A Little Love For Illinois, Please?

OK, so I've been watching Rose Bowl pregame shows all morning, and I am totally sick of hearing about how Illinois is overmatched against USC.

Don't get me wrong. I think that USC will win. I think there's a good chance they will cover the two-touchdown spread, despite my initial prediction of a 31-20 final score.

But it's not like it's a foregone conclusion. There ARE ways that Illinois could win this game. If Rashard Mendenhall asserts himself, for example, it will be neck-and-neck throughout. And if USC takes Illinois too lightly -- a distinct possibility -- Illinois WILL take control.

I'm not counting on either of those things happening. I'm just saying it's worth playing the game.