Ranking the 30 Greatest National Championship Games
By Zach Bigalke
24. 2007 BCS National Championship
#2 Florida d. #1 Ohio State 41-14
BEFORE THE GAME
A year before reaching the BCS championship against LSU, the Buckeyes were in the big game facing a different SEC champion. Ohio State and Michigan played one another as the top two teams in the country, both undefeated when they met for the season finale in Columbus on November 18. The Buckeyes fended off a comeback attempt by their rivals, holding on for a 42-39 victory. Both teams remained in the top two spots after the game, setting up the potential for an all-Big Ten BCS National Championship.
But Michigan slid down the rankings as other teams played out the rest of their seasons. USC leapfrogged the Wolverines after beating Notre Dame on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The Trojans missed their chance to play in the big game after falling to cross-town rival UCLA on the first weekend of December. Louisville won the Big East by beating Connecticut on the same day, but they could gain no traction in the BCS rankings despite just one loss against ranked Rutgers. ACC champion Wake Forest and Big 12 champion Oklahoma, both 11-2, were also unable to reach even the top five.
The Buckeyes were ultimately paired against SEC champion Florida. The Gators were the only other major-conference champion besides Louisville and Ohio State to finish the year with one loss or less. Unlike the Cardinals, they had played a 13th game for the SEC title against eighth-ranked Arkansas. Their only loss had come at Auburn, who finished the regular season 10-2. The extra data point was enough to bump Urban Meyer’s team over Michigan into the championship against the Buckeyes.
THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Ohio State got off to a blistering start, as Ted Ginn, Jr. took the opening kickoff 93 yards to put the Buckeyes ahead 7-0 just 14 seconds into the game. But Ginn was injured in the celebration and unable to play the rest of the game, a complete 180 of fortunes. On the ensuing kickoff to Florida, a face mask penalty on the Buckeyes furthered the misery, as the Gators got to start their first drive in enemy territory. Chris Leak capped the seven-play drive with a TD pass to Dallas Baker, and Meyer’s crew never trailed again.
By halftime the Gators were up 34-14, and the second half played out as a formality. Heisman winner Troy Smith was held to 35 yards and an interception on 4-of-14 passing, as Ohio State finished the game with just 131 total yards of offense. Leak won the MVP award after leading the Florida offense with 213 passing yards and a score, while Tim Tebow made his presence felt with 11 touches for 40 yards and two scores (one passing, one rushing).