The 2006 American football season was a landmark year defined by long-awaited triumphs, legendary comebacks, and shifting paradigms in both the professional and collegiate ranks. It featured one of the greatest individual seasons in NFL history and a bowl season that forever altered college football.
The NFL: Peyton Manning Breaks Through
In the National Football League, the 2006 season was defined by Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts finally overcoming their postseason demons. After years of playoff heartbreaks, the Colts finished the regular season 12-4, setting up a dramatic postseason run. Meanwhile, the NFC was dominated by the Chicago Bears, who rode a ferocious defense led by linebacker Brian Urlacher and a historic return game to a 13-3 record.
- The AFC Championship Thriller: The defining matchup of the NFL playoffs was the AFC Championship Game. The Colts fell into a 21-3 hole against their fiercest rivals, the New England Patriots. In a monumental comeback, Manning engineered a second-half surge, culminating in a late Joseph Addai touchdown run to secure a 38-34 victory.
- Super Bowl XLI: Played in pouring rain at Dolphin Stadium in Miami, the championship game started with a bang when Chicago’s Devin Hester returned the opening kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown—the first time that had ever happened in a Super Bowl. However, the Colts’ offense systematically took control, winning 29-17. Peyton Manning earned Super Bowl MVP honors, cementing his legacy with his first Lombardi Trophy.
College Football: The SEC Era Begins
The 2006 NCAA football season was marked by intense BCS controversy, a legendary rivalry game, and the beginning of the SEC’s modern dominance.
- The Game of the Century: On November 18, 2006, the undefeated, top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes hosted the undefeated, second-ranked Michigan Wolverines. In an offensive shootout that captivated the nation, Ohio State won 42-39, securing their spot in the national title game. Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith won the Heisman Trophy in a landslide shortly after.
- Florida’s Title Run: After a fierce national debate over who should play Ohio State in the BCS National Championship Game, the one-loss Florida Gators, coached by Urban Meyer, edged out a Michigan rematch. Florida’s speed and defensive dominance stunned the Buckeyes in a 41-14 blowout, capturing the national title and validating Meyer’s spread offense.
- The Fiesta Bowl Miracle: The undefeated Boise State Broncos crashed the BCS party and faced the powerhouse Oklahoma Sooners in the Fiesta Bowl. In one of the greatest college football games ever played, Boise State used a hook-and-ladder play on 4th-and-18 to force overtime, eventually winning 43-42 on a two-point conversion utilizing the legendary “Statue of Liberty” trick play.
More 2006 Gridiron Milestone Moments
Beyond the champions, 2006 produced several memorable storylines and statistical feats across the sport:
- LaDainian Tomlinson’s Record-Breaking Year: San Diego Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson delivered arguably the greatest statistical season by a running back in NFL history. He shattered the single-season scoring record with an astonishing 31 total touchdowns (28 rushing, 3 receiving) and easily secured the NFL MVP award.
- The Dual-Quarterback System: Urban Meyer’s success with the Florida Gators showcased a unique offensive strategy, utilizing a two-quarterback system. Senior Chris Leak operated as the traditional passer, while highly recruited freshman Tim Tebow was deployed as a bruising short-yardage runner, an innovation that confused defenses all year long.
- Rutgers’ Cinderella Season: The college football world was captivated by the rise of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights under head coach Greg Schiano. A traditionally struggling program, Rutgers started the season 9-0. Their peak came in a massive Thursday night upset over #3 Louisville, famously ending with fans rushing the field in Piscataway.
A Deep Dive into 2006 Football History and Highlights
Here is a chronological day-by-day account of the significant pigskin moments of 2006.
