Status Note

The search for a fourth ring had been elusive for Tom Brady. The New England Patriots quarterback had won Super Bowls in three of his first four years as a starter from 2001-04. But while the Patriots had continued to produce contending—even elite teams—over the next decade, and made a couple of more Super Bowls, […]

Ohio State football was, even by its own high standards, on a good roll coming into the 2006 season. Over the previous four years, head coach Jim Tressel had won the national title in 2002 and added two more top-5 national finishes. The Buckeyes were primed for more in ’06 and for the entire regular […]

Michigan football came into the 2006 season looking for a bounce back year. They were coming off a 7-4 season that ended with a bowl loss. During an otherwise successful tenure for head coach Lloyd Carr, that was below standard. The ’06 Wolverine edition got right back into the national picture and stayed in the […]

Wisconsin football was at a threshold point entering the 2006 season. Barry Alvarez, the “godfather” of the program’s modern era, was stepping down after a 14-year run where he transformed the Badgers from Big Ten bottom-dwellers into a team that went to three Rose Bowls and became a consistent contender. Bret Bielema was the new […]