CHAMPAIGN – This is so Illinois.
Just when the Illini appear headed toward the top, something out of their control throws a curveball. This time, it’s the Covid-19 pandemic that altered the way the game will be played this season by limiting fans, throwing the schedule in the waste basket, forcing teams into alternative logistics and planning for the inevitable positive test that could turn a great season into a juggling act.
The best team in the league? It just might not win the Big Ten Conference title. That’s a gut punch at a time when the Illini are the strongest since 2005.
“It’s not necessarily about winning this year,’’ Illini coach Brad Underwood said earlier this week. “The winner of the Big Ten is probably going to be the team that handles Covid the best and probably gets a little lucky.’’
