Wolfe is a long shot, for sure, to win the award, which historically goes to a player from a high profile program. But he's in the discussion early in the season by being the leading returning rusher in the nation (1,580 yards last season despite missing two games).

The last time a MAC player made it to New York City as a finalist for the Heisman was in 1999, when Marshall's Chad Pennington was among the top five vote-getters.

A great season could lift Wolfe to that level.

Ohio coach Frank Solich, who previously was head coach at Nebraska, recently called Wolfe one of the top players in the nation.

Wolfe isn't worried about awards and records (he's within reach of Michael Turner's career rushing record at Northern Illinois). All Wolfe wants to do is atone for the Huskies' disappointing last-second loss to Akron in last season's MAC championship game.

"The main thing that I want to do is win a MAC championship," Wolfe said. "If I don't break (Turner's) record, it won't mean anything to me if we win a MAC championship. If I break his record and we win a MAC championship, I will definitely throw that in his face."

THE HUSKIES WILL SUCCEED IF: Garrett Wolfe lives up to expectations of being one of the nation's elite tailbacks. Wolfe is as good as the hype but was bothered by some injuries last season. It's imperative he stays healthy this season because the Huskies don't want to put the entire offense in the hands of their QB, either Phil Horvath or Dan Nicholson. Horvath was the starter most of last season, but he and Nicholson are in heated competition for the job this year.

THE HUSKIES WILL FAIL IF: Their defense doesn't improve. The Huskies gave up a ton of points against good teams last season (79 in two games against MAC champ Akron), and they lost several key players from that unit. The defense must play better against the strong teams.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "It's got to the point we know what to expect, and there's a sense of confidence from that. We all feel comfortable with what's coming up. We're organized, we've got practices ready, it's an exciting time and we're ready to go to work." -- NIU coach Joe Novak on the anticipation of starting fall camp.

MOST IMPORTANT PLAYER: Without a doubt it's tailback Garrett Wolfe. The senior is one of the best running backs in school history and is the nation's top returning rusher (175.6 yards per game last year). The Huskies' entire offense is centered around Wolfe.

BREAKOUT STAR: Larry English is primed to have a big season at defensive end after becoming a solid contributor in 2005. He made a respectable 57 tackles last year, but his biggest improvement this year should be in getting to the quarterback.

NEWCOMER TO WATCH: WLB David Bryant should move into the starting lineup as a redshirt freshman. His performance on the scout team last season opened a lot of eyes in the Huskies' camp.

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP: Offense -- QB Phil Horvath, TB Garrett Wolfe, WR Jarrett Carter, WR Britt Davis, WR Jake Nordin, TE Brandon Davis, LT Doug Free, LG Chris Acevedo, C Eddie Adamski, RG Matt Rogers, RT Jon Brost.

Defense -- DE Ken West, DT Craig Rusch, NT Zack Holycross, DE Larry English, SLB Keenan Blalark, MLB Tim McCarthy, WLB David Bryant, CB Alvah Hansbro, SS Mark Reiter, FS Dustin Utschig, CB Adriel Hansbro.

ROSTER REPORT: Phil Brown, a solid contributor at linebacker last season, most likely is done for the year after being injured in spring practice.