Over/under: 20,000 at Ford Field?

Zook: Atmosphere no issue

Ford Field, the home of the Detroit Lions, may only have one-third of its 65,000 seats occupied Saturday for Illinois' meeting with Western Michigan. But Ron Zook dismissed the idea that the Illini, who have been playing in front of huge, feverish crowds all season, might be in for a letdown because of that.

''We've got plenty to play for,'' the Illini coach said Sunday. ''Hopefully, we're not playing because of how many people are in the stands. It never made a big difference to me as a player. It was about the game. And it's a great venue, an NFL stadium where a lot of great players play.''

suntimes.com