The 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season was the highest level of college football competition in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
The regular season began on August 31, 2006 and ended on December 2, 2006. The postseason concluded on January 8, 2007 with the BCS National Championship Game in Glendale, Arizona , where the #2 Florida Gators defeated the #1 Ohio State Buckeyes by a score of 41–14 to win the national title.[ 1]
The Boise State Broncos were the year's only undefeated team in both levels of Division I football after defeating Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl .
Rules changes
The NCAA instituted the following rule changes for the 2006 season.[ 2]
The NCAA ruled that teams could schedule twelve regular-season games (up from eleven) beginning in the 2006 season.[ 3] (NCAA teams in Alaska and Hawaii, and their home opponents, are allowed to schedule an extra game over and above this limit.)
Instant replay is now officially sanctioned and standardized. All plays are reviewed by the replay officials as the play occurs. They may call down to the on-field officials to stop play if they need extra time to make a review. Each coach may also make one challenge per game. In the case of a coach's challenge, the coach must have at least one time-out remaining. If the challenge is upheld the coach gets the time-out back but the challenge is spent. If the challenge is rejected, both the challenge and the time-out are spent.
Players may only wear clear eyeshields. Previously, both tinted and orange were also allowed.
The kicking tee has been lowered from two inches tall to only one inch.
Halftime lasts twenty minutes. Previously, it was only fifteen minutes.
On a kickoff, the game clock starts when the ball is kicked rather than when the receiving team touches it.
This rule change has resulted in controversy, highlighted by the matchup between Wisconsin and Penn State on November 4, 2006, in which Wisconsin deliberately went off-sides on two consecutive kickoffs to run extra time off the clock at the close of the first half.[ 4]
On a change of possession, the clock starts when the referee marks the ball ready for play, instead of on the snap.
The referee may no longer stop the game due to excessive crowd noise.
When a live-ball penalty such as an illegal formation occurs on a kick, the receiving team may choose either to add the penalty yardage to the end of the return or require the kick to be attempted again with the spot moved back. Previously, only the latter option was available.
If a team scores at the end of the game, they will not kick the extra point unless it would affect the outcome of the game.
Conference standings
Conference champions
Conference championship games
Rankings reflect the Week 14 AP Poll before the games were played.
Other conference champions
Rankings are from the Week 15 AP Poll.
* Received conference's automatic BCS bowl bid.
BCS rankings progress
Ohio State was ranked No. 1 in all of the BCS-component polls (AP, Coaches', USA Today ) in the preseason and the 14 polls taken in the regular season. When the BCS rankings began on October 15, Ohio State was No. 1 on all 8 rankings released during the season.
WEEK
#1
#2
EVENT
OCT 15
Ohio State
USC
Oregon State 33, USC 31
OCT 22
Ohio State
Michigan
Ohio St 44, Minnesota 0
OCT 29
Ohio State
Michigan
Ohio St 17, Illinois 10
NOV 5
Ohio State
Michigan
Ohio St 54, Northwestern 10
NOV 12
Ohio State
Michigan
Ohio St 42, Michigan 39
NOV 19
Ohio State
Michigan
Ohio St 42, Michigan 39
NOV 26
Ohio State
USC
UCLA 13, USC 9
DEC 3
Ohio State
Florida
Florida 38, Arkansas 28
Bowl games
Winners are listed in boldface .
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series selected the #1 and #2 ranked teams to play for the national championship on January 8. The 2006 season marked a change for the BCS system, as the BCS National Championship Game became a standalone bowl game for the first time, to be played at the site of one of the four BCS bowls (the Fiesta, Orange, Sugar, and Rose Bowls) on a rotating basis. Under the previous format used from 1998 to 2006, the BCS National Championship coincided with one of the BCS bowls. The 2007 BCS Championship Game was played in Glendale, Arizona, the week after the Fiesta Bowl had been played there.
Rankings are from the Week 15 AP Poll.
January bowl games
December bowl games
Awards and honors
Heisman Trophy voting
The Heisman Trophy is given to the year's most outstanding player.
