Spring practices are in the books and fall camps will be here before you know it so that means getting an early jump on the 2006 NCAA football season. Knowing the teams now will save you time in August and Matt Fargo is here to help you get a grasp of what to expect this upcoming year. We go from worst to first in this 2006 College Football Preview.

#53 Northern Illinois Huskies 7-5 SU; 7-4 ATS

Fargos Take Last season, Northern Illinois started the year with a 1-3 record, the only win coming against 1-AA Tennessee Tech but the Huskies rebounded to win six of their next seven games to earn a berth in the MAC Championship against Akron. Unfortunately, they dropped a heartbreaker to the Zips for the second time on the season and their 7-5 record did not warrant a second straight bowl invitation. The pieces are in place to make another run in the MAC West with Northern Illinois biggest hurdle being Toledo. The schedule this season is just as difficult but the non-conference games are spread out instead of being lumped into the beginning of the year like last season. The offense has the potential to be one of the best in the conference while the defense should be efficient enough to win some games on its own.

Returning Starters on Offense 6 Northern Illinois finished 16th in the country in total offense last season and that ranking is very attainable again this year. The Huskies have the luxury of suiting up not one but two very experienced quarterbacks. Senior Phil Horvath and sophomore Dan Nicholson will be battling it out for the starting spot and both can get the job done. Horvath broke his arm in the ninth game last season and Nicholson came in to lead the Huskies to three wins before the loss against Akron. Handing the ball off to potential All-American Garrett Wolfe is a great way to take pressure off the passing game. Wolfe rushed for 1,588 yards last season but the only issue with the running game is that three offensive line starters from last season need to be replaced. Losing the two top receivers doesnt help matters either but Britt Davis has the ability to take over and produce big numbers after a 42-catch season a year ago.

Returning Starters on Defense 7 The defense was very tough last season, finishing 34th in scoring defense. The Huskies allowed single digits in three of their last seven games but the two worst performances where they allowed 31 points in each happened to be the only two losses in that span. The linebackers are extremely young with all three being sophomores and freshmen. The front line has the two bookends coming back and while the interior needs to be replaced, there is experience and depth. The secondary is the big strength with three seniors returning to the unit that finished 65th in passing defense last season. The average yards allowed through the air has decreased in each of the last four seasons and with so much experience coming back, we could see that go down for a fifth straight season.

Schedule The Huskies are never shy about scheduling tough games and this year is no exception. They do have Indiana St. and Temple at home, both sure wins but they also must travel to Ohio St. to start the season and then head to Iowa at the end of October. The MAC schedule is very much in their favor as they catch Toledo, the toughest game on the conference slate, at home. The conference opener is at home against Ohio and then its three straight road games including a couple of tough games at Miami (Ohio) and Western Michigan. Following a bye week after the game against the Rockets, Northern Illinois closes with a home game against Central Michigan followed by the finale against Eastern Michigan.

You can bet on The Huskies get the nod over Toledo in the MAC West since their meeting with the Rockets is at home in what could decide the division. Northern Illinois is 28-6 at home over the last six seasons and there is no reason to believe that the Huskies cannot go undefeated at Huskie Stadium this year. Northern Illinois is 12-4 against the number in non-conference games over the last six years and it will be catching some big numbers against the Buckeyes and Hawkeyes. The balance of this team is a huge asset and that is what can keep those games close. Over the last 15 years, Northern Illinois is 0-12 against Big Ten teams so winning those games outright might not happen but covering them can happen as it is 8-4 ATS in those games.