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College Football Rewind: Most important games from 2003 season

By Jackson Caudell

NEW ORLEANS - JANUARY 4: Head coach Nick Saban of the Loiusiana State Tigers holds up the Bowl Championship Series Trophy after his team defeated the Oklahoma Sooners in the Nokia Sugar Bowl National Championship on January 4, 2004 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Tigers defeated the Sooners 21-14 to win the National Championship. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS - JANUARY 4: Head coach Nick Saban of the Loiusiana State Tigers holds up the Bowl Championship Series Trophy after his team defeated the Oklahoma Sooners in the Nokia Sugar Bowl National Championship on January 4, 2004 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Tigers defeated the Sooners 21-14 to win the National Championship. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images) /
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ANN ARBOR, MI – NOVEMBER 22: Running back Chris Perry #23 of the Michigan Wolverines runs for extra yards as he is being tackled during the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the 100th meeting of the two teams November 22, 2003 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan won 35-21 giving them the Big Ten Championship. (Photo by Danny Moloshok/Getty Images)
ANN ARBOR, MI – NOVEMBER 22: Running back Chris Perry #23 of the Michigan Wolverines runs for extra yards as he is being tackled during the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the 100th meeting of the two teams November 22, 2003 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan won 35-21 giving them the Big Ten Championship. (Photo by Danny Moloshok/Getty Images) /

4. (15) Michigan 35, (4) Ohio State 21

Now in the previous installment of this series, I talked about how Ohio State was escaping week to week all the way to the national championship. That luck would run out on them the next season in some close games but the thing about this one is that it wasn’t all that close.

Michigan has only beaten Ohio State three times since 2000 and this was one of those games. Lloyd Carr did not have much success versus Buckeye head coach Jim Tressel, but he managed to get the best of him in 2003, clinching a Big Ten title for the Wolverines and effectively knocking Ohio State out of the national championship and ending there hopes for a repeat.

The Wolverines raced out to a 21-0 lead over the fourth-ranked Buckeyes and did not look back. Wolverines quarterback John Navarre had an excellent game, going 21-of-32 for 278 yards and two touchdowns and ensuring the Wolverines a Big Ten title and a spot in the Rose Bowl.

This game was very important for the obvious reasons. With a win, Ohio State has a shot at sneaking into the national championship and giving itself a chance to repeat as the champ — opportunities that are very hard to come by.

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