Illini drawing a blank

Fan turnout, as important as it is, does not necessarily affect how a team plays. While Alabama drew 101,821 and Oklahoma 85,547 in impressive home wins Saturday, four members of the Top 25 announced fewer than Illinois: TCU (33,825) and Boise State (34,019) filled their smaller stadiums, while South Florida drew 39,628 and Baylor 40,088. Georgia Tech was just above at 46,849.

Illini attendance will pick up slightly for Northwestern on Saturday. Even though it's homecoming, even though Northwestern will bring a following, even though the Illini have a shot at a special season, only 51,000 tickets were sold as of Tuesday.

Tate