Illini Content Flying Under Radar

Illini Content Flying Under Radar

Just take a closer look, undoubtedly you'll find that Ron Zook and his Fighting Illini have somehow morphed into the Rodney Dangerfield of this BCS-crazed time of season.

For no matter what they do, how poised and primed they’ve shown themselves to be for the big-time, the newly formed Big 10 powers just can’t seem to get any respect. Tell me, are there really that many people out there that truly believe a team can go on the road and cumulatively outscore the two teams on its schedule to hit No. 1 in the land in a given year, in this case Ohio State and Missouri, all by mere happenstance?

No, it’s time you recognize Illinois is pretty good. And that’s putting it mildly when evaluating the talent of star players Rashard Mendenhall and Isiah “Juice” Williams. Together the duo put the fight in the Illini. Mendenhall rushing for a conference-leading 1,526 yards from his tailback position and Williams airing it out to the tune of accounting for 2,272 all-purpose yards from scrimmage as the team's signal caller.

It's fine with Zook if you're not yet convinced of their prowess, just know that the veteran coach is shrewd enough to remain skeptical about trading them for any other duo in the country.

"Our guys kind of thrive on that kind of thing," he says of the blatant lack of respect now being shown them. And everything he's learned about his team this season assures him they'll be ready to earn it come the school's first Rose Bowl appearance since 1984. 

Just one added twist this time. To make more of a national name for themselves, all Mendenhall, Williams and company will have to do is outwit and outmuscle USC in their own backyard. Pretty challenging? Sure, but certainly not impossible. Just ask Ohio State... and even Missouri.

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