Illinois should leave the day of talking frogs, half court shots banking off the ceiling and beer bottles playing football to the advertising gurus.

Strange things just happen to the Illinois basketball team on Super Bowl Sunday.

Four years ago, Michigan State snapped Illinois’ 28-game home court winning streak with a 67-61 win.

Michigan State won the game while their star, Marcus Taylor, sat out most of the game with a concussion.

No streaks were snapped Sunday in Illinois’ 60-47 win over Indiana.

But Illinois couldn’t wear its orange jerseys. So the coaches wore orange shoes.

It wasn’t the same.

The team stood out in their white jerseys in the ocean of orange.

And not in a good way.

Assembly Hall didn’t feel like Assembly Hall.

White doesn’t produce the same vibrant vibe as orange does.

The Big Ten doesn’t allow Illinois to wear its orange jersey’s against teams with red jerseys.

Television audiences confuse the teams.

Jerseys were just the beginning.

This is the only day where a 20-3 lead, and keeping Indiana without a field goal for the first seven minutes of the game, would be a bad omen.

“It was the worst thing that could have happened,” Illinois head coach Bruce Weber said.

How did Weberdamus know that a team who is to offense what a root canal is to fun, would go on a scoring barrage and end up only down six points at the half?

Indiana shot the basketball like a shot put.

Somehow the Hoosiers scored and stayed close for a few minutes.

Because apparently Indiana coach Mike Davis took his game plan straight from Sports Illustrated.

In this week’s issue, senior center Nick Smith said the only way for a team to beat Illinois is to mix things up by playing some zone defense and hope Illinois’ guards miss.

Indiana switched between man and zone.

And Illinois’ guards did miss some shots.

The most efficient offense in the NCAA scored only 60 points – a season low.

Senior guard Luther Head missed an alley oop.

Deron Williams did not hit one field goal. His only point came on a free throw in the final minutes of play.

But both guards still played well.

Head had 13 points. Williams had 11 assists. Illinois only had 19 field goals.

“(Williams) didn’t make the first few and he got the ball to the right people,” Brown said.

How often do you see a player dominating a game without shooting the ball?

Only on the basketball team’s Friday the 13th.

Smith has told Bruce Weber he wants extra conditioning.

How often do you see an asthmatic asking for more running?

Only on Friday the 13th.

Davis even hinted at his own future at Indiana.

“These guys have a great chance, no matter what happens, to be a great basketball team,” he said.

Read between the commas.

Most people feel Davis is gone after the season, but how often does the man ready to be axed admit it?

Only on Friday the 13th. Even if he isn’t a part of Illinois basketball.

Yet the strangest occurrence of Sunday – ESPN analyst Digger Phelps now digs the Illini.

“Digger said (our) perimeter defense is as good as anyone’s in the country,” Weber said.

Thankfully Super Bowl Sunday is only 24 hours.

The orange and blue just doesn’t look that good on Digger.