By Woodrow Carroll
By the time all the Division I college football games had run their course Saturday, Nov. 25, 79 teams with six or more victories had punched their bowl game tickets.
A total of 82 teams are needed to fill the 41 FBS (football bowl subdivision) bowl games under the auspices of the NCAA. That lack of six-victory teams was good news for FBS newcomer schools, James Madison and Jacksonville State.
Had there been enough six-victory teams available, newcomers such as James Madison and Jacksonville State, two teams with plenty of victories, would not have qualified for a bowl game. Because both football programs are in their second year as FBS programs, they are considered in transition to full FBS status. A transition status leaves football programs largely ineligible for bowl games.
The James Madison Dukes (Harrisonburg, Va.), a member of the Sun Belt Conference ended up with an 11-1 record. The Jacksonville State Gamecocks, in northern Alabama, play in Conference USA and ended the regular season with an 8-4 record.
Why mention new programs such as James Madison and Jacksonville State? Just the real possibility that those programs may play the likes of Northern Illinois in the near future.
Both the University of Illinois and Northern Illinois went into Saturday’s games in need of a victory to become bowl-eligible. Northern Illinois answered the call and Illinois faltered.
•In spite of scoring 43 points, Illinois dropped a 45-43 decision to Northwestern (7-5) Saturday, Nov. 25 in Champaign. The loss left the Fighting Illini with a 5-7 overall record and out of the bowl picture.
The 43 points scored by Illinois were the most in regulation this season. In an overtime victory over Indiana, the Illini were 48-45 winners.
If the Fighting Illini were spoilers this season it might have been in the season opener against Toledo.
Thanks to a late field goal, Illinois beat Toledo, 30-28, in the season- opener for both teams. That defeat remains the lone setback suffered by the Rockets this season. Obviously, the loss in Champaign did not slow the Rockets down. Going into the Saturday, Dec. 2 MAC (Mid-American Conference) championship game, (11 a.m. at Ford Field in Detroit) with Miami (O.), the Rockets stand 11-1 with an outside shot at playing a Power 5 team as the best of the non-Power 5 teams. See final conference standings on this page.
After an up-and-down regular season, the Northern Illinois Huskies (6-6, 5-3 MAC) came through at Kent State Saturday, Nov. 25 against a team viewed by many as the weakest in the FBS ranks. Kent (1-11), a decided underdog, made the Huskies work hard before Northern Illinois managed to pull out a 37-27 victory to give the Huskies bowl-eligibility.
Scaled back aspirations! Regardless of the bowl NIU ends up playing in a victory is the goal. At one time Northern Illinois was 4-3 in bowl games. Since then, the Huskies have dropped seven straight games in postseason play and now are 4-10 in bowl games. For what it is worth, a Huskies bowl victory would allow the team to finish with a winning record.
•The continued improvement of the Northwestern football programs has not gone unnoticed.
Last season Northwestern ended with a 1-11 record. After a 24-7 loss to Rutgers to open this season, another long season seemed to be in store for the Wildcats. Instead Northwestern surprised many observers.
The Wildcats’ 45-43 conquest of Illinois Saturday, Nov. 25 allowed NU to end regular-season play with a 7-5 record. Northwestern’s head coach David Braun quickly has become a hot commodity. That’s what happens with success.