2007 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP FOOTBALL TICKET Stub Florida Gators OSU Tim Tebow.
The 2007 Tostitos BCS National Championship Game was an American football game played at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on January 8, 2007, and featured the top-ranked Big Ten champions Ohio State Buckeyes against the 2nd-ranked SEC champions Florida Gators. The Gators would defeat the Buckeyes by a final score of 41-14.
2007 Tostitos BCS National Championship Game
BCS Bowl Game
2007 BCS Natl Championship logo.png
Florida Gators Ohio State Buckeyes
(12–1) (12–0)
41 14
Head coach:
Urban Meyer Head coach:
Jim Tressel
AP Coaches BCS
2 2 2
AP Coaches BCS
1 1 1
1 2 3 4 Total
Florida 14 20 0 7 41
Ohio State 7 7 0 0 14
Date
January 8, 2007
Season
2006
Stadium
University of Phoenix Stadium
Location
Glendale, Arizona
MVP
Offense: QB Chris Leak (Florida)
Defense: DE Derrick Harvey (Florida)
Favorite
Ohio State by 7[1]
National anthem
U.S. Military Academy Cadet Glee Club
Referee
Jack Folliard (Pac-10)
Halftime show
Ohio State and Florida bands; Habitat for Humanity presentation
Attendance
74,628
United States TV coverage
Network
Fox
Announcers
Thom Brennaman, Barry Alvarez, and Charles Davis
Nielsen ratings
17.4, 28.8M viewers, 27 share[2][3]
BCS National Championship Game
< 2006 2008 >
The Buckeyes secured a spot by finishing the regular season undefeated and ranked #1 in the BCS. It was the first time the Buckeyes and Gators had ever met on the football field.[4] The 12–1 Florida Gators earned a spot after defeating Arkansas in the SEC Championship Game in early December, and jumping from #4 to #2 in the final BCS Rankings, passing #3 Michigan and previous #2 USC.
The game was the first BCS National Championship Game to be televised on the Fox TV network, as well as the first time the BCS had held a standalone national championship game (previously, one of the 4 BCS bowls had served as the national championship game).
Pre-game buildup
Game summary Edit
First half Edit
The Buckeyes got off to a fast start when receiver Ted Ginn Jr. returned the opening kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown, giving Ohio State a 7–0 lead only 16 seconds into the game. During the celebration following the return, Ginn was injured and would miss the remainder of the game. The Gators quickly rebounded, however, leading a quick 46-yard drive for a score, capped off by a 14-yard touchdown pass from Chris Leak to Dallas Baker. After stuffing the Ohio State offense to a quick punt, Florida drove 36 yards for a touchdown on a 4-yard run by Percy Harvin. On their next possession, the Gators once again drove in for a score, going 71 yards on 10 plays and getting it in the end zone on a 2-yard run by DeShawn Wynn on the first play of the second quarter.
Ohio State came back for a score of their own with an 18-yard touchdown run by Antonio Pittman to bring the score to 21–14. After a Florida field goal, Ohio State coach Jim Tressel took a gamble by going for a fourth-and-one from the Buckeyes' own 29-yard line. The Gator defensive line stopped Chris Wells in his tracks and the ball was turned over on downs. Chris Hetland, Florida's much-maligned kicker who was only 4-of-13 for the year, hit his second field goal of the night, making the score 27–14, and with just over two minutes left to play in the half, it appeared that would be the score heading to the break. As Ohio State started from their own 20, quarterback Troy Smith dropped back to pass and was hit by Florida lineman Jarvis Moss, jarring the ball loose. Florida recovered on the Buckeye 5-yard line and punched it in with a one-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tim Tebow to Andre Caldwell. The half ended and the teams went off the field with Florida leading 34–14.
Second half Edit
The second half saw a much more defensive game, with no scoring in the third quarter. The Gator offense used up the clock, while the defense continued to stifle Ohio State's purportedly explosive attack. The lone score of the half came with just over 10 minutes left in the game, when Tim Tebow ran in a one-yard touchdown score, bringing the tally to 41–14, which was the final score.
Chris Leak was named the offensive player of the game, and Derrick Harvey earned the defensive honors. The Gators held the Buckeye offense to only 82 total yards for the game, and Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith completed only four passes for 35 yards and an interception. The Gators also dominated in time of possession, limiting the Ohio State offense to just over 19 minutes.
Scoring summary Edit
1 2 3 4 Total
Florida 14 20 0 7 41
Ohio State 7 7 0 0 14
at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
Date: January 8, 2007
Game time: 8 p.m. EST / 6 p.m. MST
Game attendance: 74,628
Recap
Scoring Play Time Score
1st quarter
Ted Ginn Jr. – 93-yard kickoff return for TD 14:44 OSU 7–0
Chris Leak – 14-yard pass to Dallas Baker 10:31 Tie 7–7
Percy Harvin – 4-yard TD rush 5:51 UF 14–7
2nd quarter
DeShawn Wynn – 2-yard TD rush 14:56 UF 21–7
Antonio Pittman – 18-yard TD rush 13:32 UF 21–14
Chris Hetland – 43-yard FG 6:00 UF 24–14
Chris Hetland – 40-yard FG 1:53 UF 27–14
Tim Tebow – 1-yard TD pass to Andre Caldwell 0:23 UF 34–14
3rd quarter
No scoring
4th quarter
Tim Tebow – 1-yard TD rush 10:20 UF 41–14