Orange Bowl 2013: Northern Illinois vs. Florida State game preview, location, history and more

Northern Illinois will attempt to pick up the biggest win in program history when the Huskies meet the Florida State Seminoles in the Discover Orange Bowl Tuesday at Sun Life Stadium in Miami, Fla.

The Huskies (12-1, 8-0 MAC) earned a surprise BCS berth after winning the MAC Championship Game against Kent State on Nov. 30. Northern Illinois opened the season with an 18-17 loss to Iowa before reeling off 12 consecutive victories, and the Huskies plowed through MAC play with an explosive offense, averaging 40.8 points and 485.8 yards per game, topping the conference in both categories.

Junior quarterback Jordan Lynch led the MAC during the regular season with 136.2 rushing yards per game, and he was tied for the lead with 17 touchdowns on the ground. In the passing game, Lynch had a 62.9 completion percentage and threw for 2,962 yards, 24 touchdowns and five interceptions.

Despite large advantage for Florida State perceived by many, Mike Breese of Red & Black Attack says the game will be much closer than experts think.

The Seminoles (11-2, 7-1 ACC) hoped to end the 2012 season in Miami but were aiming for the BCS Championship Game. After regular-season losses to N.C. State and Florida, Florida State had to settle for an ACC championship and an Orange Bowl appearance.

Florida State has used a balanced approach, ranking first in the ACC in scoring defense (15.1 points allowed per game) and third in scoring offense (39.9 points per game). While he sees a close game, evenflow58 of Tomahawk Nation believes the Seminoles will come out on top.

Game date and time

Jan. 1, 7:30 p.m. CT

Location

Sun Life Stadium, Miami, Fla.

Spread

Florida State -13.5

TV schedule

ESPN

Watch online

WatchESPN

Radio schedule

ESPN Radio

Last year’s game

West Virginia 70, Clemson 33

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