Northern Iowa quarterback Tirrell Rennie said winning a national playoff for the FCS championship would far exceed a BCS bowl game. “Not to downplay them," he added. / BILL NEIBERGALL/THE REGISTER/BILL NEIBERGALL/ REG
How champions are determined in NCAA football
Bowl Subdivision: The top two teams in the Bowl Championship Series standings meet in the BCS title game Jan. 9 in New Orleans. The BCS standings are determined by computer rankings, the Harris Poll and the USA Today coaches’ poll. This division was formerly known as I-A.Championship Subdivision: Schools at this level, such as Northern Iowa, compete in a 20-team playoff to crown a true national champion. This division was formerly known as I-AA.
Divisions II and III: Schools at these levels also determine their champions through playoff structures.
Saturday’s playoff Game
Northern Iowa (9-2) hosts Wofford (9-2) in the second round of the FCS playoffs at 4 p.m. Saturday in the UNI-Dome. Both teams drew byes in the opening round.
There was no trip to a warm-weather climate, no week-long stay in a five-star hotel, no lavish gift from the bowl sponsor.
“It was right here,” Rennie said Monday, standing on the field in the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls.
It’s called the Graphic Edge Bowl, and Rennie played in two of them when he was the quarterback at Ellsworth Community College. Ellsworth won both of those bowl games in the UNI-Dome, topping the College of DuPage (Ill.) in 2008 and Central Lakes (Minn.) in 2009.
It wasn’t exactly the Rose Bowl.
“It would be like the Cotton Bowl or the Pizza Hut Bowl or something like that,” Rennie said, laughing. “It’s fine. It was exciting enough.”
The NCAA does not offer bowl games to teams such as Northern Iowa from the Football Championship Subdivision. Rather, the FCS schools compete in a 20-team playoff to determine a true national champ.
“The significance of a national championship, I think, far exceeds a BCS bowl game. Not to downplay them,” Rennie said.
“How long has Boise State been wanting a chance to prove they could be national champs? Well, here in the FCS, if you get in the playoffs and you beat all those teams, now you win the national championship. You’ve proved yourself worthy.”
Northern Iowa (9-2) hosts Wofford (9-2) in the second round of the FCS playoffs at 4:05 p.m. Saturday in the UNI-Dome. Both teams drew byes in the opening round.
The winner will advance to the quarterfinals next week on the long road to the championship game in Frisco, Texas, on Jan. 7. The Panthers need to win four straight games to capture the national title — a grueling test of excellence and endurance.
“This proves how good we are. We have to win, win, win and then make it to the national championship,” Rennie said. “Whereas in the BCS, you’re voted in if you win that one game. What does that mean? You’ve just played one team.”
Northern Iowa coach Mark Farley chose diplomacy when comparing systems.
“I think they both have it right,” Farley said. “I think their system (the bowls) is awesome, because more teams and fans are involved and there’s more winners.
“... In their system, half the teams that are going to a bowl game are going home happy. That’s probably where their system is great. In our system, if you do reach the national championship and win it, you have done the ultimate.”
Northern Iowa played for the national title in 2005 and experienced a bowl-like atmosphere in Chattanooga, Tenn. — arriving early for the game and enjoying the festivities.
All the other playoff games are similar to regular-season contests, with teams arriving the day before the game and leaving when it’s over.
“In our system, we’re grinding,” Farley said.
Northern Iowa defensive tackle Ben Boothby has never played in a bowl game, but he’s watched plenty of them on television.
“Yeah, they’re cool,” he said. “I’d rather play for a national championship. At the end of the year, you can always say you were better than any other team. You beat every team along the way to get to the championship.
“I’m for the BCS going to a playoff system, because then you have a true winner instead of somebody voting you in.”
Rennie transferred to Northern Iowa last season from Ellsworth and has led the Panthers to the playoffs two seasons in a row. He’s passed for 3,185 yards and run for 2,030 yards in two seasons and accounted for 43 touchdowns. He’s suffered a string of injuries this season, but had a chance to rest last week.
Farley has tried to protect Rennie by keeping him from running the ball too much.
Not now, though.
“I’m just going to have to fight through it, like I’ve been fighting through the whole season, just like everyone else on the team has been battling their injuries,” Rennie said.
“We’re not saving anybody. For us 18 seniors, these are the last four games of our careers possibly. We’re going to make it work, no matter what, even if we come out with a peg leg.”
“It was right here,” Rennie said Monday, standing on the field in the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls.
It’s called the Graphic Edge Bowl, and Rennie played in two of them when he was the quarterback at Ellsworth Community College. Ellsworth won both of those bowl games in the UNI-Dome, topping the College of DuPage (Ill.) in 2008 and Central Lakes (Minn.) in 2009.
It wasn’t exactly the Rose Bowl.
“It would be like the Cotton Bowl or the Pizza Hut Bowl or something like that,” Rennie said, laughing. “It’s fine. It was exciting enough.”
The NCAA does not offer bowl games to teams such as Northern Iowa from the Football Championship Subdivision. Rather, the FCS schools compete in a 20-team playoff to determine a true national champ.
“The significance of a national championship, I think, far exceeds a BCS bowl game. Not to downplay them,” Rennie said.
“How long has Boise State been wanting a chance to prove they could be national champs? Well, here in the FCS, if you get in the playoffs and you beat all those teams, now you win the national championship. You’ve proved yourself worthy.”
Northern Iowa (9-2) hosts Wofford (9-2) in the second round of the FCS playoffs at 4:05 p.m. Saturday in the UNI-Dome. Both teams drew byes in the opening round.
The winner will advance to the quarterfinals next week on the long road to the championship game in Frisco, Texas, on Jan. 7. The Panthers need to win four straight games to capture the national title — a grueling test of excellence and endurance.
“This proves how good we are. We have to win, win, win and then make it to the national championship,” Rennie said. “Whereas in the BCS, you’re voted in if you win that one game. What does that mean? You’ve just played one team.”
Northern Iowa coach Mark Farley chose diplomacy when comparing systems.
“I think they both have it right,” Farley said. “I think their system (the bowls) is awesome, because more teams and fans are involved and there’s more winners.
“... In their system, half the teams that are going to a bowl game are going home happy. That’s probably where their system is great. In our system, if you do reach the national championship and win it, you have done the ultimate.”
Northern Iowa played for the national title in 2005 and experienced a bowl-like atmosphere in Chattanooga, Tenn. — arriving early for the game and enjoying the festivities.
All the other playoff games are similar to regular-season contests, with teams arriving the day before the game and leaving when it’s over.
“In our system, we’re grinding,” Farley said.
Northern Iowa defensive tackle Ben Boothby has never played in a bowl game, but he’s watched plenty of them on television.
“Yeah, they’re cool,” he said. “I’d rather play for a national championship. At the end of the year, you can always say you were better than any other team. You beat every team along the way to get to the championship.
“I’m for the BCS going to a playoff system, because then you have a true winner instead of somebody voting you in.”
Rennie transferred to Northern Iowa last season from Ellsworth and has led the Panthers to the playoffs two seasons in a row. He’s passed for 3,185 yards and run for 2,030 yards in two seasons and accounted for 43 touchdowns. He’s suffered a string of injuries this season, but had a chance to rest last week.
Farley has tried to protect Rennie by keeping him from running the ball too much.
Not now, though.
“I’m just going to have to fight through it, like I’ve been fighting through the whole season, just like everyone else on the team has been battling their injuries,” Rennie said.
“We’re not saving anybody. For us 18 seniors, these are the last four games of our careers possibly. We’re going to make it work, no matter what, even if we come out with a peg leg.”
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