Many teams have played them tough this year and they just keep fighting back. While they won by 18 against Toledo, that game wasn’t decided until the final few minutes of the contest. Northern Illinois has gotten knocked down, but they continue to get right back up and come back swinging.
It’s not the best defense in the world, but they make plays when they need to. They rank 46th in the FBS in points against (24.5), and with an offense as solid as theirs that’s just tough enough to keep them in contention for every ball game. It certainly will become a bigger issue against tougher teams offensively, but the defense is just good enough to give them a chance to win.
You can use the fact that they are from the MAC as a reason to knock them, but don’t overlook the difficulty of their schedule. In week one they rolled into Kinnick Stadium and defeated Iowa at their own place. Just a few weeks later they headed to Purdue and took home an impressive 55-24 victory there as well. While their schedule may not be the toughest in the NCAA, they’ve stood up to every challenge thrown their way and have come away the victors on every occasion.
If there’s one thing that college sports across the board have taught us it’s that it’s never right to sleep on Cinderella. Just when you think the underdog is down and out and doesn’t stand a chance, magical things happen. How many people honestly gave Boise State a chance against Oklahoma? Don’t sleep on the Huskies just because they are the underdog from an underdog conference.
Jordan Lynch is the man, no doubt about it. He can pass or run, and he simply makes plays. While I’m not solid on his NFL future, there’s no denying he’s a difference maker for this team. He has single-handedly led them to where they are today. He’s thrown for 2,418 yards and 21 yards while rushing for 1,434 yards and 17 touchdowns.
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