If the Wildcats win at Illinois on Saturday, they will finish their regular season 6-6 and be bowl-eligible. But they will go to a bowl only if the Big Ten sends two teams to BCS bowls (Sugar, Rose, Fiesta and Orange). The most likely way for that to happen? Michigan defeats Ohio State–and qualifies for the Rose Bowl as the conference champ–and the Buckeyes get a BCS at-large bid. “We don’t control that,” said NU coach Randy Walker, which is why he has urged his players not to think about playing in December. “There’s not one thing other than beating Illinois that we control.” But safety Torri Stuckey said, “Who’s kidding who? In the back of everybody’s mind, you’re going to think about [a bowl]. . . . But if we lose Saturday, it’s not going to make a difference.”
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