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Illinois has had a banner week-and-a-half. They lost to Wisconsin badly. Then, they lost to Northwestern, possibly the worst major conference team in the nation, and followed up that defeat with another loss at home to Purdue.
In the mean time, their resume weakened across the board. Missouri lost at home to Georgia. Oregon lost to Colorado, California and Stanford, consecutively. Indiana beat Wisconsin, which makes Illinois' win over the Hoosiers look a bit better, but it's Indiana--gross.
I expected Lunardi's newest bracket to come out without a single mention of a single Illinois team, and I was half right. Illinois isn't in the field of 68. But they're close.
Illinois is the fourth team out, behind fellow bubble busters Texas, Arizona St. and BYU. Here's the full bracket.
Champaign yearns for the days where we religiously track our chances in the Big Ten standings, not our bubble spot in Joe Lunardi's fake bracket. Alas, he we are, uncomfortable.
Six Big Ten teams fared better than Illinois, including Minnesota, who is the last team in Lunardi's bracket.
Wisconsin Badgers: 1-seed
Michigan St. Spartans: 1-seed
Ohio St. Buckeyes: 3-seed
Iowa Hawkeyes: 4-seed
Michigan Wolverines: 7-seed
Minnesota Golden Gophers: 12-seed
