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Illinois didn't have to put the game in the hands of a WAC officiating crew.

The Illini could have shown up in the first quarter rather than fall behind 16-0. They could have displayed grit on defense before the halftime break. They could have finished drives and avoided dumb penalties.

But Illinois didn't do those things, and Friday night's game turned into a nail-biter that Fresno State won 25-23.

Make no mistake: Illinois has an extremely legitimate gripe with the WAC officials at Bulldog Stadium.

With 3:17 remaining, Fresno State faced fourth-and-1 from just outside its own 45-yard line. The Bulldogs had received an unfavorable spot on a third-down pass, putting the ball about a yard and a half shy of the marker. Based on that bad third-down spot, however, there's no way A.J. Ellis reached the marker on his fourth-down run up the middle.

Illinois coach Ron Zook challenged the spot, but the officials upheld the call. I don't know what more indisputable video evidence was needed. The ball should have been moved back at least two feet.

It wouldn't have taken much for Illinois to get itself into range for a Derek Dimke field-goal try. Instead, the botched call allowed Fresno State to run out the clock.

Not to be forgotten in all this was the personal foul penalty on Illinois' Tavon Wilson for hitting a defenseless player after the Illini had stopped Fresno State near its goal line. Can't argue with that call. Wilson's got to know better in that situation.

Despite strong second-half performances from quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase, running back Mikel Leshoure and defensive tackle Corey Liuget, Illinois couldn't finish off the regular season on the right note.

Big Ten teams might want to avoid playing at WAC stadiums in the final game of the season. Remember Michigan State at Hawaii in 2004? Or Northwestern at Hawaii that same year?

At least Illinois, unlike Michigan State or Northwestern in 2004, still can look forward to a bowl appearance, although it won't be in Florida. Tonight's loss pretty much eliminates Illinois from consideration for the Outback, Gator or Insight bowls.

Expect to see Illinois in the Texas Bowl against Baylor.

It's time to update your calendars again.

Illinois' 2010 regular-season finale at Fresno State has been moved to Friday, Dec. 3. The Fighting Illini and Bulldogs will kick off at 10:15 p.m. ET, and the game will be televised by ESPN2. The game had been originally scheduled for Dec. 4.

Check out ESPN's full college football TV schedule here.

Maybe Illinois should play all of its games in December.

An offense that looked beyond anemic earlier this fall has shown up in a big way today. Quarterback Juice Williams and wide receiver Arrelious Benn, who shared a national awards Web site (7-to-9.com) entering the fall, hooked up for their first touchdown pass of the season, an electrifying 58-yarder with just eight seconds left in the half.

It marked Benn's second touchdown of the season, and the score put Illinois ahead 28-21 at the break.

Benn's catch certainly put the momentum back on Illinois' side after Fresno State had scored just 14 seconds earlier. Quarterback Ryan Colburn finally showed up for the Bulldogs and found Seyi Ajirotutu on a nice fade route. Both defenses have an interception leading to a touchdown, though the offenses are stealing the show.

Williams has completed just four passes, but two have gone for touchdowns. Illinois has racked up 165 rush yards in the opening half, while Ryan Mathews, the nation's leading rusher, has 54 rush yards on 14 carries.

The Big Ten faces the WAC this week, as I get two more chances to pad my record before the inevitable disaster known as my bowl picks. Both of the contests this week were tough to call.

Fresno State 33, Illinois 30: Ryan Mathews will be the difference against Illinois, which hasn't seen many running backs of Mathews' caliber this season (the Illini didn't face Wisconsin's John Clay). Juice Williams tosses three touchdown passes, one to Arrelious Benn, in his final career game, but Fresno State eventually takes control behind Matthews and hands Illinois its ninth loss of the season.

