Ten random thoughts to ponder as Northern Illinois prepares for the Discover Orange Bowl game:

Thought No. 1: For starters, pinch me. This isn’t a dream. This is real. From mid-major status to BCS bowl transcends the phrase “quantum leap.” From a historical perspective, and considering the relatively modest origins for such current athletic powerhouses as Michigan State and even Florida State in the 1950s, this could be the defining moment for Huskie football – and the entire institution – in the 21st century.

Thought No. 2: You wonder how the school’s modern-era patriarchs such as athletic directors George “Chick” Evans and Bob Brigham or sports information director Bud Nangle – the NIU administrators from the late 1960s who ushered the Huskies into the NCAA Division-I ranks and initiated the process for Mid-American Conference membership in the late 1960s – would’ve reacted to the Jan. 1 Florida State matchup in Miami.