Winner: Troy Smith , Sr., Ohio State QB (2,540 pts)
2. Darren McFadden , So., Arkansas RB (878 pts)
3. Brady Quinn , Sr., Notre Dame QB (782 pts)
4. Steve Slaton So., West Virginia RB (214 pts)
5. Mike Hart , Jr., Michigan RB (210 pts)
Other major award winners
Walter Camp Award (top player): Troy Smith, Ohio State[ 5]
Maxwell Award (top player): Brady Quinn, Notre Dame[ 5]
Associated Press College Football Player of the Year Award : Troy Smith, Ohio State[ 6]
Bronko Nagurski Trophy (defensive player): James Laurinaitis , Ohio State[ 5]
Chuck Bednarik Award (defensive player): Paul Posluszny , Penn State[ 5]
Dave Rimington Trophy (center): Dan Mozes , West Virginia[ 5]
Davey O'Brien Award (quarterback): Troy Smith, Ohio State[ 5]
Dick Butkus Award (linebacker): Patrick Willis , Ole Miss[ 5]
Doak Walker Award (running back): Darren McFadden, Arkansas[ 5]
Draddy Trophy ("academic Heisman"): Brian Leonard , Rutgers[ 7]
Fred Biletnikoff Award (wide receiver): Calvin Johnson , Georgia Tech[ 5]
Jim Thorpe Award (defensive back): Aaron Ross , Texas[ 5]
John Mackey Award (tight end): Matt Spaeth , Minnesota [ 5]
Johnny Unitas Award (Sr. quarterback): Brady Quinn, Notre Dame[ 5]
Lombardi Award (top lineman): LaMarr Woodley , Michigan[ 5]
Lott Trophy (defensive impact): Dante Hughes , California [ 8]
Lou Groza Award (placekicker): Art Carmody , Louisville[ 5]
Manning Award (quarterback): JaMarcus Russell , LSU[ 5]
Mosi Tatupu Award (special teams): A. J. Trapasso , Ohio State[ 5]
Outland Trophy (interior lineman): Joe Thomas , Wisconsin[ 5]
Ray Guy Award (punter): Daniel Sepulveda , Baylor [ 5]
Ted Hendricks Award (defensive end): LaMarr Woodley, Michigan[ 5]
The Home Depot Coach of the Year Award : Greg Schiano , Rutgers[ 9]
Associated Press Coach of the Year: Jim Grobe , Wake Forest[ 10]
Paul "Bear" Bryant Award (head coach): Chris Petersen , Boise State
Walter Camp Coach of the Year (head coach): Greg Schiano, Rutgers[ 9]
Broyles Award (assistant coach): Bud Foster, Virginia Tech
Postseason coaching changes
See also
Notes and references
^ "2006–07 Bowl Schedule" . ESPN. Retrieved July 6, 2006 .
^ "2006 Rules Changes" (PDF) . NCAA. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 1, 2006. Retrieved September 25, 2006 .
^ Joyner, James (April 12, 2005). "College football season expands to 12 games" . Outside The Beltway. Retrieved December 11, 2016 .
^ Carey, Jack (November 7, 2006). "Wisconsin finds loophole in speed-up rule" . USA Today . Retrieved November 10, 2006 .
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s "College Football Awards" . ESPN. Retrieved December 31, 2006 .
^ "Buckeyes' Smith named AP Player of the Year" . ESPN. December 19, 2006. Retrieved December 31, 2006 .
^ "Leonard wins Draddy Trophy as top scholar athlete" . ESPN. December 5, 2006. Retrieved December 31, 2006 .
^ "Hughes wins Lott Trophy" . SportsLine.com. December 10, 2006. Retrieved December 31, 2006 .
^ a b "Schiano Named Walter Camp Coach of the Year" . CSTV.com. December 12, 2006. Retrieved December 31, 2006 .
^ "Grobe beats out Schiano for AP coaching honor" . ESPN. December 20, 2006. Retrieved December 31, 2006 .
^ "Air Force coach DeBerry retires" . ESPN. December 15, 2006. Archived from the original on December 17, 2006. Retrieved December 15, 2006 .
^ "Calhoun to replace DeBerry at Air Force" . ESPN. December 22, 2006. Retrieved December 22, 2006 .
^ a b "Alabama fires Shula, names Kines interim coach" . ESPN. November 28, 2006. Archived from the original on December 2, 2006. Retrieved December 8, 2006 .
^ "After repeated denials, Saban takes Bama job" . ESPN. January 3, 2007. Archived from the original on January 4, 2007. Retrieved January 3, 2007 .
^ a b "Ross to resign after 3–9 season" . ESPN. January 29, 2007. Archived from the original on February 3, 2007. Retrieved January 29, 2007 .
^ "Bowl-bound Sun Devils fire Koetter as coach" . ESPN. November 27, 2006. Retrieved December 8, 2006 .
^ "Erickson to coach Sun Devils" . ESPN. December 12, 2006. Retrieved December 14, 2006 .
^ a b "O'Brien bound for N.C. State" . Star-News. December 7, 2006. Retrieved December 8, 2006 .
^ Schad, Joe (December 18, 2006). "Packers' Jagodzinski to take BC job" . ESPN. Retrieved December 18, 2006 .
^ a b "Central Michigan's Kelly accepts Cincinnati job" . ESPN. December 3, 2006. Retrieved December 8, 2006 .
^ "Central Michigan names Quinn interim coach" . ESPN. December 4, 2006. Retrieved December 8, 2006 .