Wisconsin 38, Hawaii 27: Too much John Clay in this one. The Badgers' star steamrolls Hawaii's defense behind his huge offense line and scores three touchdowns. Hawaii's passing attack keeps it close for a while, as Greg Salas causes problems for the Badgers' secondary, but Wisconsin end O'Brien Schofield makes some big plays in the second half. Clay wears down the Warriors in the fourth quarter and Wisconsin improves to 9-3.

Week 13 record: 1-0

Season record: 62-24 (.721)

Two Big Ten teams in action, and five items to track this weekend.

1. Badgers try to rebound in paradise: Wisconsin basically has traveled halfway to Australia to face Hawaii on Saturday night (ESPN2, 11:30 p.m. ET), and a win could get the Badgers all the way to the Outback. The Outback Bowl, that is. A Wisconsin victory would give the Badgers a better overall record (9-3) than their primary competitor Northwestern (8-4), even though Northwestern holds the head-to-head victory. As long as the Big Ten gets two teams into BCS bowls, Wisconsin would have a pretty good shot at the Outback Bowl, where it would face Auburn on New Year's Day. Last time the Badgers came off a loss, they drilled Purdue 37-0 on Halloween.

2. One last taste of Juice: Juice Williams concludes his unique college career Saturday when Illinois wraps up its season against Fresno State (Big Ten Network, 12:30 p.m. ET). Williams started all four years at quarterback for the Illini, helped the team to the Rose Bowl in 2007, set total offense records in three separate stadiums in 2008 and saw his production decline sharply this fall. Despite the ups and downs, Williams has handled everything with class and deserves a good sendoff from the Illinois faithful on Saturday. He comes off a pretty decent showing against Cincinnati and faces a Fresno State defense that ranks 108th nationally against the run.

3. The Big 12 championship game: No game this weekend means more to the Big Ten's bowl lineup than the Big 12 title match at Jerry World (ABC, 8 p.m. ET). If No. 3 Texas beats No. 22 Nebraska, the Longhorns would be virtually assured of a spot in the BCS title game. This would free up the Fiesta Bowl to select a second at-large team, and it's hard to imagine the Fiesta not selecting Iowa or Penn State with its replacement pick (most likely the No. 2 overall selection). If Nebraska pulls off the upset, Texas would be a lock for an at-large selection, and it could limit the Big Ten to only one BCS entry. It also would bring the Orange Bowl more into the mix, which could be good for Penn State.

4. Clay's response and Wisconsin's secondary: John Clay's fourth-quarter fumble proved costly in Wisconsin's loss to Northwestern, so it will be interesting to see how the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year bounces back. He should be licking his chops against a Hawaii defense that ranks 104th nationally against the run. Then again, Hawaii comes off a 24-17 victory against run-happy Navy and has won four straight games to revive its bowl hopes. The islands haven't always been kind to Big Ten teams -- Wisconsin is 3-1 at Hawaii -- and the Warriors will test the Badgers' secondary with star wide receiver Greg Salas.

5. The aftermath in Champaign: Illinois' season will end on Saturday, and the changes that athletics director Ron Guenther said were coming could begin very soon. Head coach Ron Zook still should be safe, but he'll certainly look to make some staff changes after back-to-back extremely disappointing seasons. There's also the case of junior wide receiver Arrelious Benn, who many expect will declare for the NFL draft despite an unproductive year. And it will be interesting to see what happens to Illinois' recruiting, as the 2010 class is small and just lost its top prospect, tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz, to Iowa.

This isn't how Illinois defensive end Doug Pilcher envisioned his final collegiate game taking place.

For starters, Pilcher, like the rest of his Fighting Illini teammates, entered the season fully expecting to play beyond Saturday's contest against Fresno State (Big Ten Network, 12:30 p.m. ET). Illinois had both talent and depth, and was widely projected to end up back in a bowl game after a one-year hiatus.

But nothing went according to plan, and a senior class that has endured an unusual tenure in Champaign will receive its sendoff Saturday at Memorial Stadium.

