Whether it's PR or the Illinois coaches believe what they say, they have built up the expectations that we have an improved team, that the freshmen have excelled, that Couch is going to surprise people with his passing, and that the team is going to play with a chip on its shoulder. At the same time, they claim there is a lot of room for growth and improvement, and they expect to see that game by game. If coaching is the intangible factor in elevating performance, these coaches have me expecting a solid win over Ball State, not a cliff hanger. I don't know if they've intended to raise expectations, but they have--clearly the players feel that way.