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 The BCS National Championship Game, or BCS National Championship, was a postseason college football bowl game, used to determine a national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), first played in the 1998 college fo ...

in Glendale, Arizona, where the No. 2 Florida Gators defeated the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes by a score of 41–14 to win the national title. The

Boise State Broncos The Boise State Broncos are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Boise State University, located in Boise, Idaho. The Broncos compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a member of the Moun ...

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. *The NCAA ruled that teams could schedule twelve regular-season games (up from eleven) beginning in the 2006 season. (NCAA teams in Alaska and Hawaii, and their home opponents, are allowed to schedule an extra game over and above this limit.) *

Instant replay Instant replay or action replay is a video reproduction of something that recently occurred which was both shot and broadcast live. The video, having already been shown live, is replayed in order for viewers to see again and analyze what had j ...

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, except for special ceremonies (i.e. homecoming). *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. * On a change of possession, the clock starts when the referee marks the ball ready for play, instead of on the snap. This was the rule in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

prior to 1973, and in high school football prior to 1996. *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.

Regular season top 10 matchups

Rankings reflect the AP Poll. Rankings for Week 8 and beyond will list

BCS Rankings The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) was a selection system that created four or five bowl game match-ups involving eight or ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of American college football, including ...

first and AP Poll second. Teams that failed to be a top 10 team for one poll or the other will be noted. *Week 2 **No. 1 Ohio State defeated No. 2

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

, 24–7 ( Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium,

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...

) *Week 3 **No. 3 Auburn defeated No. 6 LSU, 7–3 ( Jordan-Hare Stadium,

Auburn, Alabama Auburn is a city in Lee County, Alabama, United States. It is the largest city in eastern Alabama, with a 2020 population of 76,143. It is a principal city of the Auburn-Opelika Metropolitan Area. The Auburn-Opelika, AL MSA with a population ...

) *Week 6 **No. 5 Florida defeated No. 9 LSU, 23–10 ( Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Florida) *Week 10 **No. 5/5

Louisville Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border. ...

defeated No. 3/3 West Virginia, 44–34 ( Papa John's Cardinal Stadium, Louisville, Kentucky) *Week 12 **No. 1/1 Ohio State defeated No. 2/2 Michigan, 42–39 ( Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio) *Week 13 **No. 3/3 USC defeated No. 5/6 Notre Dame, 44–24 ( Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California) **No. 10/9 LSU defeated No. 6/5

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...

, 31–26 ( War Memorial Stadium, Little Rock, Arkansas) *Week 14 **No. 4/4 Florida defeated No. 9/8 Arkansas, 38–28 ( 2006 SEC Championship Game,

Georgia Dome The Georgia Dome was a domed stadium in the Southeastern United States. Located in Atlanta between downtown to the east and Vine City to the west, it was owned and operated by the State of Georgia as part of the Georgia World Congress Center ...

, Atlanta, Georgia)

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.

Bowl games

Winners are listed in boldface.

Bowl Championship Series

The Bowl Championship Series selected the No. 1 and No. 2 ranked teams to play for the national championship on January 8. The 2006 season marked a change for the BCS system, as the

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

Bowl Challenge Cup standings

Awards and honors

Heisman Trophy voting

The Heisman Trophy is given to the year's most outstanding player. *Winner:

Troy Smith Troy James Smith (born July 20, 1984) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at Ohio State, was recognized as an All-American, and won the Heisman Trophy in 2006. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the fi ...

, Sr., Ohio State QB (2,540 pts) *2.

Darren McFadden Darren McFadden (born August 27, 1987) is a former American football running back. He played college football for the Arkansas Razorbacks and was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the first round with the fourth overall pick of the 2008 NFL Dra ...

, So., Arkansas RB (878 pts) *3.

Brady Quinn Brayden Tyler "Brady" Quinn (born October 27, 1984) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. He played college football at Notre Dame, where he won the Maxwell Award, and w ...

, Sr., Notre Dame QB (782 pts) *4.

Steve Slaton Steve Slaton (born January 4, 1986) is a former American football running back. He played college football for West Virginia University, and earned consensus All-American honors. He was chosen by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 200 ...

, So., West Virginia RB (214 pts) *5. Mike Hart, Jr., Michigan RB (210 pts)

Other major award winners

Walter Camp Award The Walter Camp Player of the Year Award is given annually to the collegiate American football player of the year, as decided by a group of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I FBS head coaches and sports information directo ...

(top player): Troy Smith, Ohio State *

Maxwell Award The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the college football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best al ...

(top player): Brady Quinn, Notre Dame *

Associated Press College Football Player of the Year Award Associated may refer to: *Associated, former name of Avon, Contra Costa County, California * Associated Hebrew Schools of Toronto, a school in Canada *Associated Newspapers, former name of DMG Media, a British publishing company See also *Associati ...

: Troy Smith, Ohio State * Bronko Nagurski Trophy (defensive player): James Laurinaitis, Ohio State *

Chuck Bednarik Award The Chuck Bednarik Award is presented annually to the defensive player in college football as judged by the Maxwell Football Club to be the best in the United States. The award is named for Chuck Bednarik, a former college and professional Ameri ...

(defensive player): Paul Posluszny, Penn State *

Dave Rimington Trophy The Dave Rimington Trophy is awarded to the player considered to be the best American football center in college football. Dave Rimington was a center who played at the University of Nebraska from 1979 to 1982. A member of the National College ...

