Face reality. Any time you beat the Big Ten Conference it's highly significant. Whether it's football, basketball, gymnastics or tiddlywinks. Good year or down year, the Big Ten still represents the best in the intercollegiate athletics realm.

Save the arguments about the Southeastern Conference or the Big 12 superiority for another day.
Heartiest congratulations to second-season Northern Illinois head football coach Jerry Kill, his staff and the student-athletes for the blue collar 28-21 triumph at Purdue last Saturday.

That often psychologically scarred Huskie Nation beamed with pride this week. And as a long-time observer, it's never easy – right down to the fourth period fake punt and the excruciating final 3:44.

Just take care of business in Game No. 1,000 today against Idaho, guys.
So where does the Boilermaker "W" rank among the previous 999 games in Northern Illinois gridiron history?

Here is my personal, updated all-time Top 10 list based on historical significance and national impact during the post-World War II era. Enjoy the memories.

Honorable Mention

No. 15
Oct. 28, 1972: Northern Illinois 28, Kent State 7 (Home): In their fourth NCAA Division 1-A campaign, the Huskies made a pre-Mid-American Conference tenure statement against the defending league champions, renown as the "[Don] James Gang" that featured all-world LB Jack Lambert. Behind junior FB and Hall of Famer Mark Kellar (146 yards rushing), NIU produced 541 yards total offense vs. KSU.

No. 14
Nov. 17, 1951: Northern Illinois 27, Nebraska-Omaha 26 (Road): The Huskies finished 9-0-0 for the third of the program's four undefeated seasons by rallying from a 26-6 deficit in the last 16 minutes. Little All-America QB Bob Heimerdinger hit HB Dan Mojica for a six-yard TD pass and PK Pat McKillen booted his most important career PAT with 0:35 left.  The comeback – one of the biggest in school annals – positioned Northern Illinois for a potential Tangerine Bowl berth – 18 years prior to gaining University Division status (1969).

No. 13
Sept. 27, 2003: Northern Illinois 24, Iowa State 16 (Home): The hosts – rated No. 20 nationally – wrote MAC history with a third straight win vs. BCS opposition with 10 unanswered points in game's final 7:45 before a record crowd (28,218). TB Michael "The Burner" Turner (134 ground yards) rewrote the school career rushing record as the Huskies topped a Big 12 program for first time since 1990 (Kansas State) and opened season 4-0 for first time since 1965.

No. 12
Nov. 9, 1963: Northern Illinois 27, Central Michigan 22 (Road): En route to 10-0-0 year and College Division National Championship, the Huskies clinched the IIAC title in Mount Pleasant behind school record performances from the Hall of Fame battery (and roommates) QB George Bork (43-of-68 passes for 416 yards and two TDs) and SE Gary Stearns (17 receptions for 188 yards and one TD).

No. 11
Sept. 19, 2009: Northern Illinois 28, Purdue 21 (Road): Judge and jury still out on NIU's second Big Ten success (and first since 1988). Historical perspective can change by Dec. 4 MAC Championship Game (hint, hint). Underdog Huskies upset 13-point favorite, thanks to 451 yards total offense and 41:40 possession time vs. (then) No. 1 Big Ten scoring and total offense.  TB Justin Anderson's 11-yard gain on fake punt with 3:44 left could be Northern Illinois' "biggest" single play in 35 contests vs. Big Ten dating back to 1971.

THE top 10

No. 10
Dec. 30, 2004: Northern Illinois 34, Troy 21 (Silicon Valley Classic): Game ended with head coach Joe Novak proudly lifting the bowl trophy over his head in triumph. Who would've thought this after the Huskies struggled through the infamous 23-game losing streak during 1996-98? Win-wise, the back-to-back seasons (10-2 and 9-3) rank as best in school history. TB Garrett Wolfe's 50-yard TD (NIU-record 21st of year) gain started 34-0 run in school's second I-A bowl victory. Downpour and electrical problems almost ruin national ESPN2 cablecast.

No. 9
Dec. 19, 1983: Northern Illinois 20, Cal State-Fullerton 13 (California Bowl): Huskies posted first "major" postseason bowl triumph on national TV (ESPN and Mizlou networks) and twin-digit wins for only second time in school history. TB Darryl Richardson scored go-ahead TD with 3:13 left in third period and PK Vince Scott added fourth-quarter field goal.  On a Hall of Fame squad that ultimately produced seven NFL draft picks and 19 pro players, senior FB Lou Wicks topped all rushers with 117 yards on 14 attempts and earned game MVP honors.

No. 8
Oct. 22, 1983: Northern Illinois 24, Bowling Green State 23 (Home):  Nerve-wracking Homecoming triumph and one of most pyschedelic, emotional comebacks in school history vs. defending MAC champion and BeeGee QB Brian McClure.  Trailing 20-0 at halftime, the Huskies outscored the Falcons, 24-3, in the final 30 minutes to remain 5-0 in league play. Hall of Fame QB Tim Tyrrell ignited the rally with a 43-yard TD rush on a keeper and 253 second-half total offense yards for MAC Coach of the Year Bill Mallory.

