Texas Bowl 2010 Will Be an Illini Win

When the University of Illinois Fighting Illini travel to Houston to take on the Baylor Bears in the 2010 Texas Bowl, I will be with them in spirit. My television will be tuned into ESPN on game day (Dec. 29) and I expect to fully enjoy watching my college football team prove themselves in this match-up against a Big 12 opponent. It won't be the same as going to a game with my grandparents, as I did in my youth, but the end result will be the same--an Illini win.

The Fighting Illini and Baylor Bears seem like a somewhat even match-up, with 6-6 and 7-5 seasons, respectively. You might even say Baylor looks stronger, ranking 5th in the Big 12, while the Illini rank 6th in the Big 10. But I can see areas where Illinois football is going to seize the opportunity to dominate.

The Illini fight, while Baylor is good at losing. Both teams will be coming into the Texas Bowl off of last game losses, but the Bears have suffered a three-game beat down--at best getting within twelve points of the opposition. The Illini's last three games have a win sandwiched between losses, but victory was within their grasp. Illinois lost to Minnesota by four points and fell to Fresno State 25-23.

Fighting Illini are eager to get back into the bowl business. Baylor hasn't seen bowl stadium time in 16 years. Illinois' last appearance was in the 2008 Rose Bowl. It's obvious which team will feel like they belong at the Texas Bowl and which one may just be overwhelmed to be there at all.

Baylor's passing machine, quarterback Robert Griffin III, seems to be broken. He averaged 315.5 offensive yards in the regular season, but of the last three games only threw one touchdown, accompanied by three interceptions. I'll begrudgingly admit that on a good day, the Bears' offense out-performs Illinois. But not with a dysfunctional Griffin, which appears to be the case.