And now it’s NIU’s turn.

The MAC West gave the world the Row The Boaters from Western Michigan two years ago on the way to the New Year’s Six appearance, and last year’s Toledo team was a force – right up until it inexplicably gacked in the blowout Dollar General Bowl loss to Appalachian State.

But those two have some work to do to get back to form, and they’re certainly not going to be the killers of the past few seasons.

Northern Illinois has the pieces in place to be that Next West Team Up in the progression, and while it’s not going to be as good as the ’16 Broncos or the ’17 Rockets, it has to be good enough to take back its rightful place in the MAC Championship again.

A mainstay in the conference title game from 2010 to 2015 won three of the six as it rolled through double-digit win seasons without seemingly breathing hard.

And now it’s back. After going 5-7 two years ago and looking like a program about to pivot, it should’ve beaten Boston College, it did beat Nebraska, and it hung tough at San Diego State on the way to a solid rebound, eight-win campaign.

But again, this is a program that plays for MAC championships. And now it’s good enough to get back there again as head man Rod Carey should have everything in place after rebuilding the talent level again.

Call last year dress rehearsal for the real showtime about to come.

https://collegefootballnews.com/2018/06/...eview-2018

"NIU should be back to being NIU".....I like that.

Good write-up, but I wonder how it will take WMU to live down the "Boat Rower" thing.

That whole thing was a joke, even with going to a major bowl.

(06-15-2018 02:35 PM)MiamiHuskie Wrote:  "NIU should be back to being NIU".....I like that.

Good write-up, but I wonder how it will take WMU to live down the "Boat Rower" thing.

That whole thing was a joke, even with going to a major bowl.

I would get it if it was a simple motto and written on the bottom lip on the back of the helmet just like we have "the hard way", but they took it to a new extreme with including it on their jerseys and all over the stadium, marketing material, etc.

(06-15-2018 03:06 PM)NIUHuskie4life Wrote:  

(06-15-2018 02:35 PM)MiamiHuskie Wrote:  "NIU should be back to being NIU".....I like that.

Good write-up, but I wonder how it will take WMU to live down the "Boat Rower" thing.

That whole thing was a joke, even with going to a major bowl.

I would get it if it was a simple motto and written on the bottom lip on the back of the helmet just like we have "the hard way", but they took it to a new extreme with including it on their jerseys and all over the stadium, marketing material, etc.

also had nothing to do with "broncos". It was a non-sequitur (there's that NIU degree showing through).

PJ was successful, but he is kind of a "new age " guy. You can only get away with it if you win.

I work with a guy that played football at WMU. He couldn't stand the PJ circus and all the row the boat crap.