The Rootability Index attempts to inform and educate you, the casual college football viewer, who to root for in games as a neutral but still interested party. Here we examine the Humanitarian Bowl, featuring Northern Illinois and Fresno State.
Pat Hill Is Baking Christmas Turnovers For Everyone! Fresno can win this game, but not if they continue to dominate the one category you don't want to dominate: turnover margin. When this Bulldogs team is good they're sort of acceptable, but when they're bad they lose 51-0 to Boise State and give the ball away like a Juggs machine set on sprinkler mode. On the upside, they have a nice running back in Robbie Rouse (109 ypg, 8 TDs) and their own vineyard with Fresno State-branded wine. If you like teams that can run clock and go well with a New York Strip, Fresno is your team of choice.
The Huskies Are Gonna Need To See Your Receipts, Please. Befitting a school with a well-regarded accounting program, the Huskies are an economical, stingy unit that keeps track of every yard given or gained. They run, they stop the run, and they demand receipts for any yardage claimed or gained. (Chief accountant on the offensive side of the ball: running back Chad Spann, he of the 20 rushing TDs on the year.)
NIU missed the MAC championship in a stunning loss to Miami, lost their coach Jerry Kill to Minnesota, and will play this bowl as a consolation game under interim coach Tom Matukewicz. Both MAC Championship participants lost their coach, meaning if you are a MAC fan you probably want to being crossing off your coach from the Christmas Card list the minute they make the title game.
No One Has Ever Written This Much About Potato Salad In The History of The Human Species. NIU's Garrett Barnas is keeping a journal of his trip out to Boise, and it's already remarkable for his feat of writing more about potato salad than anyone ever.
After the bowling, we bussed over to dinner and enjoyed some great pork roast and potato salad. I don’t know if the potato salad was extra good simply because Idaho is known for its potatoes or the person preparing it just did a good job.
They also went snow tubing and went bowling. This qualified as "amazing." Dekalb, Illinois needs to step up their nightlife game NOW.
LEAN: Northern Illinois. If Boise, pleasant as it may be, is an amazing trip for these young men, then they've been suffering long enough to earn your sympathies.