The end of the 2006 season meant the end of the Troy Smith era for the Buckeyes.
Smith became the first Ohio State quarterback to start in three wins over Michigan since Tippy Dye, nearly 70 years earlier.
But just as the post-Smith era was beginning in Columbus, the Lloyd Carr era was coming to an end in Ann Arbor.
His final Michigan team entered the 2007 season ranked No. 5 in the nation, and then proceeded to lose a stunner to Division 1-AA Appalachian State to open the year.
The next five seasons brought upheaval to both sides of the rivalry.
Carr gave way to Rich Rodriguez, and then Brady Hoke.
In Columbus, Jim Tressel’s shocking fall gave the Wolverines hope in The Game for the first time since Carr’s departure.
If you missed Part One of our look at The Game through the years, you can find 2002-2006 here.
2007
Michigan rebounded from their brutal start to field a respectable team. In fact, they won eight games in a row before falling at Wisconsin the week before The Game.
That previous week was a bad one for the Buckeyes as well. They lost on Senior Day to Illinois, seemingly killing their national championship hopes.
But 2007 was a bizarre season filled with crazy upsets, and as it turned out the Buckeyes were just a win away from the BCS title game.
Things were not so good for Michigan. Quarterback Chad Henne was injured and ineffective on a cold, rainy day in Ann Arbor. He finished just 11-for-34 for 68 yards.
Senior running back Mike Hart had 18 carries for 44 yards. Michigan finished with just 91 total yards of offense.
The Buckeyes didn’t do much, but they did more than enough to win on this day.
Beanie Wells gave the Bucks a 7-3 lead with a 1-yard run early in the second quarter, and then effectively put the game away with a 62-yard touchdown on OSU’s first play after halftime.
After that, Michigan’s drives covered 7, 2, 15, minus-3, 14, 0, and 0 yards.
Michigan’s last real chance to make it a game came when they got the ball back at their own 32 with 7:32 left in the fourth quarter.
On the first play from scrimmage, Vernon Gholston burst through the line and shoved Henne to the ground. The Wolverines punted two plays later, effectively ending the game.
The photo above shows Gholston sacking Henne on that play.
See the complete 2007 Ohio State – Michigan photo gallery here.
2008
The Buckeyes put together a solid, if unspectacular season in 2008. They suffered a blowout loss at USC early in the year, but lost only to Penn State in conference play.
Michigan, on the other hand… yikes. Rich Rodriguez’s first Wolverine team started the year 2-2, including an upset of No. 9 Wisconsin. And then the roof fell in.
They lost six of their next seven games entering The Game.
Once the OSU-UM game kicked off, the Buckeyes quickly made it clear that there wouldn’t be an upset in the Horseshoe.
Beanie Wells took a first quarter handoff 59 yards for the game’s first touchdown, and Brian Hartline added a 53-yard scoring reception from Terrelle Pryor to stretch the lead to 14-0.
Michigan answered with a scoring drive before halftime, but any lingering drama didn’t last long after the break.
OSU went 91 yards in just two plays on their opening drive of the third quarter, then added another score eight minutes later.
A pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns just made the final score of 42-7 reflect the mismatch on the field.
The photo above shows Wells on his way to the opening touchdown that gave the Buckeyes a lead they would never relinquish.
See the complete 2008 Ohio State – Michigan photo gallery here.
2009
Rodriguez’s second Michigan team was both substantially better than his first, and also still not very good.
The Wolverines started the year 4-0, including a win over Charlie Weis and No. 18 Notre Dame. And then they imploded again.
Michigan entered The Game having won just one of its previous seven games, and even that was against Division 1-AA basement-dweller Delaware State.
The Buckeyes, on the other hand, came in at 9-2, and 6-1 in Big Ten play. They blew an early-season game against USC in horrific fashion, and then lost an inexplicable game at Purdue, but were otherwise solid.
A win would send the Buckeyes to their first Rose Bowl since 1997, and Michigan quarterback Tate Forcier was happy to oblige.
With the Wolverines facing 3rd-and-7 at their own 9 on their opening possession, Forcier dropped back into the end zone, and then just dropped the football while trying to evade the Buckeyes’ pass rush.
OSU’s Cameron Heyward grabbed it in the end zone and just like that, OSU was up 7-0.
Brandon Saine added a 29-yard touchdown in the second quarter to send the Buckeyes into the half with a 14-3 lead.
Michigan cut it to 14-10 after the break, but the Buckeyes answered with an 11-play, 89-yard drive to stretch their advantage back to 21-10.
After that, Michigan’s drives went: 3-and-out, interception, interception, interception, 4-and-out.
Forcier finished the game with five turnovers: four interceptions and that crucial early fumble in the end zone.
The photo above shows Forcier and OSU defensive end Thaddeus Gibson reaching for the ball that Heyward ultimately grabbed.
The Buckeyes went on to win the Rose Bowl, while the Wolverines stayed home for the holidays for the second straight season.
See the complete 2009 Ohio State – Michigan photo gallery here.
2010
This would be the last time either Jim Tressel or Rich Rodriguez would coach in The Game, although no one knew it at the time.
Well, to be more accurate, there was reason to think RichRod wouldn’t necessarily survive until 2011, but as far as anyone knew, there was nothing but smooth sailing ahead for Tressel.
The Game started that way as well.
After a scoreless first quarter, the Buckeyes quickly put 10 points on the board to start the second.
Michigan answered with an 11-play, 80-yard drive to cut it to 10-7. But if Rodriguez had any notion that he might be on the verge of a job-saving upset win, it didn’t last long.
Jordan Hall fielded the ensuing kickoff at his own 15 and raced up the left sideline. When he got to the Michigan 30, he dodged right to make the last Wolverine defender miss and raced into the endzone.
Just like that it was 17-7, and both the game and the RichRod era were over.
OSU added another score before halftime, and then a final dagger on the opening drive of the third quarter.
The Buckeyes won a share of their sixth straight Big Ten championship and went on to play in the Sugar Bowl, beating Arkansas.
The photo above shows Hall making the final defender miss on that crucial second quarter kickoff return.
See the complete 2010 Ohio State – Michigan photo gallery here.
2011
One of the strangest Ohio State football seasons in history very nearly ended with one of the greatest upsets of Michigan in program history.
Interim coach Luke Fickell’s Bucks had struggled to a 6-5 record entering Ann Arbor, coming in off consecutive losses to Purdue and Penn State.
Michigan, on the other hand, was on its way to an 11-win season under first-year coach Brady Hoke.
Things we set up for a decisive Michigan blowout, but it didn’t play out that way.
The Buckeyes fell behind 16-7 in the first quarter, but battled back to take a 24-23 lead into the half.
Michigan retook the lead after the break, then stretched it to 37-27 in the fourth quarter.
But in the midst of a lost season, the Buckeyes refused to quit. Boom Herron’s 4-yard touchdown cut the OSU deficit to 37-34.
Ohio State got the ball back one final time, following a Michigan field goal. Trailing 40-34, freshman quarterback Braxton Miller took over at his own 20 with 1:59 left on the clock.
Two plays later, Miller faked a handoff and launched a pass to DeVier Posey down the left sideline.
Posey was a full three yards clear of the last Michigan defender. If he caught the pass in stride, it would have been a 76-yard dagger of a touchdown.
Instead, the pass sailed over Posey’s head and landed out of his reach. The drive ended with an interception.
For the first time in eight years, Michigan had won The Game.
The photo above shows Posey tracking that fateful pass.
See the complete 2011 Ohio State – Michigan photo gallery here.