Quarterback Troy Smith and the Ohio State Buckeyes did it all, overwhelming the Michigan Wolverines 42-39 to win the Big Ten title and streak into U.S. college football's national title game.
Smith and the top-ranked Buckeyes put their dazzling speed on display with a barrage of big plays, and they needed every one of them to beat an inspired Michigan team 42-39 on Saturday.
Ohio State running back Chris Wells runs for a touchdown in the second quarter against Michigan in Columbus, Ohio on Saturday. Ohio State won 42-39 to guarantee a spot in the national championship game.
(Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press)
The Game of the Century, the first one-versus-two matchup in this storied rivalry, was played a day after Michigan lost coaching legend Bo Schembechler.
The feisty and revered former Michigan coach died Friday, and the top two teams in the nation couldn't have honoured his memory with a better game — though it wasn't the type of football that Bo and Ohio State's Woody Hayes played when they were coaching.
Two defences that came in allowing 20 points per game combined were unable to stop each other's attack, making the 103rd Ohio State-Michigan meeting the second-highest scoring game in the series.