^ "Central Michigan hires Butch Jones as head coach" . ESPN. January 5, 2007. Archived from the original on January 8, 2007. Retrieved January 8, 2007 .
^ a b "Michigan State hires former Cincy coach Dantonio" . ESPN. November 27, 2006. Archived from the original on December 13, 2006. Retrieved December 8, 2006 .
^ "Florida International coach resigns" . ESPN. November 15, 2006. Retrieved December 8, 2006 .
^ "Cristobal will be first Cuban-American coach in I-A" . ESPN. December 19, 2006. Retrieved December 19, 2006 .
^ "Idaho AD says Erickson leaving for Arizona State" . ESPN. December 11, 2006. Archived from the original on December 15, 2006. Retrieved December 14, 2006 .
^ "Idaho to replace Erickson with Washington St. assistant" . ESPN. December 19, 2006. Retrieved December 19, 2006 .
^ "McCarney's resignation effective at season's end" . ESPN. November 8, 2006. Retrieved December 8, 2006 .
^ "Chizik leaves Longhorns staff to coach Iowa State" . ESPN. November 27, 2006. Retrieved December 8, 2006 .
^ "Bicknell fired after eight seasons at Louisiana Tech" . ESPN. December 5, 2006. Archived from the original on December 15, 2006. Retrieved December 14, 2006 .
^ "Dolphins TE coach Dooley headed for La. Tech" . ESPN. December 17, 2006. Retrieved December 17, 2006 .
^ "Falcons nab Louisville's Petrino for head coach slot" . ESPN. January 7, 2007. Archived from the original on January 9, 2007. Retrieved January 7, 2007 .
^ a b Forde, Pat (January 9, 2007). "Louisville, Tulsa's Kragthorpe have agreement" . ESPN. Archived from the original on January 16, 2007. Retrieved January 9, 2007 .
^ "Coker fired by Miami after .500 season" . ESPN. November 25, 2006. Archived from the original on November 28, 2006. Retrieved December 8, 2006 .
^ "Defensive coordinator Shannon new Miami coach" . ESPN. December 8, 2006. Archived from the original on December 12, 2006. Retrieved December 8, 2006 .
^ "Michigan State coach John L. Smith out after season" . ESPN. November 2, 2006. Archived from the original on November 8, 2006. Retrieved December 8, 2006 .
^ "Minnesota fires coach Mason after bowl debacle" . ESPN. December 31, 2006. Archived from the original on January 2, 2007. Retrieved December 31, 2006 .
^ "Gophers taking off in a different direction" . startribune.com. January 16, 2007. Archived from the original on January 18, 2007. Retrieved January 18, 2007 .
^ "AD Baddour: Bunting lost 'numbers game' at UNC" . ESPN. October 23, 2006. Retrieved December 8, 2006 .
^ "Davis, eager to get to work, introduced in Chapel Hill" . ESPN. November 27, 2006. Retrieved December 8, 2006 .
^ "Amato's ouster caps Wolfpack's 0–7 finish to season" . ESPN. November 27, 2006. Archived from the original on December 5, 2006. Retrieved December 8, 2006 .
^ "Dickey fired with 3 years remaining on contract" . ESPN. November 8, 2006. Retrieved December 8, 2006 .
^ "North Texas to hire Dodge from Carroll High" . ESPN. December 12, 2006. Archived from the original on December 31, 2006. Retrieved December 12, 2006 .
^ a b "Rice's Graham accepts offer, will coach at Tulsa" . ESPN. January 12, 2007. Archived from the original on January 14, 2007. Retrieved January 12, 2007 .
^ "Rice hires Texas State's Bailiff as head coach" . ESPN. January 18, 2007. Archived from the original on January 22, 2007. Retrieved January 19, 2007 .
^ "Harris out as Cardinal coach following 1–11 season" . ESPN. December 6, 2006. Archived from the original on December 9, 2006. Retrieved December 8, 2006 .
^ "Harbaugh takes over program that went 1–11" . ESPN. December 18, 2006. Archived from the original on January 4, 2007. Retrieved December 18, 2006 .
^ "Tulane's rebuilding in football to go on without Scelfo" . ESPN. November 29, 2006. Retrieved December 8, 2006 .
^ "Toledo replaces Scelfo at Tulane" . ESPN. December 12, 2006. Retrieved December 14, 2006 .
^ Mark Schlabach (December 9, 2006). "UAB's Brown accepts job at Tennessee Tech (DI-AA)" . ESPN. Archived from the original on January 25, 2007. Retrieved December 14, 2006 .
^ "UAB lands Georgia coordinator Callaway" . ESPN. December 16, 2006. Archived from the original on January 25, 2007. Retrieved December 16, 2006 .
Conference seasons Inter-conference All-Americans