SB Nation Chicago - Illinois vs. Ohio State: Illini clash with undefeated Buckeyeshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48877/chicago-fave.png2012-10-30T16:56:29-05:00http://chicago.sbnation.com/rss/stream/33406632012-10-30T16:56:29-05:002012-10-30T16:56:29-05:00Illinois possibly not worst Big Ten team ever
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<figcaption>Bradley Leeb-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>The Fighting Illini are not the worst historically, yet.</p> <p>The <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/illinois-fighting-illini" class="sbn-auto-link">Illinois Fighting Illini</a> are 0-4 in a very weak Big Ten and 2-6 overall, and lost 31-17 last Saturday to an Indiana team that was previously winless in the conference. Illinois' performance thus far in the 2012 season led a fan to ask Illini blog The Champaign Room whether this is <a href="http://www.thechampaignroom.com/2012/10/30/3576092/are-we-the-worst-big-ten-football-team-of-all-time" target="_blank">"the worst Big Ten team ever?"</a></p>
<p>Brian Cook <a href="http://mgoblog.com/content/introducing-illiniquest?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+mgoblog+%28mgoblog%29" target="_blank">at MGOBlog came through with the nerd work</a> to spare Illinois partisans the pain of doing that research. It turns out that the 2012 Illinois squad still has lots of bad losing to do to "achieve" the dubious distinction of worst team in Big Ten history. Cook took all the winless teams in conference history and applied "scoring ratio" to their records – that's just a fancy term for taking the points a team scored and dividing them by the points the team both scored and allowed.</p>
<p>If Illinois remains winless in conference and finishes with a scoring ratio of 21 percent or above, it will join 1997 and 2005 Illinois as bad, but not the very worst. Finishing with a scoring ratio below 21 percent would put 2012 Illinois in company with 1981's Northwestern squad, which scored 75 points in nine conference games and allowed 425 to opponents.</p>
<p>The worst team in Big Ten history, by Cook's method? Michigan, 1934, which finished its year with a scoring ratio below 8.7 percent.</p>
https://chicago.sbnation.com/illinois-fighting-illini/2012/10/30/3578138/illinois-football-worst-10-ten-team-everJosh Brokaw2012-10-30T11:30:12-05:002012-10-30T11:30:12-05:00Struggling Illini to battle undefeated Buckeyes
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<figcaption>Reid Compton-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>The struggling Illini head to Ohio Stadium to battle an undefeated Buckeyes squad that has been nothing short of dominant in 2012.</p> <p>The <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/illinois-fighting-illini" class="sbn-auto-link">Illinois Fighting Illini</a> will have their work cut out for them as they try to halt a five-game losing streak when they head to Ohio Stadium to take on the undefeated Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday.</p>
<p>The Illini (2-6, 0-4 Big Ten) are coming off a 31-17 loss at the hands of the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/indiana-hoosiers" class="sbn-auto-link">Indiana Hoosiers</a> in Week 9, and have not won since Sept. 15, when they knocked off Charleston Southern, 44-0. They'll have their hands full with a Buckeyes team that has been nothing short of dominant on the 2012 campaign.</p>
<p>The Buckeyes (9-0, 5-0 Big Ten) downed Penn State, 35-23, in State college last weekend to stay unbeaten in 2012. They will likely rely on their high-powered rushing attack -- which is the 10th-best in the nation, averaging 247.9 yards per game –- against a faulty Illini defense which is allowing 30.8 points per contest.</p>
<p>Kickoff for Saturday's game is slated for 3:30 p.m. ET and the game will be televised on ESPN.</p>
https://chicago.sbnation.com/illinois-fighting-illini/2012/10/30/3576470/illinois-vs-ohio-state-illini-clash-with-undefeated-buckeyesRiley Breckenridge