Poinsettia Bowl •
TCU (10–2)
37,
Northern Illinois (7–5) 7 The post-season kicked off with the
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl at San Diego's
Qualcomm Stadium on December 19, 2006, the first of two scheduled bowl games in that stadium. The
Mountain West's Texas Christian University Horned Frogs held the
Mid-American Conference's NIU Huskies' star running back
Garrett Wolfe to 28 yards en route to a 37–7 win. TCU quarterback
Jeff Ballard rushed for three touchdowns and threw for another. The Horned Frogs entered the game ranked 25th in the final regular season
AP Poll, while the Huskies entered the Poinsettia Bowl after finishing in third place in the MAC's West Division. Each team earned $750,000 for their conference by participating in the game. Among those in attendance were
San Diego Chargers running backs
LaDainian Tomlinson (TCU alumnus) and his backup, NIU alum
Michael Turner.
Las Vegas Bowl •
Brigham Young (10–2)
38,
Oregon (7–5) 8 The first meeting between a BCS AQ conference and a BCS non-AQ conference took place in the
Pioneer Pure Vision Las Vegas Bowl on December 21 at the
University of Nevada, Las Vegas's
Sam Boyd Stadium in
Whitney, Nevada. The Mountain West Conference champion Brigham Young University Cougars, led by game MVP tight end
Jonny Harline, handily trounced the
Pac 10's University of Oregon Ducks by a score of 38–8. Each team earned $950,000 for their conference by participating in the game.
New Orleans Bowl •
Troy (7–5)
41,
Rice (7–5) 17 One relative newcomer to the Division I Bowl Subdivision, and one team that last won a bowl game in 1954, squared off in the
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, which returned to the
Louisiana Superdome in
the titular city on December 22 after the 2005 game was held at
Cajun Field on the campus of
University of Louisiana at Lafayette due to damage caused by
Hurricane Katrina.
Conference USA's Rice University Owls, who made their first post-season appearance in 45 years, were trounced by the
Sun Belt Conference co-champion Troy University Trojans 41–17. The Trojans, winning their first bowl game in school history, were playing in their second post-season game in three years, having appeared two years beforehand in the now-defunct
Silicon Valley Football Classic. Each team earned $325,000 for their conference by participating in the game. Troy quarterback Omar Haugabook and cornerback Elbert Mack were named co-MVPs.
Papajohns.com Bowl •
South Florida (8–4)
24,
East Carolina (7–5) 7 The city known as the "Football Capital of the South" returned to the post-season for the first time since 1990 and the defunct
All-American Bowl when
Birmingham, Alabama's
Legion Field hosted the inaugural
Papajohns.com Bowl, the first of three games that were scheduled Saturday, December 23. Conference USA's East Carolina University, coached by
Skip Holtz, the son of
Lou Holtz, fell to the
Big East's University of South Florida by the score of 24–7, in the Bulls' second post-season game in as many years, having been shut out 14–0, the last year in the
Meineke Car Care Bowl by
North Carolina State. Both teams earned a $300,000 paycheck for their conferences by playing this contest. Game MVP Benjamin Williams scored the game's historic first points as well as the Bulls' first points as a member of the Bowl Subdivision with a touchdown, one of two he scored, ninety seconds into the game. The game evened the BCS AQ/non-AQ tally at one game apiece.
New Mexico Bowl •
San Jose State (8–4)
20,
New Mexico (6–6) 12 The second game of this December 23 triple-header was another first annual bowl game, the
New Mexico Bowl, played at
University Stadium on the campus of the
University of New Mexico in
Albuquerque. The Spartans of San Jose State University, representing the
Western Athletic Conference, faced the host school, who represented the Mountain West. The Lobos were chosen over the
University of Wyoming Cowboys, despite Wyoming beating them on said field, 14–10, on October 7, and having a better record in the MWC (5–3 vs. New Mexico's 4–4).
John Broussard of the Spartans scored the first points in the bowl's history just ten seconds into the second quarter on a 78-yard pass from quarterback
Adam Tafralis, and five turnovers did the Lobos in as SJSU won, 20–12. Each team earned $750,000 for their conference by participating in the game.
