Add another monkey to Northwestern's back: the Wildcats will also try to snap a losing streak as a ranked team when they play in a bowl game, as they're No. 22 in the BCS standings for Week 14.
That puts NU ahead of Oklahoma State, the only other major conference school ranked between 20 and 25. We're one below NIU, so I guess we're not DeKalb's Ranked Big Ten Team. (That also means that two of the three FBS programs in the state of Illinois are ranked. Guess the third!) NU was helped out by ten - count em - teams in the top 25 losing, including No. 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 24, and 25, which is pretty ridiculous.
After losing to Michigan a few weeks ago when ranked No. 24, Northwestern is now 0-8 - yup, that's eight games, eight losses - as a ranked team in the BCS, which, is, uh, well, umm, bad. They're also No. 22 in the AP Poll - they were also No. 24 before playing Penn State, and have last their last five games as a ranked team in there - and No. 20 in the Coaches poll
If Northwestern plays a ranked opponent in the bowl game, it will be the first time an NU game has featured two ranked teams since the 2008 Alamo Bowl, which, of course, NU losses.