“The season didn't go as well as we'd hoped," said Pilcher, who ranks second on the team in both sacks (3.5) and tackles for loss (7.5). "We had high expectations. But you can’t really change it. It is what it is. Right now, we just focus on Fresno State and working hard to get that win. We want to go out with a bang."

The fourth-year seniors were part of head coach Ron Zook's first full recruiting class to Illinois. Juice Williams, a raw but talented quarterback from Chicago, headlined the group, along with other heralded prospects like Vontae Davis, Chris Duvalt, Chris James and Jeff Cumberland.

Illinois fourth-year and fifth-year seniors were part of the team's surprise Rose Bowl run in 2007. They also have experienced plenty of losing. Remove the 2007 season, and Illinois has gone 12-34 since Zook's arrival.

"They've done an awful lot of good things and an awful lot of bad things," Zook said this week. "One thing this class has done is show us where we can be and where we need to get back to. When they came here, it wasn't necessarily the popular thing to do, so I have a special place in my heart for that. As I told our football team after the [Cincinnati] game, they basically recruited everybody in this room.

"We owe it to them to do everything in our power as a football team and as a coaching staff to do everything we can do to win this game."

Zook recited the play-every-play-like-it's-your-last cliché during a team meeting Monday, but he further explained his point.

"Why do you think you talk about playing every play like it's your last play?" Zook said. "Because eventually it's going to be, and as I said, for some of these guys this is it. You will never play football again. ... The only thing they're guaranteed is one more game."

Though Illinois is playing strictly for pride Saturday, Pilcher doesn't expect any letdown. Fresno State boasts the nation's leading rusher in junior Ryan Matthews (149.1 ypg), who is cleared to play after missing the Bulldogs' last two games with a concussion.

"It’s always great to compete against the best," Pilcher said. "Everyone's fired up to play. It's important for us to get this win and send the underclassmen out on a high note."

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Your questions, my answers.

Brandon from Columbus, Ohio, writes: Outside of being comfortable and Tressel not wanting to allow anyone else to have power, why doesn't Ohio State ever open up coaching positions to a national search?Florida's QB coach had vast D-I experience, same with Jeremy Bates at USC (who just was hired). And other teams have ex-Division I players as quarterbacks coach.What can Siciliano say when he recruits because he never played college football and his only experience is as a video coordinator? OSU fans are frustrated because other teams have more high-profile QB coaches and Pryor seems to not be developing.

Adam Rittenberg: I understand the frustration, but I don't think Nick Siciliano deserves the blame for what's happening in Columbus. It's a combination of things (youth, system, development) and no one position is totally at fault. As The Columbus Dispatch's Tim May recently wrote, Ohio State has an identity crisis on offense, and it's the whole unit. Obviously, Terrelle Pryor is the engine, and I think he'd do best in a total spread offense, one where he can constantly make plays with his feet. Some of Craig Krenzel's comments in the story are pretty interesting, especially about Pryor's inconsistent footwork. Then again, if Ohio State's offensive line play had been what it should the past few years, many of these questions wouldn't be asked. A lot of this falls in Jim Tressel's lap, but the Buckeyes have a lot of time to get better.

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Brian from Ann Arbor, Mich., writes: I was wondering what kind of odds you see michigan having at finishing in the top two or three in the big ten. I'm assuming we will stumble in a couple of games, most likely at michigan state, at Iowa, and/or against penn state and ohio state. Do you think two or possibly three loses within the conference will still put us in the top tier of the big ten?

Adam Rittenberg: It could, Brian. Tough to know what to make of the league so far. Penn State hasn't played anybody, Ohio State has been shaky on offense, Iowa had a scare and then looked good and Michigan State really melted down against Central Michigan. Michigan has been the one team that impressed me in both weeks. That said, the Wolverines remain very young and haven't gone on the road yet. This could be a year where 6-2 keeps a team among the Big Ten leaders. Harder to stay there with three losses, so that's a big difference.

