Seminoles gear up for Orange Bowl against Northern Illinois

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla.--The stadium is coming to life on New Year's Day at Sun Life Stadium.  Florida State plays Northern Illinois tonight in the Orange Bowl.  It's the Seminoles first BCS bowl game in seven years.  The Huskies are playing in their first BCS bowl game. 

Florida State started the season with national championship hopes but now has to guard against being upset by a team from the Mid American Conference on national television.  It's been talked about all week.  The guys from the little school will play with a, "chip on their shoulder".  Florida State is back in prime time on the first day of the year, but has not won a BCS bowl game in 12 years.

Florida State will split $30 million for playing tonight. Ticket sales are slow. NIU took a big financial hit by buying up its allotment of tickets and giving them to the student body for free. This is their chance to shine and beat the big boys from the BCS conference.

Jimbo Fisher thinks it's been a good season. They are only the 3rd team in FSU history to win 11 games.  This senior class went 6-6 as freshman,  now that class can call themselves ACC Champions. The big question is:  Will they be Orange Bowl champs as well?