2006 Big Ten Conference football season

2006 Big Ten Conference football season
League NCAA Division I FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision)
Sport football
Duration August, 2006
through January, 2007
Number of teams 11
TV partner(s) ABC, ESPN, ESPN2
2007 NFL Draft
Top draft pick Joe Thomas (Wisconsin)
Picked by Cleveland Browns, first round (3rd overall)
Regular Season
Season Champions Ohio State
Season MVP Troy Smith (Offensive) and LaMarr Woodley (Defensive)
2006 Big Ten football standings
Conf     Overall
Team   W   L         W   L  
#2 Ohio State $   8 – 0         12 – 1  
#7 Wisconsin   7 – 1         12 – 1  
#8 Michigan %   7 – 1         11 – 2  
#24 Penn State   5 – 3         9 – 4  
Purdue   5 – 3         8 – 6  
Minnesota   3 – 5         6 – 7  
Indiana   3 – 5         5 – 7  
Iowa   2 – 6         6 – 7  
Northwestern   2 – 6         4 – 8  
Michigan State   1 – 7         4 – 8  
Illinois   1 – 7         2 – 10  
  • $ – BCS representative as conference champion
  • % – BCS at-large representative
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2006 Big Ten Conference football season was the 111th season for the Big Ten Conference. The season began on Thursday, August 31, 2012 when Northwestern played Miami (Ohio) and Minnesota played Kent State. The season concluded on January 8, 2007 when Big Ten champion Ohio State lost in the BCS National Championship Game to the Florida Gators.

Preseason

Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez was also the head coach of the team the previous season in 2005. After 15 years of coaching he decided to step down as head coach of the football team and chose Bret Bielema to succeed him.[1]

In June 2006 Northwestern head coach Randy Walker unexpectedly died when he suffered an apparent heart attack. Northwestern alum and linebacker coach at the time Pat Fitzgerald was named his successor. The hiring made Fitzgerald the youngest Division I-A at the time of the hiring.[2]

Following a disappointing season in which his team went 7-5 Lloyd Carr promoted defensive backs coach Ron English to defensive coordinator.

Bowl games

Date Bowl Game Big Ten Team Opp. Team Score
Dec. 29, 2006 Insight Bowl Minnesota Texas Tech 41-44(OT)
Dec. 29, 2006 Champs Sports Bowl Purdue Maryland 7-24
Dec. 30, 2006 Alamo Bowl Iowa Texas 24-26
Jan. 1, 2007 Outback Bowl Penn State Tennessee 20-10
Jan. 1, 2007 Capital One Bowl Wisconsin Arkansas 17-14
Jan. 1, 2007 Rose Bowl Michigan USC 18-32
Jan. 8, 2007 BCS National Championship Ohio State Florida 14-41

Awards

References

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