Pizza Pizza!

I don't know who Phil Steele is, or what kind of prediction algorithm he uses, but he projects that Ron Zook & Company are going bowling this year! Granted, it's the Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl, but after appearing in only 3 bowl games in the last 15 years, any postseason game will do, even if it requires spending Boxing Day in Detroit. This would be a big deal for the Illini football program, because if you earn one bid to the Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl, you get the second bid for free.

As for the Illini basketball team, actual good news may be in store. According to SI's Andy Glockner, the Illini were one of the unluckiest teams in the NCAAs last year and are one of his five teams that can expect a turnaround in that department. As he puts it:

The Illini pretty much return everyone from a team that was mildly unlucky last year, finishing about a game and a half worse than expected, which likely cost them an NCAA tournament bid....Still, if they can get a boost from former Illinois Mr. Basketball, Brandon Paul, who shot the ball terribly last year, the Illini should be a serious threat in the Big Ten.

Considering the Cubs' lousy record in one-run games, I think it's about time for one of my teams to have some good luck come their way. And if it's going to happen to one of my teams, I'd prefer it not to be a team that would just use it to get to mediocrity - I'd like it to be the one that could actually do something worthwhile with it.