Well I admit, I took the last couple days off in observance of both my Birthday and Labor Day. I have a feeling also that if you wanted me to comment about the game on Saturday at any point during those two days it would have deteriorated into a string of obscenities, weeping and nonsense. If you simulate that game 100 times in Xbox, I don't think you will ever get a score like that in favor of Mizzou. Anyway, its Tuesday now and there is alot of despair and disillusionment about this team. It should be fun from here on out right?

Lets link to the unhappy events....

• Benn, Ford 'probable' for Illini football | The Daily Illini
  Well at the very least we can get that question out of the way. I will feel alot different about these next few games if Benn and Dufrene are on the field. Make no mistake, I don't believe not having Benn on the field was the reason the Illini lost on Saturday, but he is a difference maker on this team, and is one of the most highly regarded players in the nation, it certainly wouldn't have hurt to have him open for a few passes.

• Illinois moves on from 'humbling experience' - Big Ten - ESPN
  Humbling to say the least. Consider all of your expectations completely changed. If as it is stated in the article, that the Illini didn't come out to fight and really win this game, I have trouble believing that they will ever come out and really want to win. What more could you want? A major conference opponent on a neutral site that has beaten you in heart breaking fashion the last two years, how do you come out flat for that game?

• Zook remains confident in his coaching philosophy | Stu Durando
  One aspect of the philosophy that frustrated me and I am sure many others from Saturday's game was the policy of giving the receivers such a large cushion off of the line scrimmage. I am not usually one to second guess this sort of coaching decision (I don't pretend to know more about football than several coaches who do this for a living) but when a DB is playing 7 yards off of a receiver on 3rd and 5, it seems like you are handing the offense an easy first down. Mizzou killed us all day with short passes about 4 or 5 yards off of the line. I understand the philosophy being about not giving up big plays, but as Loren Tate says when you allow the small pass to prevent the big pass, and you still give it up, you have some serious problems.

• Upon Further Review: Illinois was horrible -IlliniHQ.com
  Paul Klee may be a basketball writer first, but he clearly knows football pretty well too. Of note from the article "But the offense's latest wishy-washy display certainly was affected by a rash of injuries. The troubling decline of the offense dates to last season, and Illinois has scored just 17, 27, 17, 20, 10 and nine points in its last six games – an average of 16.6 points in that stretch." Troubling indeed given that this team's hopes of a return to the post season have depended so much on that offense. There is a lot of reassessment that may need to be done after this game.