When the first Bowl Championship Series (BCS) standings of the 2006 season were released, Ohio State, Southern California (USC), and Michigan stood atop the rankings — setting the stage for a potential clash between two undefeated Big Ten powerhouses.
Newer fans following the 2006 season can find an overview of what the BCS system is to understand how the standings were calculated and why early-season rankings mattered so much.
At that time, the Buckeyes and Wolverines were both unbeaten and scheduled to meet on November 18 in Columbus, Ohio. Their matchup was widely viewed as a likely play-in game for the national championship, provided neither team stumbled in the weeks leading up to it.
Meanwhile, USC, sitting at No. 2, faced a challenging schedule but remained in strong position to reach its third consecutive title game if it could stay unbeaten.
🏈 Early Season Outlook
The top two teams in the final BCS standings would meet on January 8, 2007, in the national championship game at the new Glendale, Arizona stadium — also the site of that year’s Fiesta Bowl. It marked the first time that the BCS championship was played a full week after the four traditional bowls: Rose, Orange, Fiesta, and Sugar.
At this stage of the season:
- Ohio State (7-0) held commanding leads in both the coaches’ and Harris polls, which combined to make up two-thirds of each team’s BCS average.
- The computers, which contributed the remaining one-third, ranked the Buckeyes third, behind USC (6-0) and Michigan (7-0).
- The resulting BCS averages placed Ohio State first (.9731), USC second (.9559), and Michigan third (.9341).
Other top contenders included Auburn (6-1), West Virginia (6-0), and Florida (6-1). Unbeaten Louisville followed close behind.
For readers interested in who oversees the ranking components and postseason framework, the BCS governance structure explains how conferences, commissioners, and oversight committees shaped decision-making during the BCS era.
🏆 Standout Performances and Key Context
Michigan’s 17-10 win over Penn State solidified its top-three position, while Auburn’s victory over Florida handed the SEC its first losses of the season — and reignited discussions about playoff reform.
Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville, who led an unbeaten team left out of the BCS title game two years earlier, voiced frustration that perfect records seemed to outweigh strength of schedule or end-of-year performance.
Elsewhere, unbeaten West Virginia and Louisville were on course for a pivotal Big East showdown on November 2, with hopes of breaking into the top two if one of the leading teams faltered.
📊 2006: First BCS Standings Snapshot
| Rank | Team | Record | Harris Rank | Coaches Rank | Computer Avg | BCS Avg |
| 1 | Ohio State | 7-0 | 1 | 1 | .920 | .973 |
| 2 | USC | 6-0 | 3 | 2 | 1.000 | .956 |
| 3 | Michigan | 7-0 | 2 | 3 | .960 | .934 |
| 4 | Auburn | 6-1 | 7 | 7 | .810 | .748 |
| 5 | West Virginia | 6-0 | 4 | 4 | .460 | .745 |
| 6 | Florida | 6-1 | 9 | 10 | .870 | .738 |
| 7 | Louisville | 6-0 | 6 | 6 | .620 | .718 |
| 8 | Notre Dame | 5-1 | 10 | 8 | .730 | .694 |
| 9 | Texas | 6-1 | 5 | 5 | .390 | .684 |
| 10 | California | 6-1 | 11 | 11 | .760 | .668 |
(Full standings continued through 25, with Boise State ranked 15th at .432.)
🏟️ BCS Qualification and Conference Access
The system guaranteed automatic bids for the champions of six major conferences: the Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, ACC, Pac-10, and Big East. Teams from other conferences, including the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), could qualify automatically by finishing in the top 12 of the final standings.
At the time, Boise State (ranked 15th) remained just outside that cutoff and needed further victories to stay in contention for a historic at-large berth.
📅 Significance
This release marked one of the most discussed midseason BCS standings of the 2000s. The possibility of an undefeated Ohio State–Michigan showdown captivated fans nationwide, while the inclusion of non-power programs in the top 15 — such as Boise State and Rutgers — reflected the growing parity that would later fuel calls for a full playoff system.
