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This big game with NIU kind of reminds me of the WMU games last year in terms of going on the road to play a tough MAC contest early on. This year, we play a very good NIU team in just our third game, where as last year, we played an always tough against BG team in WMU in game six. But that game in Kalamazoo last year was sort of a measuring stick kind of a game for BG. It was our first big MAC test, our first big MAC road game, and it was against a team who had faired well against us over the years, especially at home.

While I think NIU this year is better than WMU last year, I do believe that by winning that game in Kalamazoo last year, it served as a springboard for us. This NIU game in one of the biggest games for BG in recent history in my opinion, and I feel the same way about it as I did at WMU last year. Last season, I was more nervous about that WMU and much more confident about the NIU and UT games. This year, I feel if we can beat NIU, we'll really get rolling in the MAC again.

Gregg Brandon just stated the same thing from his press conference that was posted this afternoon about the NIu game .....

"....I just look at it as a game we have to win on the road in the MAC West. I said the same thing last year. Our first road game was at Western Michigan, and I thought that was a key game in our season last year when we went up to Kalamazoo and won that game. This is very similar. We are going into a hostile environment, and it's a key MAC West game, and it's as close to a must win as you can say. The winner of this game will be in a good position to win the West....."

What is making MAC football more exciting is how every team, good or bad, has become a challenge. Adding to that, the fact BGSU can be favored to win every game, it makes the entire season much more fun. It beats having three or four weak sisters every season. I would still rather have all the games be blow-outs, but oh well.

I just hope we don't become like WMU when they were a game short of a title year-in, year-out.