This isn’t the Big Ten’s year.

The bruising, no-frills conference, which is two years removed from having two teams ranked in the top eight, is void of a national title contender. The Big Ten is in a down year and is turning into the college football version of the NFL. Any team – including Illinois – has a good shot at a bowl berth.

Why?

No one has a complete team. Each team has one side of the ball that dominates, while the other wouldn’t even dominate in the MAC.

Parity is here. Just without a salary cap.

In the NFL, nine different teams have won the last 10 Super Bowls. Eight different schools have won a share of the Big Ten title in the last 10 years.

Purdue is the No. 15 team in the country. Many consider them a favorite to win the Big Ten.

Guess what? They have no defense, and it’s kind of hard to win without one.

Illinois – with an underrated offense of its own – almost kept up the torrid scoring pace set by the best offense in the nation at Purdue.

Illinois was picked to finish in the bottom of the conference, and it only lost by eight points to one of the 15 best teams in the country, according to the rankings.

Somewhere Pete Rozelle is smiling.

Purdue may have been able to outscore Illinois, but will they be able to do that in every game?

No. Why do you think the adage is “defense wins championships?” Offense isn’t mentioned.

If a team without a defense is among the national elite, the polls are out of whack.

And Purdue is not the only team misplaced in the polls.

It is as if the media and the sport information directors that fill out the polls for head coaches are pulling numbers out of a hat for rankings.

No. 6 Ohio State has yet to look like a top-10 team. They never do, but you can sense from watching games that the mojo might have been stolen from Ohio Stadium.

Sounds a lot like the Carolina Panthers.

No. 18 Minnesota has played better than Ohio State, yet is nowhere near them in the polls.

But in big games, the Golden Gophers burrow themselves into the ground. Winter is coming after all.

Sounds a lot like the Colts when the Patriots are around.

Michigan is ranked No. 19. At least the pollsters should be commended for dropping the Wolverines after they lost to Notre Dame.

Michigan has had trouble scoring. That can happen when the Wolverines rely on senior wide receiver Braylon Edwards to do something to secure a win.

Sounds a lot like Philadelphia and Donovan McNabb. Before Terrell Owens showed up.

And don’t even mention No. 20 Wisconsin. They have only given up 19 points all year, but watching their offense is painful.

Like watching an old Don Johnson music video.

Sounds a lot like Baltimore.

The Illini have an offense that can score and a defense that has to fight to keep them in games.

Sounds a lot like Kansas City this year. Minus a walking Kleenex ad for a coach.

At least Illinois has two wins. The Chiefs have none.

Bobby La Gesse is a senior in communications and can be reached at [email protected].