It has been discussed here before, but in case you do not remember, I am originally from the state of Ohio. I had a choice when I was a child. I could cheer for another team other than Ohio State, but I don't eat. If you could pan down and view below the head shot on this column, you would clearly see the decision I made at an early age.
Fans all over Big Ten country live and breathe football, like I do. That includes Champaign, Ill. where the Fighting Illini are enjoying quite the resurgence under the tutelage of head coach Ron Zook. This coming weekend, it is homecoming, which is always a special time at any university. Did you know that in seven straight homecoming games from 1927-1933, Illinois either won or lost by shutout? It's doubtful that will happen this weekend when the high-flying Ball State Cardinals visit Memorial Stadium to take on the Illini, however.
The Illini have a few very likeable players, too. In their media guide, there are pregame rituals listed for some of the more prominent stars. Most have either praying, talking to their mom, listening to their Ipod, etc. However, my favorite pregame ritual is definitely from LB Anthony Thornhill. He eats a half of a pack of Skittles, eating just the red and green. Meanwhile, when asked who he would like to spend a day with, DB Tyler Rouse wisely responded Hugh Hefner. That’s good stuff.
The Illini offense is good stuff, too, led by QB Juice Williams. His real name is Isiah, just in case you were wondering. He also nearly died at birth due to excessive weight, at 13 pounds and eight ounces. That's also where his nickname comes from. His grandmother responded with, "Darn, you're a juicy baby." That's a big kid. He has really come up big for Illinois this season, although he and the Illini offense came up a little bit short in a heartbreaking loss this past weekend against Michigan. Williams struggled in the second half and was pulled in favor of Eddie McGee for the fourth straight game, as Zook looked for a spark.
When asked if Juice would start in the homecoming game against Ball State, the normally bubbly Zook turned a bit irritated and simply answered, "Yes."
On the second play of the game against the Wolverines, Juice hit WR Jacob Willis with a touchdown strike. However, the offense turned stagnant in the second half, having trouble with the blitz. It seemed that the Wolverines defense was always one step ahead.
"We just have to work from here," Willis said. "The game's over. We just have to forget about it."
That's good advice from the receiver, too, as the offense should be just fine against a Ball State defense allowing a ton of points per game. RB Rashard Mendenhall struggled mightily against Michigan, posting just 85 yards on 18 carries. While that's good for most, he came into the game averaging 119.9 rushing yards per game. He'll bounce back with huge numbers and likely a touchdown or two this weekend, so if you are looking for a No. 2 Fantasy running backs unit, hop on Illinois immediately.
We highlighted freshman WR Arrelious Benn last season in our high school players section of On Campus. The impressive pass catcher from Washington-Dunbar was a feather in the cap for Zook, who continues to dominate on the recruiting trail. He struggled against Michigan's experienced secondary, posting just five grabs for 35 yards, but he'll be a household name before long, especially with more exposure thanks to outlets such as the Big Ten Network. Man, I wish they had that channel and the Internet when I was a kid growing up.
Zook has a really optimistic outlook for his young players, who are showing long suffering Illini fans that the future is now. One more win and they’ll become bowl eligible for the first time since being throttled in the Sugar Bowl back in 2001 by LSU.
"They’ll be better as juniors and seniors than they are freshmen and sophomores. You can't make the mistakes we made against a very good football team. It's part of learning."
Fantasy owners are learning very quickly that Illinois can help them go far in their leagues. Just ask those who caught the boat early on the running backs unit, which has average 27.4 Fantasy points per game. That is better than more popular options such as the Texas Longhorns (25.6 ppg), Clemson Tigers (24.5 ppg), Oregon State Beavers (24.0 ppg) and the Virginia Tech Hokies (16.3 ppg).
Five units to start in Week 9
Arkansas QBs: Casey Dick is likely licking his chops, thankful to step outside of conference play and take a crack at the very poor Florida International defense. While the Arkansas running backs are owned in 95 percent of Fantasy leagues, the Razorbacks QBs are owned in a mere three percent. This is the week for the coaching staff to work on the passing game and get them some confidence heading into the final stretch.
