(NIUHuskies.com)As recently as six seasons ago, Rod Carey was the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at University of Wisconsin-Stout. In 2010, he was coaching the offensive line at University of North Dakota.

Carey is now a head coach, and his first ever game as a head coach will be the Orange Bowl.

What a crazy few days for Northern Illinois, and for Carey.

On Friday, Northern Illinois won the MAC Championship Game in double overtime. On Saturday, coach Dave Doeren took a job at N.C. State, and on Sunday, NIU announced Carey was replacing him. That was the same day the Huskies sent the college football world into shock by creeping into the top 16 of the BCS standings and getting a bid to the Orange Bowl.

(US Presswire)

Sugar Bowl
Jan. 2, 2013
Louisville (10-2) vs. Florida (11-1)

Louisville's key player: QB Teddy Bridgewater
Two weeks ago, Bridgewater suffered a broken wrist and a sore ankle and still managed to get the Cardinals into a BCS game by beating Rutgers 20-17 last Thursday. Now, Bridgewater has some time to heal before facing the daunting task of trying to create similar magic against a Florida defense that ranks No. 5 nationally. If Bridgewater is healthy, the Cardinals have a chance to pull off an upset. But if he isn't, the game could get out of hand as the Florida defense tries to put him on the sidelines for good.

(US Presswire)

Fiesta Bowl
Jan. 3, 2013
Oregon (11-1) vs. Kansas State (11-1)

Oregon's key player: RB Kenjon Barner
Oregon has a lot of offensive weapons, so it's tough to choose just one, but defenses always have to be aware of Barner in the backfield because he can change a game on one run. Barner, once a Heisman hopeful before a hand injury, ranks No. 5 nationally in rushing with 1,624 yards and 21 touchdowns. He had seven 100-yard games this season, including 321 against USC and 198 in the season finale against Oregon State. Kansas State yielded 342 yards against Baylor, the one team it faced this season with an elite running corps. Barner could put up more gaudy numbers.

(US Presswire)

Orange Bowl
Jan. 1, 2013
Florida State (11-2, ACC) vs. Northern Illinois (12-1, at-large)

Florida State's key player: QB E.J. Manuel
Even though Florida State is built around its tough defense, the Seminoles usually seem to go however quarterback. E.J. Manuel goes. If Manuel gets into trouble, Florida State usually finds itself backed into a corner. Such was the case against Georgia Tech in the ACC Championship when Manuel threw a key interception late in the contest that allowed the Yellow Jackets an opportunity to tie the game. Luckily for Manuel, the Seminoles' defense bailed him out with a game-winning interception. Manuel is having his best season statistically with 3,106 yards and 22 touchdowns, but he's also thrown 10 interceptions, six of which have come in the last four games.

(US Presswire)

(US Presswire)

Rose Bowl
Jan. 1, 2013
Wisconsin (8-5, Big Ten) vs. Stanford (11-2, Pac-12)

Wisconsin key player: RB Montee Ball
Ball is the FBS record holder for career touchdowns, and he has been on an incredible run after a tough start to the season. Ball has four 100-yard games in a row, including games with 198, 191 and 202 yards. The latter came in the Big Ten Championship Game, and he had three touchdowns in that big win. Ball will be instrumental for the Badgers, because quarterback Curt Phillips is just a game manager. In Wisconsin's last two wins, he is 10 of 15 for 112 yards — and those are his combined stats in those two games.

Stanford key player: QB Kevin Hogan
Stanford's midseason quarterback change has worked out great. The Cardinal turned to Hogan, an imposing freshman at 6-4 and 224 pounds who has led Stanford to five straight wins as a starter. He completed 16 of 22 passes for 155 yards, and rushed for 47 yards and a touchdown against UCLA on Friday, claiming MVP honors in the Pac-12 Championship Game. He has played well in huge games at Oregon, at UCLA with a division championship on the line and in the conference championship game, which is impressive considering at the end of October he had one passing attempt in his college career.

(US Presswire)

BCS Championship Game
Jan. 7, 2013
Notre Dame (12-0, BCS No. 1) vs. Alabama (12-1, BCS No. 2)

Notre Dame's key player: LB Manti Te'o
Te'o is vying to have the highest finish for a pure defensive player in the Heisman Trophy race since Pittsburgh DE Hugh Green in 1980. Te'o has seven interceptions and his 103 tackles are 42 more than any other player on a very good Notre Dame defense. He will be instrumental in slowing down an Alabama running game that had an SEC Championship Game record 350 rushing yards against Georgia. His ability to cover sideline to sideline will be tested.

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Alabama's key player: C Barrett Jones
Jones is a tremendous player, an Outland Trophy winner last year who is one of three finalists for the award this year. He has started BCS Championship Games at right guard and left tackle, and will start a third at center — as long as the foot injury he played through on Saturday allows it. He

(US Presswire)The Northern Illinois Huskies have crashed the big boys' party.

Northern Illinois is in the BCS and will play Florida State in the Orange Bowl. That's an incredible story for the 12-1 Huskies, who were No. 21 in the latest BCS standings before this week's games.

(US Presswire)Watching Skip Holtz lose nine of his last 10 games this season was too much for South Florida to bear, and the school decided to fire Holtz, according to reports from ESPN.com and the Tampa Bay Times.

Holtz was a success at East Carolina, and a hot name when he was hired by South Florida, but Holtz's move to the Big East looks like a mistake now.