The 2006 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented 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 12–1, having been defeated by Florida in its final game, the BCS Championship game, and ended the year ranked second. Quarterback Troy Smith was the recipient of the school's seventh Heisman Trophy, distinguishing him as the best player in college football. Smith received the highest percentage of first-place votes in Heisman voting history. He led the Big Ten Conference in passing touchdowns (30), completion percentage (65.3%), and passer efficiency rating (161.9). 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