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Mark from Detroit writes: Adam, if you want to do something useful to help the Big Ten football and everyone involved, press them to improve scheduling. They must play every team in the conference -- round robin if you like that wimpy term, and real BCS non-conference contenders. I know other teams (Florida) and conferences take the easy (cheaters) way, but that's not the sign of real leadership -- they will get their due rewards. You need to hammer on this endlessly, otherwise the Big Ten willl keep embarassing themselves and the NCAA by going 1-6 in the bowl games. It's just NCAA-sanctioned cheating; of everyone involved in college football!

Adam Rittenberg: I'll do my best, Mark, but playing a round-robin Big Ten schedule is a total pipedream. There's too much money at stake for these teams to give up home games, much less to add another very losable road game to the schedule. It's more likely the Big Ten plays nine conference games (yes, I know the math doesn't work perfectly with 11 teams) or adds a 12th member. But you're not going to see a 10-game round-robin, not for a league that sends more teams to BCS bowls than any other. I feel your pain in wanting to see better nonconference matchups for Big Ten schools, and I think things are slowly improving. Better nonconference games is the fight worth fighting, not a round-robin league schedule.

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Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Wisconsin's double-overtime win against Fresno State last Saturday should qualify as one of the nation's most impressive victories, considering the circumstances.

The flu worked its way through the Badgers' locker room last week, and more than 40 players had symptoms at one point or another. The rash of illness forced Badgers head coach Bret Bielema to shorten practices and adjust players' weightlifting schedules during the week.

"The two things that they said would help us come back faster than anything would be proper hydration and food, and getting as much rest as possible," Bielema said. "So we did as much as we could to let our kids sleep in. Even on Thursday morning, we normally have some pretty early lifts, like 6 o'clock or 7:30 [a.m.]. We went ahead and canceled those and had those right before practice, in hopes that the kids would sleep in a little bit longer and get some rest before they went to class.

"I just had my strength coach in here and I said, 'Hey, we pulled out a double-overtime win. We obviously needed every ounce of energy we had. Maybe that difference was letting them sleep in on that Thursday morning.'"

Few college students would turn down extra sleep, and the Badgers found enough fight to rally past Fresno State. Bielema and his assistants didn't know who would be available from one day to the next, so they adopted a next-man-in philosophy that paid off.

The team's health has significantly improved, though two reserve players who had no symptoms last week got sick on Monday. Wisconsin will follow a similar plan this week as far as lifts, though Bielema expects to put players through full-length practices again.

"It was challenging," Bielema said of the ordeal, "and that's why it made that win that much more rewarding."

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Looks like our scheduling series has had the desired effect.

Justin from Iowa writes: Adam,I've heard a lot of people suggest Iowa will split their away schedule 2/2. Iowa is a historically slow starter that gets better as the season progresses. If they avoid any pitfalls and start their OOC schedule 4-0, followed up by a win at Penn State to kick off big 10 play, how do you see this prediction perhaps changing?

Adam Rittenberg: The pattern definitely held true last year as Iowa played its best football down the stretch. The Penn State game means everything for Iowa. Win in Happy Valley, and suddenly the league road schedule doesn't seem so daunting. My prediction could change a bit if Iowa prevails at Penn State, but the Hawkeyes get no breathers on the road this fall.

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Will from Cleveland writes: Dear Adam,I actually have two very different questions I'd love for you to answer. What does non-conference schedules mean anymore? Because its always taking the backseat by the end of the year bowl games. Like last year the Pac10 was spanked across the country for the most part of the beginning of the season. But now every time I'm on a blog fans act like it means nothing we went 5-0 in the bowls but does who you play in bowl games ever matter?Secondly Adam I want to know how can the PSU fans talk so much smack, and their team last year did nothing against good teams? Sure they're highlight was against my Buckeyes but we were terrible according to our own standards. We have so much to look forward to other than Laurinitis, and Jenkins (sorry Adam but the Wideouts I hated worst starting tandem of Tressel era). But it seems they've lost so much more, and they act like its the exact opposite explain the theories for me please ADAM?