Armed Forces Bowl •
Utah (7–5)
25,
Tulsa (8–4) 13 The last of three games on December 23 was the
Bell Helicopters Armed Forces Bowl, formerly known as the
Fort Worth Bowl, played at
Texas Christian University's
Amon G. Carter Stadium in
Fort Worth, Texas. The Mountain West's University of Utah Utes trailed at the half, but beat Conference USA's Golden Hurricane of the University of Tulsa (which, like Utah, was once in the WAC), 25–13. Utah's versatile defensive back
Eric Weddle helped lead the Utes by grabbing an interception and scoring a rushing touchdown. Each team earned $600,000 for their conference by participating in the game.
Hawaii Bowl •
Hawaii (10–3)
42,
Arizona State (7–5) 24 The Christmas Eve tradition known as the
Sheraton Hawaii Bowl returned to
Aloha Stadium in
Honolulu, Hawaii on December 24 as the host school, the University of Hawaii Warriors, representing the WAC, returning after a one-year absence because of a losing record, defeated the Pac 10's Sun Devils from Arizona State University, 41–24. Warriors quarterback
Colt Brennan set a new NCAA record for most touchdown passes in a single season, breaking
David Klingler's standard set in 1989 at
Houston with his 55th touchdown toss in the second quarter. He then added three more to bring his final total to 58. This was
Dirk Koetter's final game as the head coach of ASU, as
Dennis Erickson will take over, coming in from
Idaho. On top of the $398,000 for each team to divide among fellow conference members, the Pac-10 also gave Arizona State an additional $300,000 in travel expenses as "a special case" exemption. The Warriors' win gave the BCS non-AQ conferences a 3–1 lead in their rivalry.
Motor City Bowl •
Central Michigan (9–4)
31,
Middle Tennessee (7–5) 14 The
Motor City Bowl, played at
Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan on December 26, featured the only newcomer to the Bowl Division in the 2006–07 campaign. The Blue Raiders of Middle Tennessee State University, co-champions of the Sun Belt Conference, made their bowl debut against the MAC champions, the Central Michigan University Chippewas, who won 31–14. Each school made $750,000 for their conferences. As MTSU was chosen as an at-large school after the
Big Ten sent two teams to the BCS, and their 7–5 record shut out 6-6 Pitt (as, under NCAA FBS rules, a 6–6 team cannot be considered until all 7–5 teams have been assigned bowl slots, even if they are not "power conference" teams).
Emerald Bowl •
Florida State (6–6)
44,
UCLA (7–5) 27 The
Emerald Bowl was played at
AT&T Park in San Francisco, home of the
San Francisco Giants on December 27. The
ACC's Florida State University Seminoles, who finished the regular season at 6–6, defeated the Pac-10's University of California Los Angeles Bruins 44–27, who were coming off defeating Southern California at home on December 2, eliminating them from national championship contention. Each team earned $850,000 for their conference by participating in the game.
Independence Bowl •
Oklahoma State (6–6)
34,
Alabama (6–6) 31 The first of three games played on Thursday, December 28 was the
PetroSun Independence Bowl played at
Independence Stadium in
Shreveport, Louisiana, pitting the
SEC's University of Alabama Crimson Tide against the
Big 12's Oklahoma State University Cowboys. With 8.9 seconds left in the game, Oklahoma State kicker Jason Ricks kicked a 27-yard field goal to defeat the Crimson Tide, 34–31. Alabama had mounted a 14-point comeback in the fourth quarter, with their last touchdown coming with 8:41 left to play. The SEC and Big 12, the conferences represented in this game, each received a check for $1.2 million. The Tide was coached on an interim basis by defensive coordinator Joe Kines (who had previously served as an interim coach at another SEC West school, the University of Arkansas, in the past) as this game was played between the firing of
Mike Shula and the eventual hiring of
Nick Saban.
Texas Bowl •
Rutgers (10–2)
37,
Kansas State (7–5) 10 Rising from the ashes of the former Houston Bowl, the
Texas Bowl was the second game played on December 28 at
Reliant Stadium in
Houston. Lone Star Sports and Entertainment, an arm of the
Houston Texans, took over the game in June with NCAA approval, and for their first game saw the Big 12's Kansas State University Wildcats lose to the
Big East runner-up, the Rutgers University Scarlet Knights, 37–10. The Wildcats earned $750,000 for the Big 12 as a gift of their participation, while Rutgers earned $500,000 for the Big East. The win was the first for college football's oldest program, having played its first game in 1869 against
Princeton's Tigers, winning by a score of 6–4. Rutgers'
Ray Rice scored two touchdowns and personally outgained the KSU offense 170 yards to 162 yards.