No. 7
Nov. 30, 1963: Northern Illinois 21, Southwest Missouri State 14 (Mineral Water Bowl): The College Division National Championship. No. 1 in final AP and NAIA polls. The zenith of the Howard Fletcher era. College Football Hall of Fame QB George Bork completed a 40-yard TD pass to FB Dave Broderick to culminate the school's initial bowl triumph and only 10-0-0 campaign. Without this historic achievement, the new Huskie Stadium ("The House That Bork Built" in 1965), University Division status (1969), and MAC affiliation (1973) would have been delayed for years.

No. 6
Sept. 3, 1983: Northern Illinois 37, Kansas 34 (Road): Another Bill Mallory milestone – the school's first Big 12 (then Big Eight) Conference football triumph, thanks to a clutch, second-chance, 26-yard field goal by Hall of Fame PK Vince Scott with 8 seconds on the clock. Beating the Jayhawks in the opener set the tone for the MAC Championship. Ironically (see Cal Bowl game), the unsung hero would be senior FB Lou Wicks (game-high 86 yards and two TDs on 20 carries).

No. 5
Nov. 12, 1983: Northern Illinois 26, Toledo 10 (Home): Probably the Ultimate Huskie League Showdown in the I-A (FBS) years. The 9-0-0 Rockets arrived in town as one of the nation's three remaining "major" unbeatens. After FB Joel Kinkade's 25-yard TD jaunt with QB Tim Tyrrell's screen pass in the first quarter and 14 kick-scoring points from PK Vince Scott, the hosts put themselves in the Cal Bowl driver's seat with one league game to go.  How could ABC-TV not carry this on its regional package?

No. 4
Sept. 17, 1988: Northern Illinois 19, Wisconsin 17 (Road): Finally, that first giddy "W" over the Big Ten, thanks to the in-step of PK John Ivanic and his four field goals (33, 44, 23, and 31 yards – the winner with 1:24 left), plus Hall of Fame FB Adam Dach (one TD).  How about Brent Musburger's congratulatory remarks for Jerry Pettibone's troops on CBS-TV's "NFL Today?" Cool.

No. 3
Oct. 6, 1990: Northern Illinois 73, Fresno State 18 (Home): The Ultimate Huskie "Fantasy Island" afternoon with the most points ever scored against an AP Top 25 major-college team, a mind-blowing 806 yards total offense in coach Jerry Pettibone's triple option, plus Hall of Fame QB Stacey "Wishbone Wizard II" Robinson's NCAA record 308 yards rushing and five ground TDs vs. the No. 24 Bulldogs.
The game wound up as the No. 2 national story on ESPN's "SportsCenter" that night. Mused FSU coach Jim Sweeney afterwards: "I thought I was in Norman, Okla."

No. 2
Aug. 28, 2003: Northern Illinois 20, Maryland 13, OT (Home): Prelude to a 10-2 Dream Season? What a 24-hours for the Huskies – starting in the a.m. with the "Cover Story" ("Meet 'Burner' Turner") in USA Today, reaching 95.4 million households on a national Fox Sports Net telecast, and winding up as the lead story on ESPN's "SportsCenter" that p.m. NIU upset the AP No. 15 Terrapins by rallying from 7-0, 7-3, and 13-10 deficits, dominated the final 7:58 of regulation, and tallied the last 10 points in this classic. Senior PK Steve Azar capped an 18-play, 84-yard march with a game-tying 25-yard field goal with 1:12 left. In OT, the Huskies got the ball first and scored on a 20-yard QB Josh Haldi-to-WR Dan Sheldon TD pass and an Azar PAT. On the second play of UM's ensuing possession, CBs Rob Lee and Randee Drew combined for the "Immaculate Deflection / Interception" and the game was over. What a true Huskie Happening.  Ecstatic sellout crowd (28,018). People scalping tickets on Glidden Road. Fans turned away in the East Grandstand.

No. 1
Sept. 20, 2003:  Northern Illinois 19, Alabama 16 (Road): How big was this "W?" None larger in the Huskie Record Book in my mind. A second straight BCS win vs. the No. 21 Crimson Tide and first victory in (then) nine tries vs. the SEC before 83,018 fans in historic Bryant-Denny Stadium. This was Alabama, you know Bear Bryant, Joe Namath, and 12 National Championships Alabama. "What a great, great football game for our program and our conference," said Joe Novak afterwards.  "You talk Alabama and you're talking one of the best. Beating Maryland at home was fantastic, but coming to a place like this, a great situation, great stadium, great fans, and great tradition, it's a memory our kids or i will never forget." TB Michael Turner led the way with a game-best 156 yards rushing (98 in the second half) on 27 attempts).

• Mike Korcek occasionally writes about NIU athletics for the Daily Chronicle. Write to him a sports@daily chronicle.com.