Adam Rittenberg: As to your first question, you're right about bowl performance. It seems to mean everything these days, while the regular season fades to the background. But nonconference scheduling can shape how a team or a league is viewed nationally, and it could help or hurt in the all-important polls. Take Penn State this fall. There's no way the Nittany Lions make any jump in the polls until the Iowa game. They would need everyone else to lose in order to move up.

Moving on, Penn State definitely deserves credit for beating Ohio State in Columbus, no matter how "down" the Buckeyes might have been. I think you're being a little hard on Brian Robiskie and Brian Hartline, but neither man had the season many thought they would. Penn State also knocked off Oregon State, albeit early, and thumped Wisconsin in Madison. Both Penn State and Ohio State lost a lot from last year, but the confidence from Penn State fans stems from the fact that the program is on the upswing since 2005 after some lean years.

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Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

If you haven't noticed, scheduling is the theme around ESPN.com this week. My colleagues have examined the decline of marquee nonleague games and the money-driven formula that goes into scheduling.

Now it's time to get more specific and look at the nonconference schedules for each Big Ten team. The Big Ten has taken a lot of heat for softening its nonleague slates, though other BCS conferences, namely the SEC, are also guilty of the practice.

Here's how they stack up, from toughest to easiest.

1. ILLINOIS -- vs. Missouri (at St. Louis), Illinois State, at Cincinnati, Fresno State

It's not just the opponents that make the slate tough, but also unusual dates of the games. Illinois must finish with two tough nonleague foes in late November and early December, when a bowl berth likely will be on the line. The Illini have lost their last five games against Missouri in St. Louis.

2. PURDUE -- Toledo, at Oregon, Northern Illinois, Notre Dame

First-year head coach Danny Hope has his work cut out for him early on this fall. Oregon is the toughest nonconference road game for a Big Ten team this season, and Notre Dame has been pegged as a BCS bowl contender (jury's still out for me) and lit up the Boilermakers' defense last year in South Bend. Northern Illinois also could be a very tough game for Purdue.

3. MINNESOTA -- at Syracuse, Air Force, California, South Dakota State

Arguably no Big Ten team has a tougher opening stretch than the Gophers. Sure, Syracuse is down, but Doug Marrone's first game and the possible debut of Greg Paulus at quarterback should get the Carrier Dome cranked. Air Force and especially Cal provide major tests at the new TCF Bank stadium.

4. OHIO STATE -- Navy, USC, vs. Toledo (at Cleveland), New Mexico State

The USC factor simply can't be overlooked on what is otherwise a soft slate for the Buckeyes. Ohio State's matchup with USC once again serves as the league's premier nonconference matchup and a chance for the Buckeyes and the Big Ten to gain some redemption. Navy is never an easy game, especially in the opener.

5. IOWA -- Northern Iowa, at Iowa State, Arizona, Arkansas State

The Hawkeyes are consistently solid in scheduling, and this slate shouldn't generate too many complaints. If you're going to play an FCS team, Northern Iowa is a darn good one. Mike Stoops returns to Iowa City with an Arizona team coming off of a bowl victory in 2008. Iowa shouldn't have much trouble going 4-0 -- rival Iowa State remains a disaster -- but the competition isn't terrible.

6. MICHIGAN STATE -- Montana State, Central Michigan, at Notre Dame, Western Michigan

The Spartans' slate isn't as challenging as it was last season, but a trip to what should be an improved Notre Dame team could be tough. Michigan State has won three straight against the Irish, who crumbled on offense last year in East Lansing. Two tough MAC opponents with talented quarterbacks (Western Michigan's Tim Hiller and Central Michigan's Dan LeFevour) should test Michigan State's defense.

