Wipe the Slate Clean

"Wipe the Slate Clean," Vision

No, this isn't going to be weird and depressing.

It won't be particularly uplifting either, so don't go thinking Johnny Sunshine has walked into the room.

After the Fighting Illini lost to Wisconsin on Sunday, it became clear that every ounce of good that the Illini had built up over the course of the season had evaporated away. Granted, the Penn State loss was bad -- Awful, really -- but that was somewhat expected.

The loss to the hated Sconnies, well, that was season defining. And not why you think, either.

Volumes could be written (and probably have been) about the problems with this team. What no one seems to be saying is that the slate, as of Sunday, has been wiped completely clean.

The Illini have played themselves square onto the NCAA Tournament bubble. They've got some terrible losses, they have some very good wins and then a bunch of in between performances that make you pause, all for various reasons.

But as of now, all of the good balances out the bad. As of now, the Illini still have a story to author. As of now...their season, somehow, still lies ahead of them for the taking.

The next six games define the Illini season. When we talk about where the 2011-2012 season took a turn for the better or for the worse, this six game stretch will be what we point to.

Games 1 and 3 of that stretch are at Minnesota and at home against Northwestern. The Gophers pushed the Illini to 2OT's the first time and Northwestern nearly took the Illini down in Evanston save for a closing-seconds block by Meyers Leonard.

Game six is against Purdue -- A chance to exact some revenge on the Boilermakers for the worst performance of the season by not only the Illini, but Bruce Weber.

Games two, four and five are perhaps the most important: Home against Michigan State and then, in one early February week, at Indiana and at Michigan. Three ranked teams, and three chances for those marquee, resume building wins that this team will so desperately need once the NCAA Selection Committee starts meeting in Indianapolis.

At 15-5 overall and 4-3 in the Big Ten, the Illini are at a crossroads. You could make a case that the Illini could win all six of those games, or very easily lose all six of them as well. Break even, and you're probably still firmly planted on the bubble. Do a little better or a little worse, and you'll be a little better or worse off.

The slate is clean. All the things that have said about them have gone to their heads, and we've seen the consequences. Now comes the chance for the Illini to make it right.