http://collegefootball.ap.org/poll

I am in my 60's and I have not missed listening to or watching an NIU game in well over a decade. I keep thinking that this team more than any other that I have had the good fortune to follow has been lucky and I am not sure that we deserve a lot of respect in the polls.

Are we more lucky than good? I am not sure how to answer that question as I do believe that you make your own luck by working hard and being prepared. Some things have really begun to come together for this team at just the right time. Akeem becoming healthy in the last week or two along with the emergence of our defense is huge and leave me with great hope for Friday's championship game with BG.

However, I am not yet sold on our QB play. I love Drew Hare's competitiveness, toughness and clutch play but I do wish that he did not miss so many high percentage throws. With just a little bit better QB play we can win the MACC and have a special season next year. If we keep winning this year we will rise a bit in the polls and we will deserve the recognition.

I just can't figure this year's team out.

What this year's team has is the heart of an underdog, a chip on their shoulder from being constantly underrated, and so much belief in themselves that they never give up.

Well said guys. There was something just awesome watching some of the Harnish and Lynch teams shred opponents. There is some kind of weird satisfaction about watching this team play that is 1 part frustration because they regularly fail to click on all cylinders and dominate and 1 part this belief that no matter how ugly you just know they are going to make a play or 2 and come out on top.

In other words, there is some weird beauty in this team's ugly.