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The original was posted on /r/cfb by /u/usffan on 2024-07-28 11:15:05+00:00.
You can find the start of this series with links to all teams here
It somehow feels like Northern Illinois’ Orange Bowl run is simultaneously not that long ago and also feels like a lifetime ago. Those halcyon days are definitely in the rear view, but the Huskies were picked 3rd in the preseason MAC media poll, so they could be poised to make a run at a conference championship in Thomas Hammock’s sixth season at the helm. FPI (-9.9) and Sagarin (61.32) are a little less rosy, but they do have 66% of the productivity from last year’s Camellia Bowl team back. They will have to replace QB Rocky Lombardi, but they didn’t restock in the transfer portal (14.26 on 7 incoming players, 10th in the MAC) and brought in a relatively light class of high school recruits (149.65, 7th in conference). Here’s their 2024 schedule:
8/31 WESTERN ILLINOIS (W)
9/7 at Notre Dame (L)
9/14 BYE
9/21 BUFFALO (W)
9/28 @ NC State (L)
10/5 MASSACHUSETTS (W)
10/12 at Bowling Green (L)
10/19 TOLEDO (L)
10/26 at Ball State (W)
11/2 BYE
11/6 at Western Michigan (L, coin toss)
11/13 AKRON (W)
11/19 at Miami (OH) (L)
11/23 BYE
11/30 CENTRAL MICHIGAN (W, coin toss)
Outlook Feels like Northern Illinois should be better than a .500 team this year, but drawing the top 2 seeds in the conference plus road games at Bowling Green and Western Michigan are tough outs with a new starter under center, which is why I have them qualifying for a bowl but not much more. It’s not hard to imagine them going 8-4, but it is hard to imagine them making enough of a leap to reach the title game.