According to an NIU press release today, junior quarterback DeMarcus Grady started practicing with the basketball team yesterday, immediately after returning from the bowl trip. According to the release, Grady was a second team all-area and first team all-conference choice in basketball as a senior and helped East Grand Rapids to the state finals in 2006. His basketball career apparently has the blessing of interim coach Matukewicz and new football head coach Doeren, but he's still planning to be back with the football team this summer and fall.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/
Here is where you can vote. Look for the poll question at the bottom on the left.

Overwhelmingly the country is voting for NIU!

40 out of the 135 people who signed up for the game correctly picked BYU and Northern Illinois.

The Top 10 in the standings now look like this:

1. COUGS
2. Wurtland Warriors
3. FlaGators
4. Hilary Lee (Off Tackle Empire)
5. Miller
6. jerjharris
7. Hustle Belt Compensation Picks
8. nebraskasux
9. mojo133/2
10. WMH9

85 of the 135 people who signed up for the game correctly picked BYU.

The Top 10 in the standings now look like this:

1. 4JD
2. Easy 1
3. OH_IO! Go Buckeyes!
4. Miller
5. CODawg
6. Wurtland Warriors
7. mojo133/2
8. The Gary Carter's
9. COUGS
10. nebraskasux

Check it out........

According to Tom Dienhart, a writer for rivals.com, current Hoosier OC Matt Canada will be taking the same position at NIU. The current coach Jerry Kill took a job as the new head coach of the Gophers. Matt Canada spent six years at Northern Illinois University, where he served as the running backs coach (1998-2000), quarterbacks coach (2001-02) and offensive coordinator (2003). The Huskies enjoyed one of the most prolific seasons in school history in 2003, finishing among the top 30 in the nation in both major weekly polls. NIU climbed as high as No. 12 in the AP rankings and No. 10 in the Bowl Championship Series Poll with wins over Alabama, Maryland and Iowa State.

Besides being the MAC MVP, Harnish finished 6th out of 125 FBS QBs.