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Sources: NIU to the Orange Bowl

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Mid-American champion Northern Illinois has busted the BCS and will play Florida State in the Discover Orange Bowl, sources told ESPN.

 

Northern Illinois finished in the top 16 of the final BCS rankings to guarantee a BCS bowl berth. NIU's guaranteed spot knocked out Oklahoma, projected as an at-large selection, from going to the Sugar Bowl.

 

The remaining BCS bowls are: Notre Dame (12-0) vs. SEC champion Alabama (12-1) in the Discover BCS National Championship, Florida (11-1) vs. Big East champion Louisville (10-2) in the Allstate Sugar Bowl, Big 12 champion Kansas State (11-1) vs. Oregon (11-1) in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, and Pac-12 champion Stanford (11-2) vs. Big Ten champion Wisconsin (8-5) in the Rose Bowl Game presented by Vizio.

 

Sports Illustrated reported earlier that NIU earned a BCS bowl berth and is ranked No. 15 in the final BCS standings.

 

Because NIU is ranked in the top 16 and ahead of at least one conference champion from an automatic qualifying conference, the Huskies earned an automatic berth. Northern Illinois is ranked above both Louisville and Wisconsin.

 

NIU (12-1) is the first team from a BCS non-automatic qualifying conference to play in a BCS bowl since TCU, then in the Mountain West, played in the 2011 Rose Bowl. NIU is the eighth non-AQ team to play in the BCS bowl in the past nine seasons.

 

NIU also is the first MAC team ever to play in a BCS bowl.

 

NIU coach Dave Doeren took the NC State job Saturday and will not coach in the Orange Bowl, marking the second time in four years a coach earned a BCS bowl berth but left for another job. In the 2009 season, Brian Kelly led Cincinnati to a 12-0 record and Sugar Bowl berth but left for Notre Dame.

 

In last week's BCS standings, the Huskies were ranked No. 21 but climbed into the top 16 after beating previous No. 17 Kent State 44-37 in double overtime of the Marthan MAC Championship.

 

The Sugar Bowl had the first pick to replace SEC champion Alabama and picked Florida. The Gators were guaranteed a BCS berth by finishing in the top four.

 

The Fiesta Bowl had the next at-large selection of eligible teams and chose Oregon to face Kansas State. The Sugar Bowl was next and had two options: Louisville or Northern Illinois. The Sugar chose Louisville, leaving NIU for the Orange Bowl against ACC champion Florida State (11-2).

 

With Northern Illinois, Louisville and Wisconsin all earning BCS bowls, it marks the first time in the BCS era (since 1999) that three teams ranked lower than No. 15 earned a BCS bowl berth.

 

What was that, BJGE, Air, and others about how there was NO WAY that NIU was getting a BCS Bowl? I was right, you were wrong.

 

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Cool. Hopefully this will be a better game than us against Boise State/Rutgers/Louisville would have.

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What was that, BJGE, Air, and others about how there was NO WAY that NIU was getting a BCS Bowl? I was right, you were wrong.

Want a cookie?

 

And why do you even care about NIU going to the Orange Bowl?

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Wait, what?

 

When did I say NIU wasn't going to a BCS bowl?

 

When have I even ever talked about NIU outside of you being a fan of multiple teams?

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Want a cookie?

 

And why do you even care about NIU going to the Orange Bowl?

Nah, dude. I just love the satisfaction of being right when you thought you knew what you were talking about. I am happy to see a local team in the Orange Bowl, but that really isn't what I motivated me to post this.

 

humblebrag-600x369.jpg

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Nah, dude. I just love the satisfaction of being right when you thought you knew what you were talking about. I am happy to see a local team in the Orange Bowl, but that really isn't what I motivated me to post this.

 

humblebrag-600x369.jpg

Pretty sure you've still been wrong on more shit than me. Remember when you thought Drew Bledsoe was a HOF'er? LOL. And yay, NIU is going to the worst BCS bowl out of the bowl where they'll get killed by Florida State, and LOSE money because they won't even sell half of their ticket allotment. Celebrate good times, c'mon!

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WOOOOO

 

MAC! MAC!

 

We're going to make it back to back years next year when Bowling Green goes undefeated!

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I love the MAC, but this is just a travesty. NIU is going to get murdered.

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Hopefully they learned from this and won't put one-loss MAC teams in BCS bowls anymore.

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lulz, it was looking like a game... but still.

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lulz, it was looking like a game... but still.

 

It was only looking like a game because the Noles couldn't just pull away until the very end. If it weren't for a fake punt, NIU would've gone most of the game without scoring.

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I do wonder what would have happened if NIU could have scored on that drive that got halted inside the 5 after an obvious penalty by FSU. Could have provided a lot of momentum for them.

 

Doesn't matter though. Game was pretty much awful. Score doesn't even tell the whole story. It was more domination then you would be led to believe.

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Yeah, this was one of the worst BCS bowl games ever, as previously predicted by this guy. Gang tackling on almost every play. FSU should have been able to phone that one in. It was UGly with a capital UG.

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