Music City Bowl •
Kentucky (7–5)
28,
Clemson (8–4) 20 The
Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl presented by Bridgestone was the first of five games scheduled for December 29, the second-busiest schedule of games outside New Year's Day. In this game, played at
LP Field in
Nashville, the ACC's Clemson University Tigers lost to the SEC's University of Kentucky Wildcats, 28–20. Kentucky jumped to a big early lead; Clemson cut the margin late but not enough to win. Kentucky's
Andre Woodson was the bowl game MVP. The two teams had last faced each other in the 1993 Peach Bowl; Kentucky has won 8 of the 12 meetings between the two teams. This was the first bowl win for the Wildcats since 1984. Each team earned $1.6 million for their conference by participating in the game.
Sun Bowl •
Oregon State (9–4)
39,
Missouri (8–4) 38 The
Brut Sun Bowl was the second of the five games played December 29, held in
the self-named stadium in
El Paso, Texas on the campus of
UTEP, pitting the Big 12's University of Missouri Tigers against the Oregon State University Beavers from the Pac 10. Oregon State coach Mike Riley was told by Yvenson Bernard to go for the win. Bernard barely pushed into the end zone on the gutsy two-point conversion run, giving the 24th-ranked Beavers a 39–38 victory, having been down by 14 points earlier in the game. Among Missouri's big plays were a 40-yard catch by Chase Coffman that led to Temple's 7-yard scoring run on the opening drive. A 47-yard run by Temple was followed by an 18-yard touchdown pass from Chase Daniel to Coffman on the next play for a 38–24 lead with 12:08 left in the game. Missouri's Tony Temple missed setting a Sun Bowl record for rushing, which was 197 yards by Charles Alexander of LSU in 1977, by losing four yards on his final carry. Each team earned $1.9 million for their conference by participating in the game.
Liberty Bowl •
South Carolina (7–5)
44,
Houston (10–3) 36 The third game on the docket for December 29 was the
AutoZone Liberty Bowl at the
self-named stadium in
Memphis, Tennessee, pitting the Conference USA champions, the University of Houston Cougars against the SEC's University of South Carolina Gamecocks. Both teams had considerable success passing the ball in the second quarter; as a result, the halftime score had Houston leading 28–27. The shootout continued into the second half, however, South Carolina held off Houston to win by a score of 44–36. The offensive showcase set records for most points in the first half (55), most receiving yards (201 by Houston's Vincent Marshall), and most total yards gained (1,039 – 527 by Houston and 512 by South Carolina) and tied the record for touchdown passes by a single player (4 by South Carolina's Blake Mitchell). The conferences each received a check for $1.5 million for the teams' appearances.
Insight Bowl •
Texas Tech (7–5)
44,
Minnesota (6–6) 41 (OT) The fourth game in the quintet of contests scheduled on December 29 was the
Insight Bowl, which moved from
Chase Field in downtown
Phoenix to
Sun Devil Stadium on the campus of
Arizona State University in nearby
Tempe, former home of the
Fiesta Bowl. The game pitted the Texas Tech University Red Raiders from the Big 12 against the Big Ten's University of Minnesota Twin Cities' Golden Gophers. The Gophers took a 38–7 lead midway through the third quarter, only to see the Red Raiders storm back to tie the game and eventually win in overtime in the biggest comeback ever in Division I FBS bowl history, surpassing
Marshall's 30-point comeback against
East Carolina in the
2001 GMAC Bowl. Each conference received a check for $1.2 million for their teams' appearances. Two days after the Gophers' collapse in the game left them with a losing record on the year, head coach
Glen Mason was dismissed by the school's athletic department.
Champs Sports Bowl •
Maryland (8–4)
24,
Purdue (8–5) 7 The fifth and final game December 29 pitted the University of Maryland, College Park Terrapins from the ACC and the Purdue University Boilermakers from the Big Ten in the
Champs Sports Bowl, the first of two bowl games in four days played at the
Citrus Bowl in
Orlando, Florida. Maryland played an efficient and mistake-free game in cruising to a 24–7 victory. The Terrapins were able to dominate the game with a balanced offense and stingy defense that shutdown Purdue's potent passing game. Each team earned $2.25 million for their conference by participating in the game.
