2013 BCS Orange Bowl - FSU v Northern Illinois (SETTLED)
No. 13 Florida State vs. No. 16 Northern Illinois
Tues., Jan. 1 – 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Miami, Fla. – Sun Life Stadium
You’re likely not familiar with the Huskies. We’ll try to get you up to speed.
Northern Illinois (12-1) is the eighth team from a non-automatic qualifying conference to participate in the BCS, and the first from the Mid-American Conference. (Excited yet?)
Since opening the season with a 18-17 loss to Iowa, the Huskies have won 12 games in a row, capped off by a 44-37 double-overtime victory over Kent State in the MAC title game. (Are you liking this rather than being introduced to the Golden Flashes?)
Oddly enough, NIU won’t be coached by the man who brought them to this unlikely point and one has to wonder if Dave Doeren, who ditched the Huskies to accept an offer from N.C. State, will ever coach in a BCS bowl. (We say: “Nope.”)
Somebody who will be there is Husky quarterback Jordan Lynch, who rushed for less than 107 yards only once this season. The multi-dimensional junior also passed for nearly 3,000 yards, completed 63 percent of his passes and tossed 24 touchdowns, against only five interceptions. Against Toledo, this dude threw for 407 yards and ran for 162. If you’ve ever heard of anybody else doing anything of the sort, you’re wrong.
Win or lose — and there’s probably no way to avoid “lose” — he’s the only reason to tune in to this one.
Florida State (11-2) is destined to play uninspired ball. The loss to Florida on Nov. 24 sapped the Seminoles of their mojo. You could see that in their lackluster 21-15 victory over Georgia Tech in the ACC title game.
If the BCS bowl rotation was something different and FSU got paired against a marquee program, it would have proudly risen to the occasion. The ‘Noles might even need to fall behind to get jolted into action.
Opening point spread: Florida State by 14
The pick: Florida State 26-20
