Wisconsin is the #5 ranked team in the nation.

Illinois is a 3 point favorite.

Man, I was looking to clean up on this game. I figured I could get +160 or so on a money line. Illinois is favored? Wow... maybe they are the second best team in the Big 10

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Fire Phil Emery

I have Wisco favored by 1 on my screen. But I still agree... not what we would have thought at the beginning of the year. Now, I think it is more reasonable. Illinois is playing great ball.

Give the ball to Mendenhall.

I-L-L

I was looking at TheGreek.com last night, but I'm not sure if that's representative of other lines.

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Fire Phil Emery

The only line I am seeing offered right now is wsex which has the Illini -2.5

The rest are off the board at the moment.

The parity in the Big Ten is as big as I remember. The last time I remember having so many teams so evenly matched was 2000 where an 8-3 Purdue team went to the Rose Bowl(6-2 in conference). Ohio State is clearly the class of the conference right now, but kind of like Purdue they have yet to face a real test.

Rumors are that Michigan is possibly going to forfeit it's first four games(giving ND and Penn State another win) for an ineligible player. This is very interesting for the rest of the Big Ten as Michigan may not become bowl eligible or be 6-6 with a good conference run. I don't know the exact rules, but there is a provision in bowl selection where Michigan can't go to a bowl over a team with 2(I think) more wins. If Michigan was 6-6 then there is no way that they go to a New Years day bowl and it opens up for the rest of the conference.

Illinois looks good and I thought previous to the season that trading out Wisconsin and Illinois for Ohio State and Michigan was not as big of a deal as the media likes to point to.

Things get very interesting for Purdue if they are able to beat OSU at home. Joe Tiller is 2-1 at home against OSU in his career and the only loss was Craig Krenzel throwing a 40 yard td pass on fourth and one. It was one of the many heartbreaking losses in the past 11 years but I give Purdue a good chance of winning and at the start of the season I predicted a Purdue victory.

Purdue then takes a spread offense to Michigan and while Purdue has had little success in Ann Arbor, they can create the same matchup problems Oregon and App State did(with a less mobile QB).

The season is still young, but Illinois and Purdue could really work well together to take out the competition. It is a shame that the Big Ten has uneven scheduling and they don't play on the field.

I think that 6-2 in conference can get you to the Rose Bowl this year unless OSU is really that good. If OSU goes 8-0 in conference, then 6-2 has a good shot of making the Rose Bowl as an undefeated OSU would play in the national championship game if USC or LSU falters.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Correction: Michigan would not have to forfeit the ND game as this was a Big Ten eligibility issue. It would only affect the Penn State game.

It would have a major impact on bowl eligibility still.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

I must say that I think that Illinois/Purdue would be a really fun matchup, and it's a shame that they don't play this year.

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Fire Phil Emery

There really has to be an edict that cuts the number of nonconference games down to 1 or 2. Playing Syracuse (or another 'national' team) I get for recruiting, but Missouri and the annual games with directional schools do nothing but provide low interest TV and further water down Big Ten football.

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

The Ball State matchup really irks the hell out of me, coming right in the middle of the season as it does. I know that it'll happen to every team at least once because there are 11 teams, so one team has to be left out of the Big 10 fun every week, but that just seems like another reason to either expand or contract the Big 10. Who gives a damn about Ball State?

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Fire Phil Emery

You think that is bad? Purdue had to play Notre Dame this previous weekend. Talk about playing a bad team.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

.... ....

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Fire Phil Emery

The Ron Zook Reputation Reclamation Tour will continue next week with a glorious victory on Zuppke Field next week to make up for the game we gave away in Madison last year.

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You know me like that.

With an 11 game schedule, teams used to actually have a bye week in the season. If you think it is bad watching Illinois play Ball State, imagine Illinois playing no one and being forced to watch Indiana-Minnesota.

Another interesting thing to note is how the "Ohio State and Michigan are off the schedule" thing works for the teams that get it. Purdue had it the past two years and it was the worst 2 years in the Joe Tiller era(We were a weak 8 win team). Now Iowa is going through the same thing. Indiana is benefiting from it but I don't see Indiana making a serious run at anything more than 7-5.

It almost seems like teams don't prepare for the season quite as hard and they do not meet expectations. This year Purdue can win one more game then last year even if they lose to OSU, Penn State, and Michigan. They should be favored in the rest of the games.

Maybe having OSU and Michigan off the schedule is worse than having them on there.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

I love it, Ken. I love it!

Jump around. Jump around. Jump Up. Jump Up and Get Down.

Memorial Stadium was a fun place to be on Saturday against Penn St. The place was sold out, fans were into it. It's nice to have football that matters in Champaign again. It's been 6 years.

The offense needs work, but Juice is our quarterback, wait, I was zoning out there for a moment.

I was surprised and a bit impressed that Zook pulled Juice like he did. I think McGee and Williams are both going to start getting time. Their styles are similar enough that I don't think it would be an issue.

McGee can spark the passing game when needed. It's probably a system that they will continue to use unless Juice can start demonstrating some consistency with his throws.

Regus Benn is fantastic. The TD catch and run that he had was like a man against boys. He was just throwing guys off him.

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You know me like that.

Illini fever has now officially stretched from Decatur, IL to the suburbs of Peoria, IL.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

You might need to check the map again Rick as Zooker had 4 star recruits from Maryland, DC, Ohio, and Florida there and not a bad game for them to watch either.

Much better than 2 years ago when we were losing 56-3 at halftime to PSU.

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You know me like that.

All of those areas are south and east of champaign where the outbreak is much larger. I predict that by the end of next weekend that the outbreak will spread to Quincy, IL and slowly creep into Iowa as the season progresses.

I am very impressed by the Illini and I have said all along that I don't mind not playing them over the next two years.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

In Kirk We Trust

Not to bring up a currently rough topic but what are your thoughts on Kirk Ferentz? Will he turn it around this year?

I still worry about the Iowa game at home, and I would be really worried if it was at Kinnick.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

He has to say that. It's either that or having to go to Geeksquad.com to figure out how to change his avatar.

As a whole, Kirk is fine at Iowa. Deep down, he's turning into Dick Jauron. He needs to shake up the staff in the worst way. if you watch enough Iowa football, they are running the same offense that they did 9 seasons ago when he got there. They are also running a defense that went out in the 80's. (Essentially a 5-2) They haven't changed with the times but Kirk has not moved to get rid of any of the assistants. Norm Parker the DC is in mediocre health so I'd like to see him 'retire' to get a more agressive DC. As for the OC, I think he can be told to retool a bit and do an ok job.

The team is very young this year. I think they start maybe 6 seniors total and maybe 10 frosh/sophs. There will be growing pains. Only hope that next year is much better but I would be suprised at this point to see Iowa make a bowl game.

Don't let Danny Mac hear you say that .

Hey, Doc, Erin is at the Memorial Stadium!

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"It's not exactly a rocket surgery." D.J.

On another note... did you see that pass to Weil? Holy crap!

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"It's not exactly a rocket surgery." D.J.

If Illinois holds onto this lead, they have to be ranked in the next poll.

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Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

I am hugely impressed. Even if they don't hold on they are a great team and next year could be their year.

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Andy Rooney= biggest PUTZ of the dead

Well not just next year, seems like 1/2 the time I hear someone on the Illini make a play I hear "true freshman."

doc must be happy...his boys up by 11 at halftime, erin andrews doing the sideline reporting...

enjoy!

i'm off to wrigleyville...go cubs go

This is going to be a Big 10 title contender definitely next season, and they look as if they are growing up fast where they could be right there this season.