Group of Five: UCF, Boise State headline 2018 preseason power rankings

From 2010 through 2014, Northern Illinois was one of the preeminent mid-majors at the tail end of the BCS era. The Huskies broke through in 2012 as the first MAC team to reach a BCS game, and they were also the first smaller school to bust into the BCS despite a regular-season loss. In that half-decade stretch, NIU won 11 or more games in every season. And from 2010 through 2015, the Huskies played for the MAC title every year and won three of the six chances.

Over the past three years, though, Northern Illinois have regressed back to the middle of the pack. That 2015 MAC title game appearance came after a regular season where the Huskies lost four games. NIU went on to lose to Bowling Green in Detroit and then to Boise State in the Poinsettia Bowl. 2016 marked the first time Northern Illinois missed out on a bowl game since Joe Novak’s final season as coach in 2007.

Northern Illinois rebounded in 2017, taking down Nebraska en route to another eight-win season. The Huskies bring back eight starters on offense, including Marcus Childers at quarterback. Jordan Huff is departed from the backfield, and a pair of pass-catching threats are gone as well in tight end Shane Wimman and receiver Christian Blake.

But if they can have better luck with health at the quarterback position, the offense should be better in 2018 than the 29 points and 380 yards per game they mustered in 2017. They will need to lift themselves up, because NIU’s defense carried the team in 2017 and they lose four starters from last year’s group. But if Northern Illinois can take down Iowa and Utah to start the season, they will vault up the Group of Five power rankings.