2012 Gator Bowl
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox NCAA football yearly game
| game_name = Gator Bowl
| subheader = 67th Gator Bowl
| title_sponsor = TaxSlayer.com
| image =
| caption =
| date_game_played = January 2
| year_game_played = 2012
| football_season = 2011
| stadium = EverBank Field
| city = Jacksonville, Florida
| visitor_school =
| visitor_name_short = Ohio State|2011 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
| visitor_nickname = Buckeyes|2011 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
| visitor_record = 6–6
| visitor_rank_AP =
| visitor_rank_coaches =
| visitor_rank_BCS =
| visitor_coach = Luke Fickell
(interim)
| visitor_conference = Big Ten
| visitor_1q = 0
| visitor_2q = 10
| visitor_3q = 0
| visitor_4q = 7
| visitor_ot =
| visitor_2ot =
| home_school =
| home_name_short = Florida|2011 Florida Gators football team
| home_nickname = Gators|2011 Florida Gators football team
| home_record = 6–6
| home_rank_AP =
| home_rank_coaches =
| home_rank_BCS =
| home_coach = Will Muschamp
| home_conference = SEC
| home_1q = 7
| home_2q = 7
| home_3q = 7
| home_4q = 3
| home_ot =
| home_2ot =
| odds = Florida by 2Bowl Schedule, Los Angeles Times, December 7, 2011
| MVP = Andre Debose (WR, Florida) & Etienne Sabino (LB, Ohio State){{Cite web |url=https://www.taxslayerbowl.com/2011-2/ |title = 2011 |access-date=December 31, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171231155446/https://www.taxslayerbowl.com/2011-2/ |archive-date=December 31, 2017 |url-status=dead }}
| anthem =
| referee = Cooper Castleberry (MWC)
| halftime =
| attendance = 61,312
| payout = 2.5 million per team
| us_network = ESPN2
| us_announcers = Mike Patrick (Play-by-Play)
Ed Cunningham (Analyst)
Jeannine Edwards (Sidelines)
| ratings = 1.85
}}
The 2012 TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl, the 67th edition of the game, was a post-season American college football bowl game, held on January 2, 2012 at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida as part of the 2011–12 NCAA Bowl season. TaxSlayer.com was named the corporate title sponsor on September 1, 2011.{{cite web |url=http://www.gatorbowl.com/?p=1496 |title=TaxSlayer.com Named Title Sponsor |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111016125739/http://www.gatorbowl.com/?p=1496 |archive-date=October 16, 2011 |website=Gatorbowl.com |date=September 1, 2011}} The game, which was telecasted at 1:00 p.m. ET on ESPN2, featured the Ohio State Buckeyes of the Big Ten Conference versus the Florida Gators of the Southeastern Conference.{{cite web |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/os-xpm-2011-06-17-os-college-football-bowl-schedule-20110617-story.html |title=2011–12 college football bowl schedule released |work=Orlando Sentinel |last=Murschel |first=Matt |date=June 17, 2011 |access-date=August 31, 2022 |url-access=subscription}}{{cite web |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/os-xpm-2012-01-03-os-feature-gator-bowl-florida-ohio-state-0103-20120102-story.html |title=Florida's defense shines in physical Gator Bowl |work=Orlando Sentinel |last=Green |first=Tom |date=January 3, 2012 |access-date=August 31, 2022 |url-access=subscription}}
The game was a rematch of the 2007 BCS National Championship Game, where Florida emerged victorious. Florida's head coach for the 2007 game, Urban Meyer, was named head coach at Ohio State in November 2011 and took over the Buckeye football program in the 2012 season.{{Cite web |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/football/ncaa/12/04/gator.bowl.ap/index.html |title = Florida Gators, Ohio State Buckeyes in Urban Meyer Gator Bowl - NCAA Football - SI.com |access-date=2011-12-04 |archive-date=2012-01-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120107201155/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/football/ncaa/12/04/gator.bowl.ap/index.html |url-status=dead }} As such, this game is sometimes referred to as the Urban Meyer Bowl.{{cite web |url=http://www.espn.com/colleges/florida/story/_/id/7416634/florida-gators-inspired-urban-meyer |title=Notebook: Inspired by Meyer |first=Jeff |last=Barlis |website=ESPN |date=January 2, 2012 |access-date=November 25, 2018}}
Teams
The Buckeyes finished fourth in the Big Ten Leaders Division, while the Gators finished the season third in the Southeastern Conference Eastern Division. The two teams have played once before, in the 2007 Tostitos BCS National Championship Game. In that game, No. 2 Florida defeated No. 1 Ohio State 41–14 to claim the 2006 national title.
Some referred to the game as the “Urban Bowl” or “Traitor Bowl” by Gators fans because Urban Meyer had been hired as the new Ohio State head coach less than a year after leaving Florida. Luke Fickell served as the interim head coach for Ohio State, while Brian White served as the interim offensive coordinator for Florida and called the plays, since offensive coordinator Charlie Weis had left to take the head coaching job at Kansas.
Ohio State and Florida were tied 7–7 in the first half, but dominant special teams play - including a kickoff return and blocked punt return for a touchdown - led the Gators (7–6) to a 24–17 victory over the struggling Buckeyes (6–7). It is the first time since 1999 that Ohio State has had a non-winning record, and the first time since 1988 that Ohio State had a losing season. It was Florida's 32nd consecutive winning season dating back to 1979. The Buckeyes will not be eligible for a 2012 bowl game or the Big Ten title. The Gators would return in 2012 with a new offensive coordinator, Brent Pease, and a new starting quarterback.
=Ohio State=
{{see also|2011 Ohio State Buckeyes football team}}
=Florida=
{{see also|2011 Florida Gators football team}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Gator Bowl navbox}}
{{2011 bowl game navbox}}
{{Ohio State Buckeyes bowl game navbox}}
{{Florida Gators bowl game navbox}}
Category:Ohio State Buckeyes football bowl games
Category:Florida Gators football bowl games