This post is sponsored by EA Sports NCAA Football 2011.

When you go to particular school or grow up a around college football you are more than just a fan. It’s who you are. We thought we could leverage this pride in your roots and show that ‘where you come from’ is more than just a statement about geography. By positioning NCAA Football 11 as a game that understands this pride and is authentic to these traditions, the takeaway should be that anything that is in college football is in NCAA Football11.

And this doesn’t just include game play (though that’s a huge part of it). It’s rivals and mascots; it’s legends and stories. It’s those things that are at the very fabric of the game itself. Of course the game is great this year as well. With authentic entrances, mascots and specific offenses for each team the term "where I come from" takes on a much larger meaning. While playing NCAA Football 11 is ultimately a great sports sim, it should also give you a sense of the pride and emotion one has for being a fan of a team they will never not be a part of.

And finally the winner of a copy of NCAA 2011 from our week long contest for participating in these posts is the user by the name of...

niusfactuary

Congrats and thanks to everybody else that joined in this past week.  When is the season going to start?

It's so beautiful:

via ll-100.ea.com

This is the sixth in a week-long series sponsored by EA Sports NCAA Football 2011.

It's time to start wrapping up this campaign, but since it was so much fun all the posts leading up to today are linked below. Hope you enjoyed them.  Reminder: If you have participated and want to win a copy of NCAA 2011, make sure to e-mail me (rabattack@gmail.com) your entry by today (drawing will be tonight).

• Mon: How I Became an NIU Huskies Fan
• Tue: My All-time Favorite NIU Team
• Wed: Tailgating Traditions
• Thu: My All-Time Favorite NIU Players
• Fri: Most Memorable NIU Football Moments

Expectations for the 2010 Northern Illinois Season

It was nice reviewing the past, but the time for the Huskies is now.  It's been three years since the 2007 season in which the Huskies had their worst season in recent memory, suffering an injury-plagued 2-10 season.  We saw a change in regime over to Coach Jerry Kill and the turnaround from that season has been remarkable.  The Huskies have been to two straight bowl games the last two years with incomplete teams.  Incomplete in the sense of the word that Coach Kill was still finding players to fit his system.  In year three of Kill's reign, it seems as though he finally has the pieces in place that he needs to have a successful season.

The strength of the team will be on defense, specifically the deep defensive line.  5 players are returning that have at least 7 games of starting experience, headlined by All-MAC standout Jake Coffman.  A lot of first year guys were thrown onto the field, but that should pay off tremendously when it comes to players like Devon Butler who will move into the starting MLB spot with virtually no dropoff.  Chris Smith and Patrick George will be able to excel at their positions in just their second year of starting any games.  Tracy Wilson will be a force at SS and there is great depth everywhere else on that side of the ball.  The key to getting to that next level of greatness will be causing more turnovers.

On offense, NIU's staple has always been running the ball and this year will be no different.  Chad Spann looks to be one of the top returning runners in the league.  Behind him is a cavalry of players that include transfers Cameron Bell and Jasmin Hopkins as well as a healthy incumbent Ricky Crider.  The offensive line isn't very deep, but if they manage to stay healthy and improve all season long, then there shouldn't be a dropoff from last year.

The biggest question is going to be making plays through the air.  Will Chandler Harnish ever be healthy again?  Will JC transfer Casey Weston have to step in?  Will the receiving corps develop some playmakers that can stretch the field?  Where does DeMarcus Grady stand in all of this?  Teams are going to stack the box and finding answers to these questions early is absolutely vital.

I like the Huskies this year and they play a fairly easy schedule (Steele ranks it 119th).  The MAC, especially the MAC West is going to have a down year with all the talent that graduated (LeFevour, Hiller, etc).  I like the Huskies to take 2 out of 3 against the road games against Iowa State, Illinois and Minnesota.  Then in-conference the Huskies toughest games are against Temple at home and against Western Michigan on the road.  I say the Huskies go 1-1 in those games.  All the other games are winnable.

My official prediction at this point in time is for the Huskies to go 10-2 with a berth in the MAC Championship game.  I really can't see how they can't win at least 9 games this year.  When 9 wins is a worst-case scenario you know you're going to be in for a fun ride.

