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CHAMPAIGN – Football polls are readjusting and it isn't a pretty sight for Ron Zook's Illini.

As an example, Sporting News Today has promoted Iowa over Ohio State and Penn State atop the Big Ten while dropping Illinois to No. 11 in a struggling conference that is ranked No. 4 in the country. Last! With the note: "This season could get ugly, quickly."

Computers factor in results without always taking victory margins into account. But when human judgments are made, you can't expect today's voters to forget (1) the decisiveness of outcomes and (2) the fact that Illinois finished last in the Big Ten four consecutive years from 2003 through 2006. Some see it popping up again in the DNA.

Still, in defense, Illinois has not lost to the likes of Northern Illinois and Central Michigan, earlier conquerors of Purdue and Michigan State.

Missouri, after all, is on a 26-win, six-loss run as the Tigers tackle Nebraska. And Ohio State is, well ... Ohio State. We've seen the UI's worst side on mistake-prone trips that got out of hand. That surely makes recovery more difficult. October will be a telling month without much to indicate which way it's heading.

There's work to do

After pointing out recently that Zook's prize junior class is basically half gone, suggestions followed that I was somehow demeaning UI talent.

OK, let's break it down. Where, exactly, are Illini talent advantages on Big Ten rivals?

Is it punting? Anthony Santella ranks 10th in the league, a familiar spot for the UI since Steve Weatherford left in 2005.

Is it in the offensive line? This is a development area where high school rankings mean little. That said, the UI's top lineman, guard Jon Asamoah, was headed for Northern Illinois before the UI stepped in. New Orleans' Eric Block and Ohioan Ryan Palmer weren't looked upon as must gets by their state universities. Left tackle Jeff Allen was a discovery out of Chicago. It is a journeyman group comparable to UI lines in the recent past.

Is it linebacker? The position is the least experienced in years as two sophomores and a redshirt take over. They're not bad. But there is no one like Penn State stars Josh Hull or Sean Lee.

Is it running back? If you have four of equal ability, what does that mean? Is there an Evan Royster here?

Is it safety? For the second season, the Illini miss Justin Harrison and Kevin Mitchell more than anybody knows.

Is it in the passing game? With injuries playing a part, Big Ten statistics show no Illini in the Top 10 of either passing or receiving. Over the years, Juice Williams has had as many critics as supporters.

Enough already. Here is a fair analysis. Illini talent is mid-range to good, comparable to or slightly better than most mid-range teams but shy of conference leaders. If they avoid turnovers and penalties, if they take advantage of scoring opportunities and play with inspiration, they should reach the fourth quarter of most games with a chance to win. But the Illini do not now, nor have they ever possessed some overwhelming physical advantage within the conference.

If Illini Nation has concluded otherwise, that is partly our fault for repeatedly overblowing recruiting stories. It's like a nationwide hysteria. Shame on us for doing it, and shame on you for being so gullible.

Remembering Larry

"Collect the song books!"

With those words, Larry Stewart, Voice of the Illini for more than three decades, signaled an Illini victory as the game neared closure.

And this week, we are collecting the song books for the legendary broadcaster who died at age 87 in California.

Stewart rose to prominence in a far-different era than we know today. Shortly after World War II, with television in its infancy, Stewart's radio voice was the only connection between stay-at-home fans and their favorite Illini. And even as TV swept the country, the number of televised basketball and football games was tiny compared to today. For several decades after the war, fans depended in great part on Stewart's interpretation.

He was an intelligent man with meticulous work habits, a confidant of UI coaches (particularly close friend Ray Eliot), and admittedly prejudiced. Once during a basketball game in Los Angeles, broadcasting from the second row at mid-court, he exclaimed, "That was a terrible call!" as the official ran by. He repeated it the next time the ref came within earshot, causing him to stop and point to Stewart, "I can eject you from this game." Stewart put his hand over his microphone and responded, "Sshhh, I'm on the air." Like, who's the boss around here?

Larry built Penny for Your Thoughts into the community's most listened-to talk show and was on the ground floor for the start of Saturday Morning Sportsline while also serving as WDWS station manager. Nearly 30 years have passed and here we are, collecting the song books.

Loren Tate writes for The News-Gazette. He can be reached at ltate@news-gazette.com.