CHAMPAIGN — If scuttlebutt has meaning, Illini Nation never gave their favorites a chance Saturday. Fewer than 40,000 showed up against Saturday's announced sales of 46,519, more than 20,000 fewer than made the Dad's Day flop against Michigan.

But Wisconsin was off-focus and beatable on this cool, windy day. Wisconsin, with its 46.5-point scoring average and its 499 yards per game, wasn't overwhelming. The linemen were human. Former Heisman candidate Russell Wilson was held under 100 yards passing. Montee Ball carried until he dropped (38 times).

Illinois had the Badgers reeling 14-0 before committing four grievous turnovers that allowed the thankful visitors to "march" 2, 30, 44 and 39 yards for touchdowns in a 28-17 result. It was a grand opportunity lost through carelessness and more breakdowns by Ron Zook's special teams.

Regardless of the extraordinary effort — and UI defenders Terry Hawthorne and Jonathan Brown were beyond spectacular — that's five straight losses that have caused even Zook's admirers to assume this was his final home game. Once again, with a single game remaining at Minnesota, the 6-5 Illini reach a point of starting over. Another costly shakeup. Another change without knowing which direction to turn. Another break in continuity.

Barry, very good

Continuity is the Badger motto. Two decades ago, Barry Alvarez took over a Wisconsin program that was fiscally and emotionally bankrupt. The Badgers have grown to become the most serious threat to the multi-decade rule of Big Ten perennials Ohio State (the last six titles) and Michigan.

Alvarez spoke Saturday of how he built the program and passed it along seamlessly to Bret Bielema.

"I researched the job before I took it," Alvarez said. "No. 1, we weren't keeping the best players in the home state. I had Wisconsin's two top players committed at Notre Dame. Iowa went to the Rose Bowl that year with 11 Wisconsin players in the two-deep. The high school coaches in the state had lost faith, they weren't sending their players there. There was an apathy.

"We had to win over the state first. The program was being run like a low-class high school. The strength coach and the equipment guy were the same person. And we were $2 million in debt. It was a mess. We had maybe four legitimate Big Ten players that first year."

Two years later in 1992, the Badgers began to show signs despite four tough losses, including a 13-12 loss to Illinois.

"We had that one locked up before a 15-yard holding penalty, and Jason Verduzco beat us with a late TD pass," recalled Alvarez. "We had a good young class. They ultimately took us to the Rose Bowl."

Alvarez's extraordinary run — 118 wins in 16 years, eight bowl wins including three Rose Bowls — led to him to take the dual role of coach-AD, and ultimately a tough decision. That's where the continuity factor came in.

'We didn't miss a beat'

"I did both for three years but I knew I couldn't do both jobs forever," Alvarez said. "I had to make a decision. Bret Bielema was a rising star who saw the big picture. It was important to have the right fit. I thought our people would embrace him, and I liked the way our players responded to him.

"At the same time I didn't want to lose a recruiting class. He was recruiting coordinator, and those were his kids. We had 15 committed and we didn't lose any. It was easy for the squad because they knew who their next head coach was. We didn't miss a beat.

"I tried to train him that last season in 2005. We would talk, starting with a 1 1/2-hour walk each Thursday, and I'd talk about decisions I'd made and why. I wanted to get him starting to think like a head coach. We do that to this day. It was as easy a transition as anybody ever made."

And one that Illinois has never quite duplicated, although the move from John Mackovic to Lou Tepper in 1992 was internal. But Mackovic left suddenly, without much notice. From all indications, Illinois is now headed for another of its many total shakeups.

Wisconsin had a shaky season when Bielema went 7-6 in 2008. It was Bielema's one-season blip on an otherwise impressive record. He is 30-7 since then and can advance to the first Big Ten title game by defeating Penn State next Saturday.

"That year was disappointing because we had 18 seniors back, and we were picked in the Top 10," Alvarez said. "But our seniors got selfish and provided poor leadership. They took advantage of a young coach. It was a good lesson for Bret. After the season I had pages of notes that had to be addressed. Every head coach goes through that. We had a good foundation, and we bounced back. We feel we should be competitive every year."

Alvarez had provided the blueprint for success, but it isn't an easy one to follow. Illinois has fallen years and maybe a decade behind the Badgers.

The Alvarez show

Alvarez on other subjects:

Penn State: "I can't get it out of my mind ... how something like that can go on. You feel so bad about those young kids and the way they were taken advantage of, and to allow it to go on for so long. It blows my mind. I know those guys. Tim Curley is the salt of the earth, and Graham Spanier ... I've always respected them. It is a shock to me."

Ohio State: "Every program is vulnerable. When it comes to trouble, I try to be proactive. I meet with our coaches, our alumni groups. I want everyone to keep their antennas up. I tell coaches that if you hear something, don't stick your head in the sand. Address it. We were able to bring things to a halt in some situations by resolving them quickly. That's all you can do. If a player shows up driving a new ride, and you know he can't afford it, don't pretend it didn't happen."

Two tough losses this season at Ohio State and Michigan State: "Everybody talks about those last-ditch passes but, in my mind, we lost those games because of blocked punts. You can't let that happen."

Bowls: "I like the bowl system. I might prefer a plus-one by seeding the top four teams as semifinalists in two bowls, and have an extra championship game. Keep the BCS as it is, just seed the top four. That way the season doesn't go on forever, and you'd have a truer champion."

Mood check

Why I Feel YOUNG ...
Laughter always does it. And ESPN’s Woody Paige keeps me in stitches. One of his latest: “You laugh because I’m different, and I laugh because you’re all the same.” Good one, Woody. Keep ’em coming.

Why I Feel Old ...
What’s more tiresome than another football coaching crisis? I arrived here with the blowup of the Pete Elliott staff in 1966. That was nine coaches ago, and here we are wading into more uncertain waters.

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