Huskie Fans, what are your expectations for 2010?

This post is sponsored by EA Sports NCAA Football 2011

These past few years have been a whirlwind for Northern Illinois football.  The Huskies pretty much came out of nowhere to become one of the best mid-major programs in the country in the early 2000s.  This wasn't the result of one win, but rather a long journey that Joe Novak had been working on since he arrived and went 1-10 in 1996.  I know I'm probably missing a lot of moments, but I feel like this is a good mix from my personal perspective as a Huskie fan.

5. Garrett Wolfe exorcises the Rocket demons.  2005: NIU 35, Toledo 17.

We had not beaten the rockets since 1972, but Wolfe and the rest of this Northern Illinois team helped seal the deal in Toledo, OH.  It was great to finally get that monkey off of our backs, so that we could later clinch a berth in the MAC Championship.

Continue reading this post »

This post is sponsored by EA Sports NCAA Football 2011

Picking my favorite players is like picking my favorite kids if I had any...so here they are in no particular order:

QB Josh Haldi.  What's not there to like about Haldi?  He was never a flashy quarterback, but managed the games well leading to some of the most successful seasons in NIU history.  The Huskies have yet to replace his football skills and smarts on the field.  Also became a certified CPA, which first inspired me to become an accounting major (before I switched that 2 more times).

RB Michael Turner.  He was like a bowling ball out there, but he also had that extra speed to get it into the end zone.  I was worried what was going to happen when Thomas Hammock went down in 2002, but Turner "The Burner" was nothing short of spectacular leading the running game the next couple years.  He was NIU's first legitimate Heisman contender for the first time since LeShon Johnson in the mid-nineties.  Remember the hot sauce?

RB Garrett Wolfe.  This little son of a gun was one of the toughest players ever to play for NIU.  He never let down.  Even though entire defenses were focused on him from 2004-06, he still found a way to cause damage and get in the endzone.

WRs P.J. Fleck & Dan Sheldon.  These guys were pure underdogs with limited athletic ability that always made the clutch catch or return when needed to turn this program around.

LBs Brian "The Beast" Atkinson & Nick Duffy- The defensive centerpieces in both 2003 and 2004 was just an animal.  In 2003 Beast even led the team with 6 sacks.  I have always been a fan of whatever MLB that the Huskies have had.

LB Alex Kube - He became my favorite player his first couple of years, but kind of trailed off.  Here's to him rekindling the destructive spirits in 2010.

Who are your favorite Huskies of all-time?

This post is sponsored by EA Sports NCAA Football 2011

Tailgating has always been one of my favorite extra-curricular activities during college.  I liked the early games, because that gave me a good reason to start early with drinking beverages as well.  Especially during homecoming when pretty much every place is going to be open bright and early for keg and eggs.

Playing bags is a really good way to keep yourself busy and have a lot of fun.  I'm not terribly good, but it doesn't matter because you're just having a good time with your friends in the spirit of competition.  Washers is a fun game as well.  As is beer bonging.

The one thing you do have to do is visit the Huskie Mobile/Bus/Whatever.  It's pretty easy to notice the decked out Mobile at home games, because there is a deck on top of the thing and people are standing there partying.  It's pretty much an essential thing to do during a tailgate is to stand on top of the famous Huskie Bus.

Oh and make sure that your pre and post game eatery is Fatty's.  Nothing else in Dekalb comes close.

It's just weird for me, because I have yet to tailgate as an alumni and during my undergrad years I was part of a fraternity.  I would ALWAYS stay and watch not just the first half, but the ENTIRE game.  Sometimes I was the last man standing in terms of all my friends leaving, but I didn't care.  Energy drinks or quick halftime naps help.

What are some of your tailgating traditions?

GO HUSKIES!!

This post is sponsored by EA Sports NCAA Football 2011.

At first it was kind of hard for me to decide on a favorite all-time team, but eventually it became a no-brainer.  2003 is the season that everybody hasn't stopped talking about to this day.  Every year it seems like we talk about "When is this team going to achieve the success that it did during 2003?"

