigan football team was living up to its potential. Down in Columbus, the the Ohio State Buckeyes were also hitting on all cylinders, setting up a showdown for the ages.

Just days before the game, former Michigan coach Bo Schembechler passed away, changing the tone of the matchup. Suddenly, some Buckeyes were mildly sympathetic to Michigan. Michigan coach Lloyd Carr chose not to use Schembechler’s passing as a motivational tool to spark the Wolverines, a decision that could easily be debated. The atmosphere was already charged; both teams entered the game with perfect records. Ohio State was ranked No. 1 in both polls, and Michigan was ranked second. The pregame hype for the 2006 game surpassed any other meeting in the series history.

Once the game began, Michigan drew first blood. Quarterback Chad Henne established a consistent connection with receiver Mario Manningham, and Mike Hart scored on a 1-yard run to give the Wolverines the first lead, much to the dismay of the vociferous throng in Ohio Stadium.

The battle raged back and forth over three hours. Ohio State took a significant lead, but Michigan fought back. Late in the game, Henne connected with tight end Tyler Ecker for a 16-yart touchdown pass, and then followed that with a completion to Steve Breaston for a 2-point conversion. Suddenly, Michigan trailed by only three points.

Unfortunately, the Wolverines never got any closer. The play that bothers Michigan fans to this day came with Ohio State leading, 35-31, with less than seven minutes remaining in the game. On 3rd down and 15, Michigan defensive end Shawn Crable was penalized for hitting Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith with his helmet during a tackle, extending an Ohio State drive. Crable’s infraction gave Ohio State new life in a matchup in which one mistake could easily alter the outcome.

The irony is that neither team ended up winning the National Championship that season. Ohio State fell to eventual champion Florida, while Michigan fell flat in the Rose Bowl, losing to USC, 32-18. Many of the stars from that Michigan team returned for their senior years in 2007, but the 2006 team was probably the final legitimate chance for Carr to win a second National Championship.

Thanks to YouTube, ESPN, and YouTube poster Dave R for the broadcast of this game. As always, we own nothing and this blog post is intended strictly for the enjoyment of readers.

About Jeff Cummins

Jeff Cummins has written about football since 1998, including nine years with The Record of Hackensack, N.J. He frequently contributes feature stories to Touchdown Illustrated, an insert in the national college football game program, published by University Sports Publications, and he has also written the official pregame stories for the game programs of the Rose Bowl, the Cotton Bowl, the Sugar Bowl, the Gator Bowl, and the BCS National Championship game. He has written the preview story for the official program for the NHL Winter Classic at MIchigan Stadium, and numerous college basketball feature stories for College Hoops Illustrated, another game program insert published by University Sports Publications. In addition, he has written stories about theater, music, physical therapy, and newsletter marketing. He’s an avid Michigan football fan and long-time New York Jets season ticket holder, and he can be reached at jeffcummins@optonline.net.

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