Relevant observations, pertinent notes, questions, minutiae, and Huskie Trivial Pursuit from your local, retired sports information director:

Observation No. 1: Remarkable, but true. This never-ending “does Northern Illinois belong in the Orange Bowl?” debate somehow continues. So far this week the Champaign News-Gazette columnist Loren Tate and ESPN NBA analyst Jeff Van Gundy jumped on the Kirk Herbstreit “rip NIU” pile.

Who’s next? Dr. Phil? Alfred E. Neuman? Honey Boo Boo? The Playboy Adviser? People, the Huskies are down in south Florida practicing for the game. Get over it. Better yet, report it. Properly. Objectively. It’s one of the top local stories of 2012.