 1. Illinois football is for real! Illinois beat the No. 5
team in the country on Saturday in Champaign, and they did it by
running the football. Rashard Mendenhall and Juice Williams each ran
for over 100 yards, and Illinois was in control of Wisconsin the
entire time.
Up next for Illinois is a "trap" game at Iowa -- on paper, this
looks like an easy Illinois victory, but typically nothing is easy
when the Illini face the Hawkeyes northwest of the border. Here's
hoping Illinois doesn't look ahead to Michigan on the 20th and is
able to win a sixth straight game on Saturday.
By the way, win on Saturday and the Illini become bowl-eligible
by mid-October -- should Ron Zook get the coach of the year award
right now?
2. Illinois is a Top 20 team: No. 18 according to the sports
writers and No. 19 in the coaches poll, Illinois is ranked for the
first time since the magical 2001 season. While I don't understand
how Wisconsin is rated ahead of Illinois by the coaches, I'm
thrilled to see the boys in Orange getting some national respect.
What is really scary is where the Illini could possibly go from
here. The next four games will see Illinois favored (yes, even
Michigan on the 20th), and if Illinois can take care of business,
the top 10 is very possible -- not bad for a team that most thought
would win somewhere between four and six games for the year.
3. The Bears win a make-or-break game against the Pack: Going
into Sunday night's national TV game, the Bears were on the brink.
Last year's Super Bowl losers were 1-3 and facing the prospect of
falling four games behind a good Green Bay team. The Bears trailed
by 10 at the half but rallied in the second stanza and eked out a
27-20 win. The defense gave up almost 400 yards in the first half
but rallied to play well in the second -- forcing three second-half
turnovers. Brian Griese won't remind anyone of Brett Favre, but he
did manage the game just well enough for the Bears to win. Coach
Lovie Smith is now 4-0 as Bears coach at Green Bay -- a stat that is
pretty difficult to digest for the Cheese-heads we know and love.
The Bears now face a pretty kind next six weeks -- a stretch that
may just let them jump back into the playoff hunt. And save your
letters -- I know I went on record and said they were finished just
last week; I guess that is the irrational fan coming out in me.
4. The Cubs are waiting until next year -- again: I'll admit
-- I sure didn't see this coming. I thought the Cubs would play well
against Arizona and probably have a good chance to play in their
first World Series since World War II. Instead, the bats went
silent, the bullpen blew up, Lou got out-managed, and the Cubs were
swept away in three games. Many Cubbie Kool-Aid drinkers think 2008
will be even better for the Northsiders. I'm not sure I'm there --
my guess is our friends by the Mississippi River will be chomping at
the bit to return to the postseason. The speculation is already
beginning about A-Rod coming to Wrigley -- could it happen? Only
time will tell.
5. Notre Dame finally gets a win: Charlie Weis and his crew
headed to Los Angeles with a 0-5 record to face a pretty good UCLA
team. I didn't think they had a prayer in this game, but true
freshman Jimmy Clausen played well enough for the Golden Domers to
win 20-6. This game was played in the Rose Bowl, and that is as
close to a bowl game as Notre Dame will get this year. Up next for
the Irish is undefeated and No. 4 Boston College -- a game that will
probably get ugly. But at least Notre Dame won't go winless, right?
I almost feel sorry for the sorry bunch from South Bend -- almost.
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6. Illini Madness is upon us: This Friday night, Illinois
basketball gets going. Usually by early October, football is such a
disaster that we can't wait for Illini Madness. This year, however,
it has really crept up on us. This might be a make-or-break year for
Bruce Weber -- at least in the eyes of many fans who are melting
down on a regular basis over recruiting failures. Many see Illinois
as a middle-of-the-pack team at best. I like this version of Illini
basketball and look for big things from seniors Shaun Pruitt (who
may be the best returning post player in the Big Ten) and Brian
Randle.
By the way -- you can attend Illini Madness at 9 p.m. at the
Assembly Hall. All you need to do is buy one of the 10,000 pink
Illini T-shirts for sale and you will be admitted. These shirts are
helping raise money and awareness of the terrible problem of breast
cancer. The shirts are available at many Champaign-Urbana locations.
7. Big changes appear to be on the horizon for the Cardinals:
General manager Walt Jockety was sent packing, and it looks like
Tony LaRussa and pitching coach Dave Duncan might be moving on as
well. Many see this manager-pitching coach combo landing in Seattle,
and that would truly mark the end of an era in Cardinal baseball.
Since coming to St. Louis in 1996, LaRussa and Duncan have led the
Cards to seven postseason appearances, culminated by the 2006 World
Series title. We know Albert Pujols will be back, but it's anyone's
guess who will join him in the lineup in 2008.
8. The NHL season has begun -- and you don't really care: I
know -- I don't really care either -- just thought I'd give you this
tidbit. Once again, it looks like the Blues and the Blackhawks won't
be very good. This will probably be the last time we talk about
hockey until May, when the playoffs are in full swing.
9. NFL dominance taking place in Dallas, Indy and Foxboro:
How about the Patriots, the Colts and the Cowboys? Without a shadow
of a doubt, these three teams look better than the rest of the
league. I can't wait for that Nov. 4 battle between the Colts and
the Patriots at the dome in Indy -- that could be one for the ages.
It's way too early to talk Super Bowl, but I'd be hard-pressed to
see a scenario where none of these three teams is playing on the
first Sunday evening in February 2008.
10. High school football's game of the year: Last Friday
night in Tuscola, the defending state 1A champs (Tuscola) played the
defending state 2A champs (Maroa-Forsyth) in a game for the ages.
Both teams were on 20-game winning streaks and both teams had
dominated the competition up to this point. Maroa won 35-28 before a
standing room only crowd. My gut tells me both Tuscola and Maroa
have great chances to repeat as state champions.
Have a great week, everyone -- and get ready for some true fall
weather. I think the 90-degree days may finally be a thing of the
past.
[Greg
Taylor]
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