It featured the Michigan Wolverines and the Virginia Tech Hokies on Tuesday, January 3, 2012, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.
This was because the top two SEC teams, the LSU Tigers and Alabama Crimson Tide, played each other in the 2012 BCS National Championship Game, also held at the Superdome.
This was the last SEC-less Sugar Bowl until January 2021, when the Ohio State Buckeyes representing the Big Ten faced off against the Clemson Tigers representing the ACC Michigan was offered a berth after it finished the season with a 10–2 record—its highest win total since the 2006 season—that ended with a 40–34 win against arch-rival Ohio State.
Virginia Tech was offered a berth after it finished its season 11–2, which culminated in a 38–10 loss in the 2011 ACC Championship Game to Clemson.
The game kicked off at 8:32 pm Eastern Standard Time, and Virginia Tech scored first, converting its first possession into on a field goal.
In the fourth quarter, Virginia Tech scored a touchdown to narrow Michigan's lead to two points, and then converted a two-point conversion to tie the game.
In overtime, Virginia Tech appeared to score the go-ahead touchdown, but the call on the field was overturned upon video review.
Michigan scored 28 unanswered points in the second half, coming back from a ten-point deficit at halftime to win 42–24.
The Wolverines featured consensus All-American and Rimington Trophy Winner David Molk and two 1,000-yard rushers, (Fitzgerald Toussaint and Denard Robinson).
Michigan State QB Kirk Cousins, whose team failed to qualify for a BCS game because it did not finish in the top 14 of the BCS standings, criticized the potential selection of Michigan after his team's debilitating 42–39 loss [19] to Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship Game, "I don't see how you get punished for playing and someone else gets to sit on the couch and get what they want".
Michigan began the game missing starting C David Molk, who suffered a foot injury during the pre-game warmup.
Michigan's second drive was more successful than the first, with Denard Robinson completing an 11-yard pass to Kelvin Grady on third down, and Fitzgerald Toussaint rushing for 14 yards on the next play.
Logan Thomas rushed for five yards, which set up a Justin Myer 43-yard field goal and gave Tech a 6–0 lead.
With eight seconds remaining in the half, Robinson threw a seven-yard screen pass to Vincent Smith, which moved the ball to the Tech one-yard line.
Michigan intentionally took a delay of game penalty to move the ball back in order for Gibbons to have a better angle to kick the field goal.
The bands performed Harry Connick Jr.'s "Save the Last Dance for Me", Michael Bublé's "Haven't Met You Yet", and Frank Sinatra's "Fly Me to the Moon".
On the next play, Hosley committed a defensive pass interference penalty, giving Michigan a 15-yard advancement and an automatic first down at the Tech 18-yard line.
Thomas then threw a 3-yard pass to Wilson, and on the next play, Clark committed an offside penalty, making it second-and-two on the Michigan 31-yard line.
Tech's next three plays saw Thomas throw two incomplete passes interspersed with a Ryan Van Bergen sack for a one-yard loss.
Since Michigan led by two, Tech elected to attempt a two-point conversion and converted on a Thomas to Marcus Davis pass, which tied the game.
Thomas completed a five-yard pass to Eric Martin on Tech's first play, but Michigan's defense held Wilson to a run for no gain on second down.
Michigan's offense then stalled, as Tech stopped Toussaint for no gain, held Robinson to a two-yard run, and then forced an incomplete pass intended for Kevin Koger.
Thomas completed an eight-yard pass to Boykin, but settled for the tying 25-yard field goal from Myer after a timeout from each team.
After a Tech timeout in an attempt to ice the kicker, Gibbons kicked a 37-yard field goal to give Michigan the victory and its first BCS win since the 2000 Orange Bowl.
Virginia Tech's longest drive lasted 11 plays and covered a distance of 83 yards, leading to the game-tying field goal at the end of the fourth quarter, which sent the game to overtime.
The eighth receiver, long snapper Jareth Glanda, caught his pass as a result of a deflection on the fake field goal attempt.
He missed his final attempt from 37 yards in overtime, which allowed Michigan to kick the game-winning field goal on its ensuing possession.
Tony Gregory returned one kick for 23 yards, but also was responsible for the fumble that led to Michigan's field goal at the end of the first half.
[37] The Superdome was reconfigured to host the Detroit Lions vs. New Orleans Saints National Football Conference (NFC) wild card game the following Saturday.
[39][40] Later that day, Troy Woolfolk and Michael Shaw announced via Twitter through their agents that they had signed with the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins, respectively.