2006 Big Ten Conference football season

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.

2006 Big Ten Conference football season
LeagueNCAA Division I FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision)
Sportfootball
DurationAugust, 2006
through January, 2007
Number of teams11
TV partner(s)ABC, ESPN, ESPN2
2007 NFL Draft
Top draft pickJoe Thomas (Wisconsin)
Picked byCleveland Browns, first round (3rd overall)
Regular Season
Season ChampionsOhio State
Season MVPTroy Smith (Offensive) and LaMarr Woodley (Defensive)
2006 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
Team W L    W L 
No. 2 Ohio State $  8 –0     12 –1  
No. 7 Wisconsin  7 –1     12 –1  
No. 8 Michigan %  7 –1     11 –2  
No. 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

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, 2006Insight BowlMinnesotaTexas Tech41-44(OT)
Dec. 29, 2006Champs Sports BowlPurdueMaryland7-24
Dec. 30, 2006Alamo BowlIowaTexas24-26
Jan. 1, 2007Outback BowlPenn StateTennessee20-10
Jan. 1, 2007Capital One BowlWisconsinArkansas17-14
Jan. 1, 2007Rose BowlMichiganUSC18-32
Jan. 8, 2007BCS National ChampionshipOhio StateFlorida14-41

Awards

References
  1. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2118728
  2. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2512178
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