Joe Novak finally admitted a MAC game is not the most important contest of the season.

The NIU football coach did not answer with Ohio, the Huskies first MAC opponent this year, Toledo or the MAC title game.

“The fact that [Ohio State] is local, from the Midwest and has a great football tradition,” Novak said. “I think it is [the most important game].”

There you have it.

Year after year, MAC coaches constantly stress that MAC games are more important than any other.

But when faced with the question of whether or not Saturday will be the biggest game in NIU football history, Novak said yes.

Novak did mention a MAC championship is still NIU’s No. 1 goal, but the trip down that road in 2006 starts with the Buckeyes.

Huskie fans should, however, note that the last time NIU played the No. 1 team was in 1986 when Miami-Florida played to the tune of a 34-0 drubbing of the Huskies.

But the NIU ticket office said it sold out its share of tickets as of 3:15 p.m. Wednesday, and OSU coach Jim Tressel has made public his worries.