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The 2006 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented the Ohio State University in the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team's head coach was Jim Tressel. The Buckeyes played their home games in Ohio Stadium. The team finished the season with a win-loss record of 12 and 1, having been defeated by Florida in its final game, the BCS Championship game, and ended the year ranked second.
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Previous seasons
Coming off a national championship in the Fiesta Bowl in January 2003, Ohio State has had successful seasons in 2003, 2004, and 2005, finishing in the top ten in 2003 and 2005 and winning bowl games each year, in the Fiesta, Alamo Bowl, and back to the Fiesta Bowl in 2006, defeating Notre Dame 34–20. The Buckeyes earned a share of the Big Ten Conference title in 2005.
Following the season, starters A.J. Hawk, Donte Whitner, Bobby Carpenter, Santonio Holmes, Nick Mangold (all first round), Ashton Youboty, Anthony Schlegel, Nate Salley, and Rob Sims, were drafted into the NFL.
Preseason
Head coach Jim Tressel was signed to a contract extension through the 2012 season.
In August, Ohio State was named the No. 1 team by the coaches' poll. Terry Bowden, a sports broadcaster and former coach, named Ohio State No. 1 in his preseason Sweet 16 rankings and stated Troy Smith and Ted Ginn, Jr. were Heisman Trophy hopefuls. Ohio State thus garnered pre-season number one from USA Today, the Associated Press, Sports Illustrated, and ESPN The Magazine.
On August 9, 2006, the OSU Athletic Department announced the season-long suspension of junior tight end Marcel Frost by Coach Tressel for unspecified violations of team rules. The suspension resulted in the elevation of sophomore Rory Nicol to the top of the depth chart as the only tight end with significant game experience. Nicol played as a true freshman but missed most of 2005 with a broken right foot. Sophomore Brandon Smith, a former linebacker moved to tight end as a freshman in 2005, moves to second on the depth chart. Frost subsequently announced his transfer to Jackson State, joining former Buckeye Erik Haw.
Team captains were announced August 25, 2006. Defensive captains named were seniors Quinn Pitcock and David Patterson. Offensive captains were seniors Troy Smith and Doug Datish.
On August 30, Jim Tressel announced the awarding of scholarships to four former walk-ons—senior WR Derek Harden, senior FB Ryan Franzinger, RS junior FB/wedgebuster Trever Robinson, and RS sophomore center Tyler "Tank" Whaley.
These scholarships were freed due to the departures of Sirjo Welch (grades), Chad Hoobler (transferred to Ashland), Devon Jordan (injuries) and the aforementioned Marcel Frost. Mike Roberts (transferred to Indiana State) and Sian Cotton (grades) also left the program earlier in the year.
On August 31, 2006, senior linebacker Mike D'Andrea underwent knee surgery and was declared out for the season.
Rankings
Following their victory over arch-rival Michigan on November 18, Ohio State became the first team ever to score a perfect 1.000 in the BCS composite score.
Depth chart
Source: Athletic Department official site, 2006 football archive 12-10-06 depth chart