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Gators chomp Buckeyes to win title
2007-01-09
The Florida Gators shocked top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes 41-14 to win the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) title game on Monday. Gators quarterback Chris Leak closed out his collegiate career in spectacular style, leading Florida to its first national championship since 1997 and stealing the spotlight from Ohio State's Heisman Trophy winning QB Troy Smith. The win also completed an unprecedented double for the University of Florida as it became the first school in U.S. collegiate history to hold both the football and basketball titles at the same time. "He (Leak) is officially one of the top two quarterbacks to play at the University of Florida," said Gators coach Urban Meyer. "That's the way it is at Florida, you are expected to win championships. "There have only been two in 100 years of football. There have been two quarterbacks win a national championship and Chris Leak is one of them." The Buckeyes, who had not seen action since their November 18 victory over rivals Michigan, got the contest off to an electrifying start when Ted Ginn Jr. took the opening kickoff and returned it 93-yards for a touchdown. As Ginn galloped into the end zone the futuristic University of Phoenix Stadium, which will play host to the 2008 Super Bowl, erupted in an explosion of Buckeye red and gray. GREATEST FEELING But that was the sole highlight of the opening quarter for the Buckeyes as the Gators hit back with three touchdowns on their first three possessions. An inspired Leak engineered scoring drives of 47, 34 and 71-yards against an unsteady Ohio defense to give the Gators a 21-7 lead. "We knew it would be important to get in an early rhythm," said Leak, who had played his entire career under a shadow of doubt that he had what it took to win the 'big game'. "It's the greatest feeling to be national champion. This is what your work for." While Leak completed his first nine passes, including a 14-yard touchdown strike to Dallas Baker, college football's top player Smith endured perhaps the ugliest quarter of his career completing just one of three pass attempts for three yards. Smith was hounded by a ferocious Gators defense all night and finished a horrendous 4-for-14 for just 35 yards. "You know, if this is the worst thing that happens in life to us, then I'm pretty cool," said Smith. The Buckeyes showed some resiliency in the second quarter when Antonio Pittman raced over from 18 yards to trim the deficit to 21-14. But Chris Hetland booted a pair of field goals and Tim Tebow, the promising freshman quarterback who will take over for Leak next season, found Andre Caldwell with a one-yard TD pass to give Florida a commanding 34-14 lead heading into the break. After a scoreless third quarter, Tebow underlined his status as the Gators future leader, diving over from the one to complete the rout.
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