By Woodrow Carroll
It can be fun to be obnoxious, for some fans, especially, when their teams, or their teams’ conferences, or their neck of the woods, are doing well.
With that in mind, the Big Ten Conference football serves as an example.
Although the Southeastern Conference (SEC) has three teams, LSU, Alabama, and Georgia, among the top five ranked teams in college football, the Big Ten has seven teams in the Associated Press top 25 nationally. Other than the three SEC sides, only Florida and Auburn from the SEC show up in the top 25.
Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, Iowa, and Wisconsin from the Big Ten are the usual suspects in the top 25. The familiar five have been joined this week by Minnesota and Indiana. Even Illinois received one vote in the others receiving votes listing. Heady times, indeed, for the Big Ten.
Illinois’ 37-34 victory over Michigan State made the Fighting Illini bowl-eligible. Prior to Saturday, Illinois, 6-4 and 4-3 Big Ten, never had overcome more than a 20-point deficit to pull out a victory in school history. That was ended. Illinois trailed, 28-3 in the second quarter Saturday at Michigan State.
One month ago, the slightest whiff of a bowl bid would have been savored by the Illinois faithful. Now talk of an Illinois bowl destination is calling for an upgrade.
Most Illinois fans view the Quick Lane Bowl in Detroit, Thursday, Dec. 26, as the least desirable bowl for the Illini.
On the plus side, however, the venue Ford Field, home to the Detroit Lions of the National Football League, is in a dome.
Illinois could end up in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl Friday, Dec. 27 in Yankee Stadium in New York City which, despite its hallowed history, is not a preferred football destination, and, no dome to protect from the elements.
Illinois has a bye Saturday and two games at Iowa Saturday, Nov. 23 and Northwestern Saturday, Nov. 30 to complete its schedule. Victory in those two games and a warmer destination will be an Illinois reward in bowl designation.
• The Minnesota Gophers, led by head coach P.J. Fleck, are 9-0 overall and 6-0 in conference. The 31-26 victory over Penn State Saturday by Minnesota in a showdown of teams with 8-0 records, put the team in the top 10 in the polls.
Minnesota is the target and not the underdog. The Gophers have a two-game lead in the Big Ten West with three games to play. Saturday games at Iowa November 16, and Northwestern, November 23, with a home-closer against Wisconsin November 30 are ahead. The last thing Minnesota needs is to falter against Iowa and Wisconsin and fell out of the Big Ten championship game Saturday, Dec. 7.
Northwestern, 1-8 and 0-7, will play host to Massachusetts 11 a.m. Saturday in a non-conference game. The Wildcats are heavily favored to win.
Yet, unless Northwestern defeats Minnesota and/or Illinois in the final two weeks, it will be the winless Wildcats in Conference this season.