7. INDIANA -- Eastern Kentucky, Western Michigan, at Akron, at Virginia

The Hoosiers are the only Big Ten team to play two true nonconference road games, which stands for something even though both Akron and Virginia have struggled recently. Western Michigan also provides a big test in Week 2 for a Hoosiers defense hoping to turn a corner behind Jammie Kirlew, Greg Middleton and Matt Mayberry.

8. MICHIGAN -- Western Michigan, Notre Dame, Eastern Michigan, Delaware State

Michigan doesn't deserve to be ranked this high, but the Wolverines' schedule looks like a gauntlet compared to the sorry slates belonging to some other Big Ten teams. Western Michigan presents a sizable challenge in the opener, as Greg Robinson's defense faces off against Hiller. A transitioning Michigan offense might need to keep pace on the scoreboard. Notre Dame also will test the Wolverines with its high-powered passing attack.

9. WISCONSIN -- Northern Illinois, Fresno State, Wofford, at Hawaii

Soft scheduling has been a hot topic in Badger Nation, and this year's rundown won't do much to quench the fire. Northern Illinois and Fresno State are decent teams, but the lack of a BCS opponent drags down the quality of the schedule. Hawaii has been tough to beat at home in recent years, and Wisconsin could be fighting for bowl position when it heads to Oahu.

10. NORTHWESTERN -- Towson, Eastern Michigan, at Syracuse, Miami (Ohio)

Northwestern is trying to make bowl games on a more consistent basis, and another visit to Cupcake City should help. All four of these teams have new head coaches, and the lone "test," a trip to Syracuse, certainly isn't what it used to be. The watered-down slate certainly won't remedy Northwestern's attendance problems, and the school should (and will) take a more aggressive approach to scheduling in the future.

11. PENN STATE -- Akron, Syracuse, Temple, Eastern Illinois

This is the hard truth for Penn State: A desire to fill Beaver Stadium eight times could very well keep the Nittany Lions out of the national title game. We won't get a true read on Penn State until Iowa visits Happy Valley on Sept. 26, and anything less than an undefeated season will prevent the Lions from reaching the BCS championship in Pasadena. Sure, Penn State had no idea Syracuse would be this bad, but the absence of a road game against a decent opponent could really hurt the national profile of the team and its individual stars this fall.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Despite Missouri's dominance in the win column, the Missouri-Illinois matchup in St. Louis has been one of the Midwest's more anticipated opening games the last two years.

But after meeting in St. Louis this fall and in 2010, the two schools have agreed to suspend their series. Illinois athletic director Ron Guenther told The (Champaign) News-Gazette that a desire to regularly schedule seven home games in the newly renovated Memorial Stadium made the Missouri series less realistic.

"Eventually, we might resume it on a home-and-home basis, or perhaps return to St. Louis, but we have been leaning toward games on campus at some point in the future," Guenther said. "This has been a big-time game that draws good income and TV coverage. With all that said, since we want to get to seven or eight home games, you have to evaluate the neutral game."

Illinois' 2009 schedule should excite fans and media members, with a neutral-site game against Missouri, a road game at Cincinnati and a December home contest against Fresno State. But it isn't exactly what Guenther or head coach Ron Zook had in mind, especially as their Big Ten counterparts play much less challenging slates. 

Missouri and Illinois have met six times in St. Louis, with Missouri claiming the last five meetings. The teams met at campus sites from 1976-80, 1983-84 and 1991-94.

This move was anticipated for some time, and here's hoping the schools can work out a future agreement for a home-and-home series. Though it would be great for the St. Louis series to continue, Illinois needs revenue to keep pace with teams like Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State, which will always play seven home games in much larger stadiums (meaning more $$$). 

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

No football league in the country is better configured for road trips than the Big Ten. From my home base in Chicago, I can drive to eight of the 11 schools in five hours or less. If I'm feeling ambitious, Columbus and Minneapolis are within driving range. After a case of Red Bull, so is State College.