Meineke Car Care Bowl •
Boston College (9–3)
25,
Navy (9–3) 24 The first game of three scheduled for Saturday, December 30 was the
Meineke Car Care Bowl, played at
Bank of America Stadium in
Charlotte, North Carolina. In the game, the United States Naval Academy Midshipmen played against the Boston College Eagles from the ACC. Both teams received a $750,000 payment, with Navy keeping the entire amount as they play as an independent, while Boston College sent their check to their conference to be divided with all other bowl payouts. Walk-on placekicker Steve Aponavicius, who joined the team in October after the regular kicker was suspended, kicked the walk-off field goal as time expired to give Boston College their seventh straight bowl win, which leads the nation.
Alamo Bowl •
Texas (9–3)
26,
Iowa (6–6) 24 The second contest on December 30 was the
Alamo Bowl, played at the
Alamodome in
San Antonio, Texas. It pitted the defending
2005 national champions, the University of Texas Austin Longhorns, who did not make the 2006
Big 12 Championship Game, against the University of Iowa Hawkeyes from the Big Ten. The game, without corporate sponsorship for the first time as former title sponsor
MasterCard pulled out, still paid each conference $2.2 million in television revenue for their participation. The 2006 meeting set a new attendance record for the bowl and the facility, at 65,875. The bowl would get a new sponsor in 2007 as
Valero Energy, a San Antonio-based company assumed sponsorship of the game.
MPC Computers Bowl •
Miami (Florida) (6–6)
21,
Nevada (8–4) 20 The only game to be played on New Year's Eve (December 31) was the
MPC Computers Bowl on the Blue Turf of
Bronco Stadium on the campus of
Boise State University in the state capital of Idaho. The ACC's University of Miami Hurricanes, who were playing their final game for departing head coach
Larry Coker, who was dismissed from his job after their regular season was completed, defeated the WAC's University of Nevada, Reno Wolf Pack by one point in a game that wasn't decided until the final minute. Both teams earned $250,000 for their conferences, and the BCS AQ conferences now had a 3–2 deficit against the BCS non-AQ conferences. Starting with the 2007 game, the title reverted to the "Humanitarian Bowl", with
Roady's Truck Stops taking over as title sponsor.
International Bowl •
Cincinnati (7–5)
27,
Western Michigan (8–4) 24 The first
International Bowl featured the MAC's Western Michigan University Broncos and the University of Cincinnati Bearcats from the Big East Conference. The game was played on January 6, 2007, at Toronto, Ontario's
Rogers Centre (formerly known as SkyDome) making it the first game played outside the United States since
Notre Dame and
Navy played
their annual game in Dublin in 1996 and the first postseason game outside the U.S. since the
Bacardi Bowl in
Havana, Cuba back in 1937. The game's scoring came in three separate blocks, as Cincinnati jumped out to a 24–0 lead by the second quarter before WMU stormed back with 24 straight points of their own to tie the game. Immediately following WMU's tying touchdown in the 4th quarter, Cincinnati came back with a 12-play, 81-yard drive ending with a 33-yard field goal that provided the winning margin with 6:11 remaining in the game. The win by Cincinnati closed out a perfect bowl season for the Big East conference which went 5–0. Each school received a check for $750,000 (in US dollars) for their conferences to divide. New head coach
Brian Kelly made his debut for the Bearcats, and five assistant coaches from Kelly's former job at Central Michigan followed him there. All five assistants had been on the CMU sidelines at the Motor City Bowl 11 days earlier, but without Kelly.
GMAC Bowl •
Southern Mississippi (9–4)
28,
Ohio (9–4) 7 The last game before the BCS Championship was in
Mobile, Alabama's
Ladd–Peebles Stadium, where the
GMAC Bowl was contested on Sunday, January 7. In the contest, played in an off-and-on rainstorm, the Ohio University Bobcats from the MAC were defeated by Conference USA's University of Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles by the score of 28–7. Each team earned $750,000 for their conference by participating in the game. The Golden Eagles' win avoided C-USA being totally shut out of the bowl win column. ==Non-BCS New Year's Day and other prestigious games==