- January 4, 2006 – the Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California – There may have been another national title stripped, too, because of the NCAA findings with the Trojans. But USC fell in the 8th BCS National Championship to Vince Young and #2 Texas, who defeated #1 Southern Cal, 41-38, at the 92nd Rose Bowl. Texas won the National Championship, but boy, was it a classic battle. In fact, some folks, such as SBNation.com, call it the greatest National Championship game ever! And they may be right! This game had all the drama, the star power, and great coaching that made it an instant classic! Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart, and the aforementioned Vince Young highlight a couple of legendary college rosters for the contest. The game was also significant as it was the last one called by broadcaster Keith Jackson, who is probably the greatest college football play-by-play man of all time. Young became a collegiate legend on this big stage as he went 30-of-40 passing for 267 yards, plus 19 runs for 200 yards and three scores. He really took the Longhorns on his shoulders and propelled them back into the game from a 38-26 deficit with 6:42 to play. Then one of the greatest plays occurred. With a mere 26 ticks of the clock remaining and down by 5, Texas faced a fourth and 5 from the USC 8-yard line. Young took the shotgun snap and dropped back to pass. All of a sudden, he saw daylight and dashed around the right end to trot into the end zone for the go-ahead winning score! The Texas Longhorns of Coach Mack Brown would become the National Champs!
- January 22, 2006 – The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Denver Broncos 34-17 in the AFC Championship; Ben Roethlisberger threw for 275 yards and two touchdowns.
- January 22, 2006 – The Seattle Seahawks rushed past the Carolina Panthers 34-14 in the NFC Championship, with Shawn Alexander running for 132 yards and two touchdowns.
- February 5, 2006 – Ford Field, Detroit – The big storyline going into Super Bowl XL was that the Motor City’s favorite son (Sorry Arnie Chapman, it’s not you), The Bus, Jerome Bettis, may retire after the game. Bettis was the starting fullback for the Pittsburgh Steelers. It was coerced out of retirement a year earlier by Rookie Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who promised him a championship if he returned. The Steelers would face a tall challenge from the Seattle Seahawks, led by veteran coach Mike Holmgren, per a Bleacher Report article. The game is forever remembered, unfortunately, for what many call phantom officiating, as Seattle had a couple of close calls not go its way, including a goal-line play in which Roethlisberger ran a QB sneak, and conclusive evidence to overturn a TD called on the field was not apparent. Then, later, an apparent touchdown pass from Matt Hasselbeck to Darrell Jackson was negated by an offensive pass interference foul against Jackson. The Seahawks settled for a field goal. With the Steelers leading 14-10 early in the fourth quarter, a Hasselbeck completion to Jerramy Stevens at the 1-yard line was negated by a holding penalty on offensive lineman Sean Locklear. Ford Field was 80% Steelers fans, according to broadcaster Al Michaels, which added to the sour taste Seattle fans had of the game. The Steelers did make some big plays, though, including a Willie Parker 75-yard TD run and a gadget play where, on an apparent end-around, wideout Antwaan Randle El stopped and launched a 43-yard TD strike to fellow receiver Hines Ward. The Pittsburgh Steelers overcame the Seattle Seahawks, 21-10, with the game’s MVP going to Hines Ward.
- February 9, 2006 – Legendary play-by-play man Al Michaels joined NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” broadcast with John Madden. Al had formerly worked with ABC Sports for the better part of three decades. Michaels had a breadth of experience covering NFL games before this move, having been a mainstay for almost 20 seasons on ABC’s Monday Night Football. At the time of this writing in 2021, Michaels had just completed his 15th season as the voice of Sunday Night Football.
- February 12, 2006 – Aloha Stadium, Honolulu – At the NFL Pro Bowl, the NFC squad outlasted the AFC, 23-17. The game’s MVP was Tampa Bay Buccaneers Linebacker Derrick Brooks.
- March 14, 2006: The Drew Brees “New Beginning” – The New Orleans Saints signed free-agent quarterback Drew Brees. Coming off a major shoulder injury that many thought was career-ending, Brees signed a six-year deal that would eventually lead to a Super Bowl title and rewrite nearly every major passing record in NFL history.
- March 24, 2006 – “The Duke” Returns: NFL owners voted unanimously today in 2006 to return the name of the official game ball to “The Duke” in honor of the late New York Giants owner Wellington Mara. The moniker had originally been used from 1941 to 1969.
- April 29, 2006 – Mario Williams, the brilliant defensive end of North Carolina State, was the first pick of the 2006 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans.
