| Year: | 2012 |
| Team: | Northern Illinois Huskies |
| Sport: | football |
| Conference: | Mid-American Conference |
| Division: | West Division |
| Short Conf: | MAC |
| Coachrank: | 24 |
| Aprank: | 22 |
| Record: | 12–2 |
| Conf Record: | 8–0 |
| Head Coach: | Dave Doeren |
| Hc Year: | 2nd |
| Hc Games: | first 13 games |
| Head Coach2: | Rod Carey |
| Hc Games2: | interim, bowl game |
| Off Coach: | Mike Dunbar (1st season, game 1 and bowl game) Rod Carey (1st season, games 2–13) |
| Def Coach: | Jay Niemann |
| Dc Year: | 2nd |
| Codef Coach1: | Ryan Nielsen |
| Codc1 Year: | 1st |
| Mvp: | Jordan Lynch |
| Captain: | Nabal Jefferson, Jordan Lynch, Sean Progar, Jason Schepler |
| Champion: | MAC champion MAC West Division champion |
| Conf Champ: | MAC Championship Game |
| Conf Champ Result: | W 44–37 2OT vs. Kent State |
| Bowl: | Orange Bowl |
| Bowl Result: | L 10–31 vs. Florida State |
The 2012 Northern Illinois Huskies football team represented Northern Illinois University as a member of the West Division of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Northern Illinois compiled an overall record of 12–2 with a mark of 8–0 in conference play, winning the MAC West Division title. The Huskies advanced to the MAC Championship Game, where they beat Kent State to win the program's third MAC championship. Northern Illinois was invited to the Orange Bowl, where they lost to Florida State.[1] [2] Second-year head coach Dave Doeren led the team during the regular season and the MAC title game before resigning to become the head football coach at North Carolina State University.[3] Rod Carey was appointed interim head coach for the bowl game. The team's 12 wins was the most in any of the program's 113-year history.[4]
Since the MAC was a non-automatic qualifying (non-AQ) conference for the Bowl Championship Series, its conference champion had to finish 16th or higher in the BCS rankings and be ranked ahead of at least one AQ conference champion to qualify for a BCS game.[5] With their win in the MAC Championship Game, the Huskies moved to No. 15 in the final BCS rankings, while Louisville, champion of the Big East Conference, was ranked No. 21. As a result, Northern Illinois received a BCS bid to the Orange Bowl.[6] It was the first major-bowl appearance in program history and the first major-bowl appearance for any MAC team.
The season marked the Huskies' fifth consecutive trip to a bowl game. The team played home games at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb, Illinois.
See also: 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings.
See also: 2012 Iowa Hawkeyes football team.
See also: 2012 UT Martin Skyhawks football team.
See also: 2012 Army Black Knights football team.
See also: 2012 Kansas Jayhawks football team.
See also: 2012 Central Michigan Chippewas football team.
See also: 2012 Ball State Cardinals football team and Bronze Stalk Trophy.
See also: 2012 Buffalo Bulls football team.
See also: 2012 Akron Zips football team.
See also: 2012 Western Michigan Broncos football team.
See also: 2012 UMass Minutemen football team.
See also: 2012 Toledo Rockets football team.
See also: 2012 Eastern Michigan Eagles football team.
See also: 2012 MAC Championship Game.
See also: 2012 Kent State Golden Flashes football team.
See also: 2013 Orange Bowl.
See also: 2012 Florida State Seminoles football team.