ESPN College Football

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Illinois coach Ron Zook has often talked about how his program experienced too much success too soon.

After winning just eight games between 2003-06, Illinois fast-tracked to the Rose Bowl in Zook's third season, finding itself as a surprise participant on college football's grandest stage. Rather than take a step, Illinois skipped about 40.

The Illini tumbled that day against USC and entered a two-year free fall.

No one would describe the 2010 Texas Bowl -- now called the Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas -- as an iconic college football setting. It takes place in an NFL venue -- Houston's Reliant Stadium -- and was revived only in 2006.

But for Illinois, the Texas Bowl represented a step, a building block for what players and coaches hopes were bigger things ahead. It didn't hurt that the Illini crushed Baylor 38-14.

"A lot of guys hadn't been to a bowl game," sophomore linebacker Jonathan Brown said. "It was kind of good to taste success, but it made us more hungry."

The hunger carried Illinois through the offseason, and the team has been able to retain something it lost following the 2002 Sugar Bowl and the 2008 Rose Bowl.

Momentum.

Illinois announced itself as a team to watch Saturday night against No. 22 Arizona State, rallying behind a ferocious defense for a 17-14 win. The Illini are 3-0 for the first time since 2001 -- the last year they won a Big Ten championship -- and recorded their first win against a ranked opponent since stunning No. 1 Ohio State in 2007.

For their efforts, the Illini, projected by many to finish at the bottom of the Big Ten, likely will earn a spot in the new polls released Sunday.

"We're taking some steps," Zook said. "We're continuing to get where we're supposed to get. ... It makes everybody understand that, 'Hey, maybe Illinois is a bit better than what people think.'"

Illinois and Arizona State both finished the 2010 regular season with identical 6-6 records. While the Illini went bowling, Arizona State stayed home because two of its victories came against FCS opponents.

Still, the Sun Devils entered this season as a team to watch, a belief strengthened by their overtime win last week against Missouri. Arizona State didn't have the letdown coach Dennis Erickson feared, but the Sun Devils couldn't overcome the mistakes (eight penalties, three turnovers) that have plagued them far too often.

Given another chance to turn the corner, Arizona State lost its footing.

"This is gut-wrenching, to be honest with you," receiver Gerell Robinson said. "Everyone is sitting in disbelief that it happened the way it did."

It happened because Illinois' defense executed an innovative, pressuring, "crazy" game plan devised by coordinator Vic Koenning. Illinois mixed up fronts, blitzed often and repeatedly made plays in Arizona State's offensive backfield.

The Illini racked up six sacks, 12 tackles for loss and four quarterback pressures. Two of their three takeaways came as a direct result of pressure on Sun Devils quarterback Brock Osweiler, who entered the game ranked 10th nationally in passer rating and 11th in total offense.

"We sat up here Sunday night, put the game plan together, kind of looked at each other and said, 'This is crazy,'" Koenning said. "But it all worked."

Brown had a breakout performance with 3.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and an interception. Defensive ends Whitney Mercilus and Michael Buchanan combined for 3.5 sacks and a forced fumble.

"They brought a lot of pressure tonight," Osweiler said. "Shoot, it seemed like almost every snap."

What was pegged as an offensive shootout turned into a defensive tussle, and for much of the game, neither team seemed willing to take control. The teams combined for five turnovers in the first three quarters but converted none for points.

Illinois finally ended the trend when, trailing 14-10 in the fourth quarter, Mercilus sacked Osweiler, forcing a fumble. An Illini offense that hadn't recorded a first down in the second half then marched to the end zone in only four plays.

"You've got to capitalize," Zook said. "You've got to make something happen when you get the ball back."

Arizona State couldn't do so nearly enough. The Devils had eight possessions end in Illinois territory, but only two culminated in points.

"Very disappointing," Erickson said. "It's two steps forward and one step back."

Who knows how a bowl appearance in the winter would have impacted Arizona State for the 2010 season. But there's little doubt about the positive effect it had on the Illini.