After a breakthrough 8-4 season in 2004, this was the first Northern Illinois squad to be picked to win the MAC West for the first time ever.  A win over the #15 ranked Maryland to start the season.  A win at Alabama just two weeks later.  The Huskies were stunning everybody, which led them to national attention for the first time ever.  Everybody remembers the SI article.  The Huskies were set out to be the original BCS busters, placing #10 in the original rankings before their upsetting loss at Bowling Green.

Michael Turner, the current Atlanta Falcon was the center of the offense, rushing for 1,648 yds and 17 TDs but it didn't end there.  Josh Haldi was an extremely successful game manager throwing for 2,544 yds, 25 TDs and 9 INTs.  P.J. Fleck had a monster year and became one of the biggest fan-favorites for the Huskies pulling in 77 catches for 1,028 yds and 6 TDs.  Fleck also doubled as a punt returner with the electrifying Dan Sheldon.

CB Randee Drew led an opportunistic defense with 6 INTs and 15 pass deflections while pulling double duty returning kickoffs.  Brian "The Beast" Atkinson led the aggressive Huskies at linebacker with 108 tackles, 6 sacks and 12 QB presures.  Finally injury-plagued players LB Nick Duffy and SS Akil Grant also had extremely productive seasons when they were on the field.

This was a team built on hard work and scrappiness.  The Huskies went against some of the best competition in the country and never backed down.  Huskie Stadium that season was a mad house.  Attendance numbers were up and crowds and crowds of new fans were along for the ride.

It still boggles my mind today that the Huskies could be 10-2 and not make a bowl game.  Nevertheless, it was a season to remember, and set up the football team and university for the future.  Expectations have always been extremely high, because we had been to the top and had seen what it feels like.  A blessing and a curse, the fleeting MAC Championship remains the logical next step in the progression of the program.

Runner up teams: 2002, 2004, 2005.

Who is your favorite NIU team of All-Time?

This is the first of a week-long series of posts sponsored by EA Sports NCAA Football 2011.

I started becoming rooted in becoming a Northern Illinois fan when I was at Wheaton North High School. There was a big pipeline that went from my high school to NIU back in the day: RB A.J. Harris, LB Bob McClearen, QB Zach Ullrich & LB T.J. Griffin all signed on as Huskies.  Early on, I thought that my high school football career was progressing enough that I would be able to play at the next level.  Or maybe it was just a pipe dream (I blame injuries for derailing my career).  Nevertheless, NIU was just the right fit in terms of size, location and developing football program.

I decided early that the Huskies were the perfect school to be a part of because they were on the rise.  I wanted to go to a school on the verge of breaking through and becoming a power.  Even though that process has stalled, I can really see that picking up again with the new regime.

My earliest memory of watching NIU was way back in 2002 when they upset Wake Forest 42-41.  It was one of the most dramatic and wildly entertaining games I had ever seen up to that point.  Azar with the field goal to force overtime.  Thomas Hammock's last hurrah before his career finished with that heart condition of his.

Originally I was a Maryland fan.  There I said it, just had to get that off my chest.  Why?  Mostly, because they were awesome earlier this decade and I would run roughshod over all my friends with the Terps in the NCAA games.  I was literally unstoppable with that team.  Then Maryland came to Huskie Stadium and NIU pulled off what was arguably their greatest upset ever.  I was literally shocked that had happened.  The Huskies continued to upset Alabama and Iowa State and push their way into the Top 25.  Even though the Huskies never made a bowl game that year, at 10-2 that would put NIU on the map after having one of the worst programs in the country in the mid-nineties.

Through the years, NIU has been a haven for running backs.  Hammock, Michael Turner, Garrett Wolfe and now Chad Spann.  I've always been a fan of the running game and the offensive game plan has been the focus of that for years.  My first game as a student was in the Big House against Michigan and haven't looked back since.  I've been through it all, even when the team failed to meet expectations.  Heck, this blog started during the 2-10 season in 2007. 

It's been one rush of a decade, but NIU has one of the fastest-rising football programs even to this day and I'm proud to be a Northern Illinois Huskie and write about the team on a regular basis.

So that's my story about how I became an Northern Illinois Huskies fan.  What's yours?