For the Illinois Fighting Illini, the win was sort of like one of those guys who had a close shave and says, “Yup, yeah, I’m good, no worries. Had it under control the whooooole time.”

The Illini certainly “had it under control” on Saturday with their 28-22 victory over Northern Illinois in front of 50,000-plus sweaty fans.

While the Illini led for a good portion of the game and led for good after taking a 18-12 lead in the second quarter, there were certainly some causes for concern (continued giving up of big plays, ridiculous penalties, letting inferior opponents hang around). At some point, saying ‘A win is a win,’ isn’t going to be good enough.

For now, though, it will have to suffice. [Read more…]