- June 26, 2006 – (Awards): A.J. Hawk (Ohio State) and Paul Posluszny (Penn State) were honored as their respective university’s top male student-athletes, highlighting the intersection of college football excellence and athletic department honors. [Source]
- September 1, 2006 – A new era in NFL management began on September 1. It starts as Roger Goodell takes over the reins as the NFL commissioner from the retiring Paul Tagliabue.
- September 4, 2006 – Damon Allen Makes History: In the CFL’s annual Labor Day Classic, Toronto Argonauts quarterback Damon Allen threw for 207 yards to surpass Warren Moon as professional football’s all-time leading passer, eclipse the elusive 70,000-yard milestone, and lead Toronto to a 40-6 blowout over Hamilton.
- September 23, 2006 – The Navy Midshipmen played in their first Overtime game in program history. It was a disappointing outcome as the Navy lost 24-23 to Tulsa.
- October 16, 2006 – The Bears’ Big Monday Night Comeback. Down by twenty at the half, Lovie Smith rallied his defense and special teams to bring his Chicago team back to victory.
- October 21, 2006 – The #10 Notre Dame Fighting Irish deliver a dramatic, season-defining performance by defeating the UCLA Bruins 20-17 at Notre Dame Stadium. This thrilling comeback instantly became one of the most memorable finishes in the stadium’s history and a signature moment of the season.
- October 21, 2006 – Michigan State’s Big Comeback Win over their rival Northwestern Wildcats. Down 38-3 in the 3rd quarter, the game enters the record books as the biggest comeback in NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) history, with MSU scoring 38 unanswered points when a FG with 13 seconds left lifts them to a 41-38 victory over the Wildcats.
- November 18, 2006, Mansfield University turned out the lights as it ended its football program, more than 100 years after introducing nighttime football to the world. The Washington Post article from November 18, 2006, tells how the Division II team finished 0-10 in its final season and cut its football program, yet left a unique legacy. Mansfield hosted the first outdoor night football game on September 28, 1892. Then called Mansfield State Normal School, it played a scoreless tie against Wyoming Seminary in Mansfield, Pa. Happily, the college added football once again in 2007 in the Collegiate Sprint Football League, where players must weigh in at 178 pounds or less to compete.
- November 19, 2006 – Canada Inns Stadium, Winnipeg – The coveted Grey Cup’s 94th chapter was played as the Montreal Alouettes took on the BC Lions. CBC Sports website fills us in on the action. Paul McCallum erased two long years of bad football memories as the BC. Lions kicker nailed all six of his field-goal attempts in the biggest CFL game of the year! The feat has only been done 3 other times in the history of the Grey Cup. The Lions’ Quarterback, Dave Dickenson, was able to move the ball against Montreal’s defense, but the Alouettes would allow them to cross the goal line just once in the contest. But it was the BC. “D” really held the score down as they helped the Lions win their 5th Championship, defeating the Montreal Alouettes, 25-14. In all the post-game excitement, a Lions player even broke the cup portion of the Grey Cup Trophy off its base! Dickenson won the game’s MVP nod while McCallum was the Most Valuable Canadian in the game. (source)
- December 2, 2006: The #4 Florida Gators triumphed over the #8 Arkansas Razorbacks 38-28 in the 15th SEC Championship Game.
- December 2, 2006: The #16 Wake Forest Demon Deacons edged the #23 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 9-6 in a nail-biter at the 2nd ACC Championship Game.
- December 2, 2006: The #8 Oklahoma Sooners outlasted the #19 Nebraska Huskers 21-7 in the 11th Big 12 Championship Game.
- December 9, 2006 – Troy Smith, the quarterback from Ohio State, won the 72nd Heisman Trophy Award.
- December 25, 2006 – The New York Jets win 13-10 over the Miami Dolphins during a torrential rain storm. Fourth-quarter touchdowns by both teams during a break in the weather provided most of the scoring, and a 30-yard field goal by Kicker Mike Nugent with 10 ticks of the clock remaining sealed the win for the Jets, as told by an article on the Pro Football Hall of Fame site.