No Respect

[Vinegar Ben]

First, Let say that respect is something that is earned. Now that I have said it the Illini aren't getting much love especially from the Football playoff guru's. Yesterday Nick Saban was the only analyst on ESPN who gave the Illini some credit, Kirk Herbstreit who thinks he knows everything went against the Illini. Make no mistake the Illini will have to prove themselves.
After last weeks games most analyst and pollsters said well Illinois played a cupcake. I would ask ALL of them to look at yesterdays top 25 teams, Grambling State, Florida International. Come on they all do it. Although the Illini ranked #12 just behind #11 South Carolina a team they beat last year with basically the same players was ranked ahead of them, NO RESPECT1 Also the Illini, were ranked #12 they weren't even mentioned in the playoff scheme. In fact most analyst from the SEC have said the Illini don't belong in the top 25. Paul Finebaum said #44.
All I have to say is Coach Bielema has brought this program back from hell and at least have given us something to be proud of and get behind whether they win every game or not. In less than 5 short years he is putting the pieces together so they can compete once again!

[ChiefSTL]

Gotta almost ignore most stuff that comes out of ESPN, especially Finebaum. They've got the TV deal with the SEC so they're gonna promote those teams as much as they possibly can. People are going to be skeptical of Illinois just because of our past. I think the Duke game will make people take us a little more seriously. I think Bielema can use the "us against the world" mentality to his advantage. Big ones coming up with Indiana and USC. Need to go no worse than 1-1 in those games and you're feeling pretty good.

[Rickster]

I think what will help the most is how well the Illini fans are traveling. The shots of all the orange in an otherwise mostly empty stadium on Saturday spoke volumes. You could hear the "I-L-L" "I-N-I" chant through the TV.

I'm guessing it's a numbers game for the TV and investors people who "own/stand to make money" off all the playoff games. Did seeing and hearing all that orange in Durham yesterday make them take notice?

We'll see....

Chief's point is well taken; ESPN on-air people and website writers are always going to say SEC teams are better. In spite of the fact that they went a collective 8-7 in bowl games last year and only TX won a CFP game.