CHAMPAIGN, Ill. --When the NCAA finally passed a rule in 1972 making freshmen eligible to compete in football, the decision-making committee had the Rutgers-Illinois matchup in 2017 in mind.
OK, we're kidding.
But imagine what these teams would like when they take the Memorial Stadium field at noon Saturday if true freshmen weren't allowed to compete?
Rutgers is playing 13 true freshmen, while Illinois is tied with LSU for playing the most true freshmen in the country (20). Ten of those 20 started for Illinois against South Florida and eight started last week against Iowa.