Kentucky TEs: The Wildcats have one of the best offenses in the nation and it will be on display against Mississippi State in Lexington, as they look to rebound after a disappointing but offensive-filled loss against Florida. Jacob Tamme showed some signs of life, posting six receptions for 68 yards and a touchdown. It is the third consecutive week Tamme has found the end zone. Since Fantasy owners have a hard time filling their tight end spots with productive units, if Kentucky is still available, you might want to give them a shot.
Michigan WRs: The Wolverines got off to a slow start this season, but Mario Manningham and company are back and on the prowl. They produced a season-best 43 Fantasy points in Champaign against the Illini last weekend and should have another huge afternoon against Minnesota's extremely porous defense. They’ll be leaned on especially heavy if Mike Hart is sidelined again due to his ankle injury.
New Mexico State WRs: The Aggies offense came into the season with big expectations, but unfortunately for Fantasy owners who selected them on Draft Day, the production was not there from Week 4 through 6, when the Aggies managed just 61 total Fantasy points in three games. However, over the past two, they’re back in a big way, posting 96 total points. Their Fantasy ownership dipped below 50 percent, but it's time to get back on the bandwagon with a favorable game at Hawaii looming. 63-56, anyone?
Pittsburgh RBs: In case you haven't noticed yet, RB LeSean McCoy is good. He continues to rack up huge yardage totals, including 137 yards in an upset of Cincinnati this past weekend. LaRod Stephens-Howling also posted 100 yards and a touchdown, as the Panthers dented the previously stout Bearcats defense. Huge yardage totals are sure to follow for every member of the Panthers offense, as Louisville's defense has looked like they are playing with eight or nine players on defense this season instead of 11.
Five units to avoid in Week 9
Arizona QBs: It's time to jump off of the Arizona quarterbacks immediately. QB Willie Tuitama and the Wildcats were rolling during the early going, averaging 41.8 Fantasy ppg from Week 2 through 5. However, since they’ve gotten into conference play, the Arizona offense has struggled as expected. The Wildcats have posted a total of 48 points in the past three weeks. If you haven't yet pulled the plug on the Arizona quarterbacks, do so before taking another bath in this week's game against a hungry Washington team looking to get on track.
Arizona State DST: The Sun Devils have been resurgent under new coach Dennis Erickson, especially on the defensive side of the football. Arizona State's DST is good for 18.0 Fantasy points per game, which is good for fourth in CBSSports.com leagues. However, the very angry California Bears come to town, losers of two straight. Look for RB Justin Forsett to post decent totals against the Sun Devils. The team also had QB Nathan Longshore back from injury last week and he tossed for 232 yards and three touchdowns at UCLA. Back at full strength, the Bears offense will be tough to contain.
Georgia RBs: We admit it. We were fooled by the impressive numbers of the Georgia running backs. They posted an average of 37.45 Fantasy points per game through the first five and were a top 10 Fantasy unit. However, the Bulldogs were completely shut down by Tennessee in Week 6 and they totaled 35 Fantasy points over the past two weeks. That's disappointing production and it doesn't look to get much better with Florida looming on the schedule this weekend in the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.
Southern California QBs: The Trojans have been on an up and down roller coaster ride and Heisman Trophy candidate John David Booty has missed a pair of games due to injury. Don't be fooled by the four touchdown passes from Mark Sanchez last weekend, as that came against an awful Notre Dame team which already has seven losses. This weekend, the Trojans will travel to Autzen Stadium in Eugene for a date against a Ducks team which always seems to play second-fiddle to USC in the Pac-10. They’ll be coming and they’ll be coming hard all day long on defense against Sanchez.
Virginia Tech DST: The Virginia Tech defense has been fantastic from a Fantasy perspective, posting 17.4 points per game for their owners, which is good for fifth place in CBSSports.com leagues. However, they’ll be squaring off against the No. 2 team in the nation, led by Heisman hopeful QB Matt Ryan, who has been nothing short of phenomenal this season. It might be wise to look elsewhere for another defense, as Boston College gets a chance to show what they can do in front of a national audience, and they’ll be pulling out all the stops.
