July 12, 2011

DEKALB, Ill. - With nine offensive starters returning to the Northern Illinois Huskie football team in 2011, it's no surprise that NIU offensive players have garnered acclaim in many of the preseason college football magazines hitting newsstands this month.

Five publications - Phil Steele's 2011 College Football Preview, Athlon, Lindy's, Sporting News and Blue Ribbon Yearbook - have released their predictions for the upcoming season and their preseason All Mid-American Conference teams for 2011.

Quarterback Chandler Harnish, center Scott Wedige, right guard Joe Pawlak, and left tackle Trevor Olson headline the list of Huskie offensive players featured in the preseason All-MAC teams, while defensive end Sean Progar carries the banner for the NIU defense.

Predicted MAC West Finish

Athlon
Breakdown: The Huskie offense gets plenty of love from Athlon. The offensive line and quarterback positions are considered the best in the MAC, while the wide receiving corps is deep and experienced. Like most of the publications on the bookshelves, Athlon feels there are questions at several positions on the defensive side of the ball. However, "If the Huskies replace eight starters on defense and the offense doesn't miss a beat under a new coordinator, a road date vs. Toledo on Nov. 1 could decide the MAC West title."

Blue Ribbon
Breakdown: Team-by-team breakdowns are available to ESPN.com Insiders. As of July 12, 2011, the Mid-American Conference teams were not available.

Lindy's
Breakdown: It's tough to decipher what Lindy's makes of the Huskies. The publication picks NIU as the third best team in the MAC, behind Miami (OH) and Toledo, and predicts NIU to finish second in the MAC West division. However, they also write, "Seven home games and QB Chandler Harnish could equal another division title." Like all the other publications and websites out there, the offense gets the love while the defense has the question marks. The Huskies placed three players on Lindy's list of Top 10 NFL Talent in the MAC with all three ranked in the top five. Left tackle Trevor Olson ranks second on the list, while Wedige is fourth and Harnish rounds out the trio on the list, ranking fifth.

Phil Steele
Breakdown: Perhaps the most comprehensive magazine, Phil Steele's 2011 College Football Preview is "Jam Packed With Information." Steele doesn't look too favorably on the Huskies. Steele picks NIU to finish third in the MAC West, but isn't that confident in that prediction. "Even so, three of my nine power ratings call them the most talented team in the MAC which once again, makes it very scary picking them here." The quarterback and offensive line position receive the highest marks, rating as the best in the MAC, while the running back corps is considered the third-best unit in the league.

Sporting News
Breakdown: With the combination of returning talent and head coach Dave Doeren, Sporting News feels the Huskies will repeat as MAC West champs and return to Detroit for the title game. Like all the other publications, SN is high on the NIU offense, calling Harnish a game-changer and predicting big things from tailback Jas Hopkins. Wedige was named the Top NFL Prospect in the MAC, while Harnish was tabbed the best running quarterback in the league. While many publications point out the obstacles the NIU defense has to overcome, Sporting News doesn't expect a drop off from the defensive unit. Doeren's background as a defensive coordinator and the leadership of Sean Progar and Tommy Davis are expected to keep the Huskie D as one of the best in the MAC.

Preseason All-MAC Teams

Tickets are now on sale for the 2011 Northern Illinois football season. Individual game tickets are $24 a game to the general public, while season tickets, the best value in the region, are just $99 for all six Huskie Stadium home games. The Huskies open the 2011 season Sept. 3 when Army visits DeKalb for the first time.

Fans can order their tickets online through Northern Illinois' official athletics website at NIUHuskies.com (click the "Buy Tickets" link at the top of the page), huskiefootball2011.com, by calling the NIU Athletics Ticket Office at 815-752-6800 or by stopping by the ticket office, located in the NIU Convocation Center, from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Soldier Field Showdown II tickets can still be purchased at Ticketmaster.com, by calling the Ticketmaster toll-free number at 1-800-745-3000 or in person at a Ticketmaster outlet. Tickets to Soldier Field Showdown II, which features the Huskies facing Wisconsin at Soldier Field Sept. 17, 2011, are priced at $60 (upper levels), $75 (lower level and midfield) and $90 (club seats).

-NIU-