(center): Dan Mozes, West Virginia * Davey O'Brien Award (quarterback): Troy Smith, Ohio State * Dick Butkus Award (linebacker):

Patrick Willis Patrick L. Willis (born January 25, 1985) is an American former football middle linebacker who played his entire eight-year career with the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the 49ers in the first rou ...

, Ole Miss *

Doak Walker Award Since 1990 the Doak Walker Award honors the top running back in college football in the United States. It is named in honor of Doak Walker, a former running back who played for the SMU Mustangs from 1945 to 1949 and in the National Football Le ...

(running back): Darren McFadden, Arkansas * Draddy Trophy ("academic Heisman"):

Brian Leonard Brian Leonard (born February 3, 1984) is a former American football fullback. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Rutgers. Leonard also played for the Cincinnati Benga ...

, Rutgers * Fred Biletnikoff Award (wide receiver):

Calvin Johnson Calvin Johnson Jr., (born September 29, 1985) is an American former football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons with the Detroit Lions. He played college football at Georgia Tech, where he twice ...

, Georgia Tech *

Jim Thorpe Award The Jim Thorpe Award, named in memory of multi-sport athlete Jim Thorpe, has been awarded to the top defensive back in college football since 1986. It is voted on by the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame. In 2017, the award became sponsored by Payco ...

(defensive back): Aaron Ross, Texas *

John Mackey Award The John Mackey Award is presented annually to college football's most outstanding tight end. Established in 2000 by the Nassau County Sports Commission, the award is given annually to the tight end who best exemplifies the play, sportsmanship, a ...

(tight end): Matt Spaeth,

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

* Johnny Unitas Award (Sr. quarterback): Brady Quinn, Notre Dame *

Lombardi Award The Rotary Lombardi Award is an award for college football in the United States. Awarded by the Rotary Club of Houston, Texas annually to the college football player "who best embodies the values and spirit of NFL's legendary coach Vince Lomba ...

(top lineman):

LaMarr Woodley LaMarr Dewayne Woodley (born November 3, 1984) is a former American football outside linebacker. He played college football at Michigan, where he was recognized as a unanimous All-American, and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the s ...

, Michigan *

Lott Trophy The Lott IMPACT Trophy is presented annually to the college football defensive IMPACT player of the year. IMPACT is an acronym for: Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community, and Tenacity. The award purports to equally recognize th ...

(defensive impact): Dante Hughes,

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

Lou Groza Award The Lou Groza Award is presented annually to the top college football placekicker in the United States by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission. The award is named after former Ohio State Buckeyes and Cleveland Browns player Lou Groza. It has be ...

(placekicker):

Art Carmody Arthur Carmody IV (born April 7, 1984) is an American former football placekicker. He played college football for the Louisville Cardinals. High school Carmody attended Loyola College Prep, where he was a two-time All-District and All-Cit ...

, Louisville *

Manning Award The Manning Award has been presented annually since the 2004 football season to the collegiate American football quarterback as judged by the Sugar Bowl Committee to be the best in the United States. It is the only quarterback award that incl ...

(quarterback): JaMarcus Russell, LSU *

Mosi Tatupu Award Mosi or MOSI may refer to: * Mosi (given name) * Mosi (surname) * Molybdenum silicide (MoSi2), an important material in the semiconductor industry * MOSI protocol, an extension of the basic MSI cache coherency protocol * MOSI, Master Out Slave I ...

(special teams):

A. J. Trapasso Albert Joseph "A. J." Trapasso (born February 6, 1986) is a former American football punter. He was signed by the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football at Ohio State. In addition to the Titans, Trapasso ...

, Ohio State *

Outland Trophy The Outland Trophy is awarded to the best college football interior lineman in the United States as adjudged by the Football Writers Association of America. It is named after John H. Outland. One of only a few players ever to be named an All-Am ...

(interior lineman): Joe Thomas, Wisconsin * Ray Guy Award (punter): Daniel Sepulveda, Baylor *

Ted Hendricks Award The Ted Hendricks Award is given annually to college football's top defensive end. The award is named after Ted Hendricks, a member of both the College Football Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Fame, and is presented by his own foundation. I ...

(defensive end): LaMarr Woodley, Michigan * The Home Depot Coach of the Year Award:

Greg Schiano Gregory Edward Schiano (born June 1, 1966) is an American football coach. He is the head football coach at Rutgers University, a position he held from 2001 to 2011 and resumed before the 2020 season. Schiano served as the head coach for the Tampa ...

, Rutgers *

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. ne ...

Coach of the Year: Jim Grobe, Wake Forest *

Paul "Bear" Bryant Award The American Heart Association (AHA) Paul "Bear" Bryant Awards are an annual awards banquet that is hosted each year in January, in Houston, Texas, by the AHA.For a list of American Heart Association offices, by state, go to: There are two aw ...

(head coach):

Chris Petersen Christopher Scott Petersen (born October 13, 1964) is a former American football coach who was most recently the head coach at the University of Washington. Previously the head coach for eight seasons at Boise State University, Petersen guided ...

, Boise State *

Walter Camp Coach of the Year The Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award is given annually to the collegiate American football head coach adjudged by a group of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) head coaches and sports inf ...

(head coach): Greg Schiano, Rutgers *

Broyles Award The Broyles Award is an annual award given to honor the best assistant coach in college football. First awarded in 1996, it was named after former University of Arkansas men's athletic director Frank Broyles. The award is presented in Little R ...

(assistant coach): Bud Foster, Virginia Tech

Postseason coaching changes

References

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