In my last post about Illinois football, I had a much more positive beat regarding the rest of the season.  That outlook changed quite dramatically this past Saturday when I saw that the Illini had blown it BIG against the Michigan State Spartans, losing 61-14.

I have to say that even with the loss to Cal last weekend, I thought we still had a fighting chance to have a decent season.  I mean, we were actually up 17-7 at halftime of that game, against a team that is currently ranked #12 in the nation.  Granted, I was perhaps overly optimistic, as we wound up losing 35-20, but all in all it wasn't a terrible game.

This week, however, it was another story, as MSU set an all time record for opponent scoring at Memorial Stadium, trashing us for 61 points.  This game proved once again that Illinois needs some serious help in building up a competant defense, as the Spartans racked up 705(!) total offensive yards Saturday.  A strong defense seems to be something Illinois has lacked for many years now.  What happened to the tradition of the Illinois linebacker? 

Coach Ron Zook took the blame for this one, claiming he did not prepare the team mentally, and that they lacked emotion going into the game.  I can only hope the rest of our season isn't this miserable.  Next week Illinois faces the Hawkeyes, and I noticed they chose us as their opponent for the big homecoming game.  How ironic!  It seems like only yesterday I was a student at U of I and we would always schedule Iowa for our homecoming game.  You can bet I won't hear the end of it if we lose this game in a similar manner, since my sister and brother-in-law are both Iowa alum!

Wow, I can't believe it...Illinois football is 2-0?!

Before I get all excited, however, I must remember that their last two opponents, Rutgers and San Jose State, are not exactly considered "football powerhouses."

However, when you consider that Illinois has only won 3 football games over the past two seasons, to start off this year with 2 victories is quite a confidence boost for the team and the Illini nation.  Next week's matchup should be a great indicator of how Illinois can handle a big time team, as we face No. 16 California. 

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to watch a single game yet this season.  I've been reading the Chicago Tribune's write ups each Sunday, though, and from what I can gather, our QB Tim Brasic is starting to show some decent potential.  Maybe one of these Saturday's I'll be able to carve out a few hours to catch the game, or even better, road trip down to Champaign and bask in the greatness that is a Big Ten football game.  Memorial Stadium on a crisp fall afternoon is the quintessential environment for college football...it sort of has that "Wrigley-esqe" old school feel to it, and the tail-gaiting scene rivals what you'll find anywhere in college sports.  Ahh...college football.  Don't you love it?  Anyone care to join me for a little trip?