0-8.

That record doesn’t look good on paper or on the field for the NIU football team.

But that is the Huskies’ record against the Southeastern Conference.

NIU has fallen to Mississippi, Florida, Auburn, Vanderbilt and Arkansas from the SEC.

Saturday’s meeting with Alabama will be the first time the teams will meet.

In the SEC, the conference boasts three of the four highest crowds in Huskie football history.

When the Huskies played in Happy Valley in 1996, Penn State packed 95,589 fans into Beaver Stadium to watch NIU.

The next three biggest crowds, 84,922 at Florida in 1995; 83,708 at Florida in 1991; and 79,635 at Auburn in 2000, all come from SEC schools.

The game against Alabama could reach the top five.

Alabama’s Bryant Denny Stadium seats 83,818.

Night Tide

After a 27-17 win against Kentucky on Saturday, Alabama moved to 17-3 all-time in night games in Tuscaloosa.

The Crimson Tide are 1-1 this year at night, beating Kentucky and losing to consensus No. 1 Oklahoma.

“We don’t read too much into that,” NIU coach Joe Novak said.

NIU’s contest at Alabama is set for 6 p.m. Saturday.

Healthy Huskies

When schools started instituting bye weeks into their football schedules, Novak wasn’t much of a fan.

Novak has changed his tune since then and has come to accept the week off.

Last week’s bye has helped cornerback Deon Smith and defensive lineman Justin McIntyre recover from injuries.

Both will be available to play against Alabama after missing time in the last game against Tennessee Tech.

“We are healthier than we’ve ever been,” Novak said.

Another ranked opponent

For the second time in three games this season, the NIU football team will play a nationally ranked team.

Alabama, who enters the contest ranked 21st in The Associated Press Poll, joins then-No. 13 Maryland on the schedule of ranked teams so far this season.

“These are great challenges for our team,” Novak said. “Six or seven years ago, we didn’t think we could win. We think if we go down there and play well, we’ve got a chance to win.”

NIU enters the game 29th in The Associated Press Poll, and 32nd in the USA Today Coaches Poll. During their bye week, the Huskies dropped one spot in both polls.