Say your prayers

Posted in SPORTS to Illini Football by Chris Willis on Friday, November 18, 2011 at 1:27 pm

Saturday marks the last home game for the Illini of this year. It has been reported elsewhere that the parents of the Illini football players organized a group (and remote simultaneous) prayer this week to pray in support of the team and the coaching staff.  With one of Illinois’ seniors attending Senior Day on the sidelines recovering for a gunshot wound, there is a lot to be thankful for.

A lot remains unknown, too. Whether you’ll have an opportunity to see the Illini square off in warmer climes this year remains undetermined, but the last regular season game, next week at Minnesota, is an unlikely candidate for swimwear. So what can we expect this Saturday?

Illinois has a long row to hoe in facing Wisconsin, likely the most talented team in the Big Ten. A monster offensive line protects an elite back in Montee Ball and an excellent quarterback from NC State.

Wait, what?

Russell Wilson, the Badgers’ outstanding QB already had a rather good career playing quarterback for the Wolfpack of North Carolina State. You're probably saying to yourself “but college doesn't have free agency,” and you’d be right. Another week, another bizarre intricacy of the college football rules to explain.

Russell Wilson had a year of eligibility remaining after graduating from NC State but only playing three years. After a stint testing the waters of professional baseball (no joke – did I mention the guy is an incredible athlete?), Wilson looked to return to football. The NCAA has a rule allowing someone with playing eligibility left who has graduated to play immediately at a new school, without sitting out the one year waiting period that generally accompanies transfers, so long as they are enrolled in a graduate program that their old school did not offer. Some laud this rule as allowing student athletes to emphasize the student side of that equation without being hindered by athletic aspirations. Moreover, it provides a strong incentive to not only graduate, but to graduate early. Others knock the rule as free agency in disguise, allowing large schools (with essentially every graduate program) to treat small schools (which normally don’t offer as many graduate degrees) as their farm teams.

There’s good arguments both ways, and I’ll let you decide for yourselves. Before getting too up in arms about this rule, consider the fact that Illinois is the beneficiary of it as well. Sam Maniscalo, the Illini hardcourt transfer, is playing this year by virtue of the rule.

Just the same, Wisconsin has proved fallible. The put up a scant 89 yards total rushing against Ohio State.  Wisconsin has to play Penn State next week, which could be a unique distraction leading to a trap game against Illinois.

Many (myself included) believed that Wisconsin had a legitimate shot to run the table and take an undefeated record to the national championship game (with a bit of help from some other teams losing). A bizarre loss to Michigan State on a last-second Hail Mary jump ball play blemished their perfect record.  Then they dropped a game the next week to Ohio State, again on a last second throw.

In order to compete and pull of a surprising upset (Illinois is a two touchdown underdog), Illinois will have to play explosively on both sides of the ball. The defense has shown chops and very well may be able to contend with the Badgers. Illinois will need to show us the offense that we last saw in early October. You can see it in person, or you can see it on ESPN2, beginning at 11:00 a.m.

But really, the lesson to be learned from Wisconsin’s prior games thus far is this:

Throw the Hail Mary.

Everybody loves the Hail Mary.