It’s the day after an eve of destruction – or so it would seem after seeing many disappointed faces file out of Huskie Stadium Tuesday night.

In a year when the impossible became reality, NIU remained submerged in its rut. That’s right, for the 11th game in a row, the Toledo jinx continues.

This means that yet again, the Huskies’ fate lies on the shoulders of someone else … a recurring theme that has become all too common.

The hopes of the Huskies nation cannot be shredded like oh so many years before. The real question is: Will Bowling Green do NIU a favor and knock Toledo off the top of the mountain when they meet?

The discrepancy between the MAC East and West this year is gigantic. So don’t be surprised to see the West representative crowned as this year’s champion.

But who will it be? Here are the scenarios for each of the MAC West contenders.

Regretfully, the lead runner, Toledo, has the easiest road to the title. After Tuesday, UT holds the tiebreaker amongst all one-loss teams in the West.

Plain and simple, if Toledo beats Bowling Green, the evil empire will win the MAC West. However, if the Rockets lose, it puts NIU back in the driver’s seat.

If Bowling Green does end up beating Toledo, all NIU has to do is beat Eastern Michigan. Don’t take this one so easy; after NIU had narrow escapes from Ball State and Central Florida, Eastern Michigan is primed for an upset.

With Tuesday’s loss and the jinx still in full effect, the Huskies still could accomplish their goal of winning the MAC.

Bowling Green has the hardest path to follow in order to defend its MAC West championship. After losing the conference opener in DeKalb, BG must couple a win over Toledo and NIU must lose to Eastern Michigan.

Although the Huskies no longer control their own destiny, the race is too close to decide yet.

One advantage the Huskies do carry is Bowling Green’s play of late. One of the best teams in the MAC, BG has been rolling over opponents since its Sept. 24 loss to NIU.

The Falcons are 6-0 since its meeting with the Huskies and have outscored their opponents 293-79.

Even though their chances of repeating are slim, a bowl game is not out of the question for the Falcons. BG needs to top both Marshall on Saturday and Toledo its last game of the season.

If you are a smart Huskies fan, you will be cheering for Bowling Green on Nov. 23 for an ESPN2 broadcast.