It’s hard to explain to people who weren't there. You have to understand the gravity of that specific Saturday in November. November 18, 2006. The air in Columbus wasn't just cold; it felt heavy, like the atmosphere was physically pressing down on the Horseshoe. We call it "The Game," but the 2006 Michigan-Ohio State game was something else entirely. It was the first and only time these two programs met as the #1 and #2 ranked teams in the nation. It wasn't just a rivalry. It was a heavyweight title fight where the winner went to the national championship and the loser went home with a broken heart.
Bo Schembechler died the day before.
Seriously. Think about that for a second. The patriarch of Michigan football, the man who defined the modern era of the rivalry, passed away on the eve of the biggest game in its history. If you're looking for a script, Hollywood couldn't write one that feels this surreal. The mourning in Ann Arbor was palpable, and the respect shown in Columbus was uncharacteristic, though brief. Once that ball was kicked, the sentimentality evaporated. It turned into a shootout that defied everything we thought we knew about Big Ten football back then.
The Night Everything Changed in Columbus
People remember the score—42-39. But they forget how fast it moved. Usually, Big Ten games in the mid-2000s were "three yards and a cloud of dust" affairs. This wasn't that. Ohio State’s Troy Smith was a magician. He basically secured his Heisman Trophy in those sixty minutes. He was surgical, throwing for 316 yards and four touchdowns. Michigan’s defense was supposed to be a brick wall, led by guys like LaMarr Woodley and David Harris, but Smith just kept finding gaps.
Michigan didn't fold, though. That’s the thing. Chad Henne and Mike Hart played like their lives depended on every snap. Hart was a monster, churning out three touchdowns. Every time Ohio State looked like they were going to pull away and turn it into a blowout, Michigan punched back.
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It was 28-14 at halftime. Most teams would have crumbled under the noise of 105,000 screaming Buckeyes fans. Instead, Michigan clawed back. When Mike Hart scored to make it 35-31 in the fourth, you could actually hear a pin drop in certain sections of the stadium. The tension was nauseating. Honestly, if you were a fan of either team, you probably didn't enjoy the game until it was over. It was too stressful.
The Turning Point That Still Stings
Ask any Michigan fan about the 2006 Michigan-Ohio State game and they will bring up the "late hit." Shawn Crable. It’s a name that lives in infamy.
Ohio State was facing a third-and-15. If Michigan gets the stop, they get the ball back with a chance to win. Troy Smith threw an incomplete pass. The stadium groaned. Then, a yellow flag hit the turf. Crable had gone helmet-to-helmet on Smith. Roughing the passer. Fifteen yards. Automatic first down. A few plays later, Antonio Pittman burst through for a touchdown to make it 42-31.
That single penalty might be the most debated moment in the history of the rivalry. Was it a penalty by the rules? Yeah, probably. Did it feel like a dagger to the soul of every person wearing maize and blue? Absolutely. Michigan scored again late—a touchdown and a two-point conversion to Tyler Ecker—to bring it to 42-39, but the onside kick failed. Ted Ginn Jr. fell on the ball, and that was it.
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Why the BCS Controversy Matters
The aftermath of the 2006 Michigan-Ohio State game was almost as loud as the game itself. Since the game was so close—a three-point margin on the road—there was a massive segment of the media, led largely by ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit, arguing for a rematch in the National Championship.
The BCS standings were a mess. Florida, coached by Urban Meyer, was lurking. Meyer was a master of politicking even back then. He went on every show that would have him, arguing that Michigan already had their shot and lost. He said it would be an injustice to the sport to see a rematch. It worked. The voters pushed Florida ahead of Michigan by the narrowest of margins.
Florida went on to demolish Ohio State in the title game, 41-14. Michigan went to the Rose Bowl and got smacked by USC. This outcome led to a lot of "SEC speed" narratives that dominated the next decade of college football. If Michigan had won, or if the rematch had happened, the entire trajectory of the sport might have looked different. Maybe the playoff era starts sooner. Maybe the Big Ten doesn't spend the next ten years being called "slow."
Statistically Speaking, It Was Wild
- Troy Smith: 29 of 41, 316 yards, 4 TDs.
- Mike Hart: 142 yards rushing, 3 TDs.
- Total Yards: Ohio State had 503; Michigan had 397.
- Turnovers: Michigan lost the ball three times (two fumbles, one pick), which really was the difference-maker.
You can't overlook the turnovers. In a game of this magnitude, giving the ball away three times is usually a death sentence. The fact that Michigan was still a two-point conversion away from potentially tying it is a testament to how elite that 2006 squad actually was.
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The Cultural Ripple Effect
This game was the peak of the Lloyd Carr vs. Jim Tressel era. It felt like the end of an epoch. Soon after, Rich Rodriguez would come to Michigan and try to install the spread, which was a disaster. Tressel would eventually leave under the cloud of "Tattoogate."
But in 2006? Everything was pure. It was two traditional powers at the absolute height of their powers. It’s the reason people still get misty-eyed talking about it. It represented the last time the "Big Two" truly owned the college football universe without apology.
What You Should Do Now to Appreciate This History
If you want to truly understand why this rivalry is what it is, don't just watch the highlights. Highlights are cheap. Go find the full broadcast on YouTube. Listen to the commentary. Watch the way the players reacted to the Bo Schembechler news during the pre-game.
- Watch the "Year of the Bo" documentary. It gives incredible context to the emotional state of the Michigan locker room that week.
- Review the final BCS standings of 2006. Look at how close the point totals were between Florida and Michigan. It’s a lesson in how much "style points" and lobbying used to matter in the pre-Playoff era.
- Analyze the rosters. Look at how many of those players went on to have long NFL careers. It wasn't just a college game; it was an NFL audition for about 20 different guys.
The 2006 Michigan-Ohio State game remains the gold standard for regular-season college football. It had the stakes, the stars, the tragedy, and the drama. It’s the game we use to measure all other editions of The Game. And honestly? Nothing has quite touched it since.
Practical Takeaway: To understand modern college football's obsession with playoffs and seeding, you have to study the 2006 season. It was the catalyst for the eventual move away from the BCS. The frustration of a #2 team losing a close game to #1 and falling out of title contention entirely is exactly why the 4-team (and now 12-team) playoff exists. Study the 2006 box score and the subsequent polling shift; it is the ultimate case study in "what-if" sports history.