2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season
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).
2006 NCAA Division I FBS season | |
---|---|
Number of teams | 119 |
Duration | August 31 – December 2 |
Preseason AP No. 1 | Ohio State |
Post-season | |
Duration | December 19, 2006 – January 8, 2007 |
Bowl games | 32 |
Heisman Trophy | Troy Smith (quarterback, Ohio State) |
Bowl Championship Series | |
2007 BCS Championship Game | |
Site | University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona |
Champion(s) | Florida |
NCAA Division I FBS football seasons | |
← 2005 2007 → |
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 No. 2 Florida Gators defeated the No. 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
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Conference champions
Conference championship games
Rankings reflect the Week 14 AP Poll before the games were played.
Conference | Champion | Runner-Up | Score | Site |
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ACC | No. 16 Wake Forest | No. 23 Georgia Tech | 9–6 | Alltel Stadium |
Big 12 | No. 8 Oklahoma | No. 19 Nebraska | 21–7 | Arrowhead Stadium |
Conference USA | Houston | Southern Miss | 34–20 | Robertson Stadium |
MAC | Central Michigan | Ohio | 31–10 | Ford Field |
SEC | No. 4 Florida | No. 8 Arkansas | 38–28 | Georgia Dome |
Other conference champions
Rankings are from the Week 15 AP Poll.
Conference | Winner(s) |
---|---|
Big East | No. 6 Louisville |
Big Ten | No. 1 Ohio State |
Mountain West | No. 19 BYU |
Pac-10 | No. 20 California, No. 8 USC* |
Sun Belt | Middle Tennessee, Troy |
WAC | No. 9 Boise State |
* 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 | No. 1 | No. 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 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 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.
Bowl game | Date | Playing as visitor | Playing as home | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|
BCS National Championship Game | January 8 | No. 2 Florida | No. 1 Ohio State | 41 – 14 |
Sugar Bowl | January 3 | No. 11 Notre Dame | No. 4 LSU | 14 – 41 |
Orange Bowl | January 2 | No. 5 Louisville | No. 15 Wake Forest | 24 – 13 |
Fiesta Bowl | January 1 | No. 9 Boise State | No. 7 Oklahoma | 43 – 42 (OT) |
Rose Bowl | January 1 | No. 8 Southern California | No. 3 Michigan | 32 – 18 |
January bowl games
Bowl game | Day | Playing as visitor | Playing as home | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|
GMAC Bowl | 7th | Ohio | Southern Mississippi | 7 – 28 |
International Bowl | 6th | Western Michigan | Cincinnati | 24 – 27 |
Cotton Bowl | 1st | No. 10 Auburn | No. 22 Nebraska | 17 – 14 |
Capital One Bowl | 1st | No. 12 Arkansas | No. 6 Wisconsin | 14 – 17 |
Gator Bowl | 1st | Georgia Tech | No. 13 West Virginia | 35 – 38 |
Outback Bowl | 1st | No. 17 Tennessee | Penn State | 10 – 20 |
December bowl games
Bowl Challenge Cup standings
Conference | Wins | Losses | Pct. |
---|---|---|---|
Big East Conference | 5 | 0 | 1.000 |
Mountain West Conference | 3 | 1 | .750 |
Western Athletic Conference | 3 | 1 | .750 |
Southeastern Conference | 6 | 3 | .667 |
Atlantic Coast Conference | 4 | 4 | .500 |
Pacific-10 Conference | 3 | 3 | .500 |
Sun Belt Conference | 1 | 1 | .500 |
Big 12 Conference | 3 | 5 | .375 |
Big Ten Conference | 2 | 5 | .286 |
Mid-American Conference | 1 | 3 | .250 |
Conference USA | 1 | 4 | .200 |
Independents | 0 | 2 | .000 |
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
References
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