"It changed the culture," Buchanan said. "It changed how guys think about playing on the big stage. ... We got a taste of being on top."

Illinois sits atop the Big Ten as one of just four remaining undefeated teams. The league looks extremely vulnerable, and Illinois has three of the next four games at home with the only road trip to Indiana.

Leaders division foes Wisconsin and Ohio State both must visit Memorial Stadium later this fall.

"We're not shooting for the Texas Bowl," Buchanan said. "We're shooting for a big bowl."

MADISON, Wis. -- In a perfect world, Wisconsin would have delivered 60 minutes of dominance.

The Badgers would have bolstered John Clay's Heisman Trophy candidacy, dominated the line of scrimmage, stormed out to a big lead and exacted revenge on Arizona State quarterback Steven Threet for what he did at Michigan nearly two years ago.

But in the imperfect game of football, Wisconsin had to settle for 60 minutes of resolve.

Many things went wrong Saturday against Arizona State, but the 11th-ranked Badgers didn't let the negatives linger in a 20-19 victory at Camp Randall Stadium.

"There's a handful of plays that determine games, that determine seasons," Badgers coach Bret Bielema said. "Football is a game comprised of four quarters, 15 minutes each, 60 minutes of playing time. But really, it's 60 minutes of reaction.

"Who reacts better to what happens?"

Wisconsin reacted better Saturday, especially in two moments when things seemed dire.

The first came at the end of the opening half. Wisconsin's offense finally had translated yards into points, as Scott Tolzien found Herculean tight end Lance Kendricks in the end zone to claim a 13-10 lead.

Only 10 seconds remained in the half, but Philip Welch botched a squib kick. Arizona State already had one kick return for a touchdown against a Badgers team that ranked 119th nationally in kickoff coverage in 2009.

This time, Sun Devils receiver Kyle Middlebrooks broke into the open field.

"Just watching, I'm like, 'Run Shelton, run Shelton, run Shelton,'" safety Jay Valai said. "I thought I had an asthma attack for a second."

Added defensive end J.J. Watt: "If he scores a touchdown there, it changes the entire dynamic of the game."

Badgers safety Shelton Johnson, with help from safety Dezmen Southward, tripped up Middlebrooks just shy of the goal line as time expired. Johnson said he had a good angle on Middlebrooks but likely needed Southward to slow him down before the end zone.

"That's a touchdown," Valai said. "Shelton stopped six or seven points right there. That was the biggest play of the game."

Johnson disagreed, giving the credit to Valai for his own "special" moment.

Wisconsin's defense had kept Arizona State out of the end zone for nearly 56 minutes before Cameron Marshall crossed the goal line with the apparent tying touchdown. Former Lou Groza Award winner Thomas Weber lined up for the extra-point try, but Valai burst through the line, hoisted his 5-foot-9 frame into the air and blocked the kick.

"A lot of guys don't pay attention to every play, but one thing the coaches drill into our heads is, 'This could be the play, this could be the play,'" Valai said. "I saw the hole, went over it, guy lifted me up in the air and I blocked it."

Veteran coach Dennis Erickson was as surprised as anyone to see Valai burst through.

"In all my career, I've never seen something like that," the Sun Devils coach said.

Bielema often watches how a defense, his own or an opponent's, responds after a touchdown is scored.

"It's a huge emphasis for me," Bielema said. "I point it out all the time when we go against a defense that gives no effort on a PAT. That doesn't just happen. That's from 365 days of mental and physical conditioning that our guys pride themselves on."

Valai's effort helped Wisconsin live another day as an undefeated team.

There were other examples of Badger resolve Saturday:

• Down two primary receivers (Nick Toon and David Gilreath) because of injury, Wisconsin leaned on Kendricks, who recorded a career-high 131 receiving yards on seven catches. Tolzien also had his best performance of the young season (19-for-25, 246 pass yards, TD).
• The defense held Arizona State to one offensive touchdown despite losing standout linebacker Chris Borland (shoulder) early and Watt and linebacker Culmer St. Jean for parts of the game.
• Star left tackle Gabe Carimi, who is Jewish, played on Yom Kippur and fasted from noon Friday to 1 p.m. Saturday, when he received an IV before the game.
• Watt twice left the game with a bruised quad but walked it off on the sideline and returned to record three quarterback hurries and a pass breakup.

