Ohio State claimed the College Football Belt with a 24-7 victory over Texas in Austin, dominating through the air with Troy Smith's efficient passing attack. The Buckeyes struck first with a quick touchdown drive capped by Smith's 14-yard scoring pass to Anthony Gonzalez early in the first quarter, then added another touchdown just before halftime on Smith's 29-yard connection with Ginn Jr. to take a 21-7 lead into the break. Texas managed only one touchdown in response, a 2-yard pass from Colt McCoy to Billy Pittman in the second quarter, and the Longhorns' defense couldn't generate enough pressure on Smith, who completed passes at will. Ohio State put the game out of reach in the fourth quarter with Antonio Pittman's 2-yard rushing touchdown, while Texas's offense struggled with only 3 third-down conversions and two turnovers including an interception in the third quarter. The Belt changed hands on the strength of Ohio State's balanced attack and Texas's inability to contain the Buckeye passing game.
Written by Claude from the box score and play-by-play on this page — a plain-English recap of the numbers below, not a substitute for them.