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Big 10 Power Rankings: extremely glib edition

Doing a power rankings is fun and interesting in the beginning and/or middle of the season. Towards the end, it’s kind of useless. You just look at the standings. Also, preconference basketball doesn’t really mean as much as conference action. That’s when we’ll learn a lot more. Now that Butler has knocked off the #1 Hoosiers, you know they’ll lose their spot at #1 here as well. Guess who the new #1 is...

By Paul M. Banks,
December 18, 2012 at 8:16 am •

Picking EVERY College Football Bowl game (with cheerleader photos)

It’s that time of year again, when I make smart ass remarks justifying why I’m picking one college football team to beat another. Not only do I give you the full bowl schedule with tv listings, there’s fun and goofy pictures of cheerleaders and hot female fans interspersed within the listing. And to make the post more pure to the game and traditional, I took OUT all the corporate sponsor names of the bowls...

By Paul M. Banks,
December 15, 2012 at 8:05 am •

#13 Illini are for real; win at #10 Gonzaga verifies

Last year’s Illinois Fighting Illini started 10-0, just like this year’s team. They finished an awful 17-15. But those were the Illini of Bruce Weber, not John Groce. With the 85-74 win at #10 Gonzaga last night, the first year coach has now produced the fastest start for a rookie coach in school history. 11... Read more »

By Paul M. Banks,
December 9, 2012 at 10:15 am •

Perfect Illinois Hoops generates excitement

Football season is thankfully over. Good riddance, and time to move on to hoops. First-year head coach John Groce has the Illinois Fighting Illini off to a 6-0 start this season. He is just the third Illini coach to begin his UI tenure with at least six consecutive wins. Illini Win EA Maui Invitational; Paul... Read more »

By Paul M. Banks,
November 24, 2012 at 6:46 pm •

Ranking '12 Illini football AWFULNESS among other TERRIBLE Illinois teams

The state of Illinois football has long been declared a disaster area. FEMA will be sending aid soon to clean up the wreckage created my Superstorm Tim Beckman. Actually, the true creator of this mess is Athletic Director Mike Thomas, but that’s another column for another time. Clearly, Beckman is in way over his head,... Read more »

By Paul M. Banks,
November 13, 2012 at 12:03 pm •

'13 Illini hoops recruiting class gets even better

The Tim Beckman hire is such a disaster that it requires FEMA aid, but so far the entrance of John Groce may be alright. It looks like this guy can really recruit. Monday afternoon Austin Colbert, a four-star center from Gill St. Bernards in New Jersey, announced his commitment to the Illini. He did it through Twitter; which is of course the new AP. Get ready “cuz this is the Colbert Report.” Expect a ton of Stephen Colbert jokes over the next four years...

By Paul M. Banks,
November 13, 2012 at 10:20 am •

Illini offer special opening night tribute to John Groce

Illinois tips off the 2012-13 season on Friday, hosting Colgate at 7 p.m. at the Assembly Hall. In addition to being the season opener, it also marks the debut for new Fighting Illini head coach John Groce. To recognize Coach Groce’s inaugural game, the Orange Krush student section encourages everyone in attendance to join... Read more »

By Paul M. Banks,
November 7, 2012 at 6:17 pm •

Northwestern handles Iowa Hawkeyes to move to 7-2

It’s pretty clear who should run the Northwestern offense. It’s also pretty clear how they should game plan. This was all evident in the handling of the Iowa Hawkeyes on Saturday. Kain Colter, not Trevor Siemian is NU’s starting quarterback. There should be no rotation or switcheroo. This is Colter’s team. And they need to... Read more »

By Paul M. Banks,
October 27, 2012 at 2:55 pm •

Northwestern lets potential win over Nebraska slip away

The last time Nebraska visited Northwestern (1931) Al Capone was in attendance at Ryan Field. In fact, his presence was announced over the PA and he arrived at the game with a VIP style motorcade. He witnessed a 31-7 NU victory. Which NU? Northwestern. This game was a lot closer as a 53 yard field... Read more »

By Paul M. Banks,
October 20, 2012 at 7:17 pm •

Illini offensive line among worst ever

Tim Beckman isn’t the only reason the Illinois Fighting Illini are completely atrocious this season. Sure, he’s the main reason; as he’s clearly over-matched every week and in over his head. However, the main driving force behind the Illini being awful is the complete ineptitude of the offensive line. More than halfway through the season,... Read more »

By Paul M. Banks,
October 15, 2012 at 2:24 pm •

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