"We had so many different situations of adversity today," Watt said. "For our team to respond every single time and get out of here with a win, it's huge for us and gives us a lot of confidence going forward."

The Badgers certainly aren't without their issues.

Kick coverage lapses like the ones against Arizona State usually get you beat. Wisconsin continued a disturbing trend of racking up a ton of yards (440) but not translating it into points. Clay had another big day (22 carries, 123 rush yards, 1 TD) but couldn't convert two third-and-short situations in the fourth quarter.

Most unsettling is the potential loss of Borland, the team's best all-around player. The 2009 Big Ten Freshman of the Year on Saturday aggravated his surgically repaired left shoulder, which kept him out of last week's game.

Bielema didn't know the extent of the injury after the game but said, "We definitely want to do what's best for Chris. You can't just keep going with him not going to be there or going to be there. The fortunate thing is he does have a redshirt year available."

Can the Badgers overcome obstacles and still take a step from being very good to elite? Time will tell, Saturday's win showed they won't shy away from adversity.

"We've got to take everything we can from this game," Bielema said, "the breakdowns, the mistakes, but also the positives and the extra efforts. It's a summation of everything that went on. We did enough good things to win this football game, but we have to correct and move past anything that can prevent us from winning in the future.

"I really just like the resolve of these guys."

It's not too late to join my chat.

• Forget the long flight, the late kickoff and the time change: Iowa only needs to worry about Arizona, Mike Hlas writes in The (Cedar Rapids) Gazette. The Hawkeyes will be Normless in Arizona, as defensive coordinator Norm Parker misses the game, Andy Hamilton writes in the Iowa City Press-Citizen.
• Wisconsin could be two starting receivers short against Arizona State, Jeff Potrykus writes in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The Capital Times' Mike Lucas explores an interesting question: What if Wisconsin had hired Dennis Erickson as its coach in 1986?
• A very interesting piece on Minnesota's football spending, or lack thereof, from the Star Tribune's Phil Miller.
• Penn State's tentative play proved costly at Alabama, Ron Musselman writes in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The Lions are looking for more leadership in the coming weeks, Jerry DiPaola writes in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
• Michigan State's season really starts Saturday, and Mark Dantonio expects a good game with Notre Dame, Matt Charboneau writes in The Detroit News. Spartans running back Larry Caper has healed faster than expected from a hand injury, Joe Rexrode writes in the Lansing State Journal.
• Urban Meyer has some high praise for Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson, Nicole Auerbach writes in USA TODAY.
• Nebraska coach Bo Pelini talks about how the team's hybrid defenders will fare in the Big Ten, Dirk Chatelain writes in the Omaha World-Herald.
• Ohio State coach Jim Tressel tries to explain the chaos at the end of the first half against Miami, Ken Gordon writes in The Columbus Dispatch. The Buckeyes aim to tackle their special problem, Doug Lesmerises writes in The Cleveland Plain Dealer.
• Northwestern linebacker Bryce McNaul is inspired by his older brother, who will be deployed to Afghanistan in October, Tina Akouris writes in the Chicago Sun-Times.
• Several Big Ten-related nuggets in the Five-Step Drop from AOL FanHouse's Michael David Smith.
• Purdue quarterback Robert Marve has to play smart and protect himself, Mike Carmin writes in The (Lafayette) Journal and Courier.
• Indiana defensive back Matt Ernest, a converted receiver, is settling into his new role, Terry Hutchens writes in The Indianapolis Star.
• There's a more positive mood around the Illinois program these days, Shannon Ryan writes in the Chicago Tribune. After so much shuffling on defense, Ron Zook might have finally gotten it right, Mark Tupper writes in the (Decatur) Herald & Review.