What happened to Ohio States Troy Smith in the 2006 championship game?
There will be no clips package this week from Ohio State coach Jim Tressel. No binder full of chapter-and-verse about how the Buckeyes can’t be Southern California Saturday night , or how his program’s image has become about as hip as Joe Paterno’s record collection. There will be no compilation, because the message couldn’t be clearer if Terrelle Pryor put in his eye black and the Ohio State marching band spelled it in script. Ohio State and the big stage go together like peanut butter and gasoline. Since the then-No. 1 Buckeyes’ primetime win over No. 2 Texas in the second week of the 2006 season, the collapse of Ohio State’s reputation has been nasty, brutish and long. In the BCS championships game following the 2006 season, the underdog Florida Gators turnstile jumped the Ohio State offensive line and sacked Heisman winner Troy Smith so many times that a cottage industry sprung in Gainesville selling bumper stickers that read “Honk if you sacked Troy Smith.” Ohio State lost 41-14.
NEW YORK (AP) – Winning the Heisman Trophy was easy. The hard part for Troy Smith was staying composed. To the surprise of no one, the Ohio State quarterback was a runaway winner Saturday night of the award that honors college football’s best player. Seconds after his name was called, he hugged everyone important in his life – coaches and family – let out a deep, deep sigh and headed for the podium. “Normally, I’m pretty cool in pressure situations, but my heart is pounding so fast now,” he said. “I’m at a loss for words. I just can’t believe this is happening. … It means everything. Just to be here in this situation. I love everybody back home in Columbus.” Just two years after nearly derailing his career by taking money from a booster, Smith received 801 first-place votes and won the Heisman by 1,662 points – both the second-best marks in the 71-year history of the award. The senior moved to the front of the Heisman race in September with a flawless performance against Texas and fi
Ohio State and the big stage go together like peanut butter and gasoline. Since the then-No. 1 Buckeyes’ primetime win over No. 2 Texas in the second week of the 2006 season, the collapse of Ohio State’s reputation has been nasty, brutish and long. In the BCS championships game following the 2006 season, the underdog Florida Gators turnstile jumped the Ohio State offensive line and sacked Heisman winner Troy Smith so many times that a cottage industry sprung in Gainesville selling bumper stickers that read “Honk if you sacked Troy Smith.” Ohio State lost 41-14. Sources: http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.