While my blog colleagues Ted Miller and Tim Griffin rack up frequent-flier miles in the sprawling Pac-10 and Big 12 conferences, I only have to worry about the occasional toll or blown tire.

Piggybacking off a fabulous idea from colleague Brian Bennett, I've decided to outline the perfect Big Ten road trip for the 2009 season. Follow this route and you're bound to get a good feel for the league, and have a blast along the way.

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Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

As expected, Illinois' game at Cincinnati has been moved from Nov. 28 to Nov. 27 to accomodate a Friday broadcast on ESPN, ESPN2 or ABC. Kickoff time for the game has not been determined. 

The Illini conclude Big Ten play Nov. 14 against Northwestern and will have an open week before making the trip to Nippert Stadium to face the defending Big East champs. Illinois finishes with a Dec. 5 home contest against Fresno State.  

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Head coach Ron Zook sort of let this slip out during Tuesday's news conference, but Illinois' home contest against Fresno State has officially been moved from Nov. 21 to Dec. 5. 

The Illini will wrap up Big Ten play Nov. 14 against Northwestern and then have an open date Nov. 21 before visiting defending Big East champ Cincinnati. The Cincinnati game is currently scheduled for Nov. 28, but don't be surprised if it moves to Friday, Nov. 27, to accommodate a national TV audience. Then Illinois will wrap up against Fresno State at Memorial Stadium.

That means December football in Champaign. Feel the brrrr! It marks the first December home game in team history (there have been several on Nov. 30). 

Illinois now will have two open dates in its schedule, as it won't play Sept. 19 before opening the Big Ten slate against defending co-champs Ohio State and Penn State. The schedule setup is far from ideal, but the extra open date should be helpful in the long run. 

There is one problem with adjusted schedule, as the (Decatur) Herald & Review's Mark Tupper points out in his blog. Illinois' men's basketball team is tentatively scheduled to play Gonzaga in Chicago on Dec. 5, which would hurt football attendance even if the games start at different times. 

Illinois does not want two major events on the same day. So, it's possible the basketball game might be shifted to Sunday. Gonzaga just ended its season so the subject supposedly hasn't been addressed with them, but they'll have to be if the football switch happens.

 Here's Illinois' updated 2009 schedule

• Sept. 5 -- vs. Missouri (St. Louis)
• Sept. 12 -- Illinois State
• Sept. 19 -- OPEN
• Sept. 26 -- at Ohio State
• Oct. 3 -- Penn State
• Oct. 10 -- Michigan State
• Oct. 17 -- at Indiana
• Oct. 24 -- at Purdue
• Oct. 31 -- Michigan
• Nov. 7 -- at Minnesota
• Nov. 14 -- Northwestern
• Nov. 21 -- OPEN
• Nov. 27/28 -- at Cincinnati
• Dec. 5 -- Fresno State
  

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Illinois did a lot of learning last fall, even if it didn't do a lot of winning.

"I learned an awful lot last year," head coach Ron Zook said Tuesday morning. "Our coaches learned an awful lot last year. More importantly, our players learned an awful lot last year."

Zook hopes the learning experience pays off for the Fighting Illini in spring practice, which opens this afternoon in Champaign. The team comes off an extremely disappointing 5-7 season, one that began with a top-20 ranking and tons of national buzz following a run to the Rose Bowl.

Illinois returns the Big Ten's most experienced quarterback (Juice Williams), its most NFL-ready wide receiver (Arrelious Benn) and talented players at other spots, but Zook doesn't take much for granted after last season, where the team won consecutive games only once. Team chemistry wasn't a strong suit for Illinois in 2008, but Zook already has seen major progress in that department.

"This is a team," he said. "These guys are all excited about the University of Illinois football program. ... We all learned an awful lot last year. We got away from what's important. We started worrying about winning instead of letting the wins and losses take care of themselves.

"They're excited about being type of team they know they can be."

Here are some other nuggets from Zook's pre-spring news conference.

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