Fighting Illini keep winning... ...and everyone else keeps losing.

It's been a rough week for the top ten. Well, 2-9 anyway, who combined for seven losses this week (only two of which were to other teams in the top ten). Two straight losses were hung on #2 Kansas, #8 Duke (one from last week) and #9 Syracuse. Illinois and North Carolina were the only teams in the top five without a loss this week.

This is part of the reason that the pundits who doubted Illinois' status as the best team when they were 10-0, 15-0, 20-0, even 25-0, are becoming a little quieter with each win. Any team that can string together 27 straight wins (and 41 of their last 43 stretching back to last season) must have something pretty special.

This is not to say that Illinois is a perfect team, because they aren't, but they won't face one either because there isn't such a thing. Anyone who tries to compare them to perfection (think Slezak) is just being disingenuous. The 1976 Indiana Hooisers went through the season without a loss, but they did miss a shot or two and committed a couple of turnovers. To win the national championship, Illinois simply has to be better than the team they face for six straight games. So far this season, they've done it 27 straight games.  posted by Illiniwonk at 7:14 PM