# Any college teams worse than Illinois?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-college-teams-worse-than-illinois/975255
**Category:** The Game Room
**Created:** [November 20, 2022, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-college-teams-worse-than-illinois/975255 "2022-11-20T13:49:54Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2022, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-college-teams-worse-than-illinois/975255/21 "2022-11-21T13:57:46Z")
OK - an example of my memory being flawed. Not sure if it was the NW or WI game I’m misremembering. It was very hot, and I was in that stupid “I” section where you wore these stupid plastic orange and blue vests and held up signs. Just proved to me that I apparently lacked “school spirit.” The teams sucked and the games were far from sell outs, so we sat elsewhere and concentrated on drinking - when we made it to the games from the pre-parties.
> [@HeyHomie](#):
>
> Back in 1980-whatever, Illinois made it to the Rose Bowl …
>
> The game was, of course, an unqualified disaster for Illinois. …
If you are thinking mid-80s against UCLA, I was AT that game with my parents. Through the haze of years I can still hear the chant of "U -clap-clap-clap C-clap-clap-clap L clap-clap-clap A…} every time they scored. Pretty early on, my dad and I decided to concentrate on drinking…
Just one in a long string of examples of why it does not pay to be an Illinois fan. I STILL maintain Winston Bennett carried. And how can you NOT box out at the end of a final 4 game? Not to mention the terrible number of early tourney exits. …
UofI didn’t just suck. I think it was worse that they occasionally teased you into thinking this MIGHT be the year they did it, only to consistently dash your hopes…
Plus, at the time, I was VERY personally aware of the special treatment given football and basketball players, some of whom were essentially illiterate.
I suspect that in a way, having been an Ill fan played no small part in making me the non-fan of most sports that I am today. (Not to mention the drinking habits that contributed to my sobriety these past 17 or so years.) 🙄
> [@Railer13](#):
>
> Overtime in NCAA football was introduced in 1996.
So, am I incorrect in my recollection that back in the day there was 1 OT period? Was that officially called “extra period” or something instead of the (IMO stupid) “avoid ties at all costs” OT schemes developed later? Maybe I’m conflating with rule changes in some other major/possibly pro sports.
---
### Author:  [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2022, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-college-teams-worse-than-illinois/975255/22 "2022-11-21T14:04:08Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#):
>
> So, am I incorrect in my recollection that back in the day there was 1 OT period?
Yes.
i can remember OT introduced in high school football back in the early 70s, and then maybe in D2 and D3 football sometime after that, but not in D1.
---
### Author:  [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2022, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-college-teams-worse-than-illinois/975255/23 "2022-11-21T14:12:10Z")
I defer to the wisdom of others more interested than I. Was there another sport - maybe pro football, or hockey before shoot-outs, where OT was fixed as just 1 extra period?
Memory is a weird thing. I woulda bet money on having been at a 0-0 tie between UoI and Wisc, involving 1 OT period.
---
### Author:  [@Chingon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chingon)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2022, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-college-teams-worse-than-illinois/975255/24 "2022-11-21T14:13:31Z")
Alcohol is a helluva drug.
---
### Author:  [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2022, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-college-teams-worse-than-illinois/975255/25 "2022-11-21T14:20:44Z")
Overall, I would agree that they have reeked for the most part. This year’s football team, however, has been ranked and gave Michigan all they could handle last Saturday. In fact, what appeared to be a phantom DPI call saved Michigan from defeat.
I also checked your claim about Illinois being “repeatedly caught cheating”, and there don’t appear to be any published violations since the Deon Thomas scandal in 1989.
---
### Author:  [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2022, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-college-teams-worse-than-illinois/975255/26 "2022-11-21T14:31:39Z")
> [@Jasmine](#):
>
> I also checked your claim about Illinois being “repeatedly caught cheating”, and there don’t appear to be any published violations since the Deon Thomas scandal in 1989.
Ah - but I was a student there from 78-86. The golden years! 😃
[This website](https://www.reddit.com/r/CFB/comments/4jtvc0/history_of_overtime_in_college_football/) seems to suggest there were SOME college OT practices prior to 96. I really THOUGHT I remembered a sudden-death OT period, b/c when theater team was driving, we just wanted SOMEONE to score. But, I readily acknowledge my memory is likely incorrect.
---
### Author:  [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2022, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-college-teams-worse-than-illinois/975255/27 "2022-11-21T14:56:03Z")
the other - not theater
---
### Author:  [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2022, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-college-teams-worse-than-illinois/975255/28 "2022-11-21T16:49:16Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#):
>
> [This website](https://www.reddit.com/r/CFB/comments/4jtvc0/history_of_overtime_in_college_football/) seems to suggest there were SOME college OT practices prior to 96.
> [@Railer13](#):
>
> i can remember OT introduced in high school football back in the early 70s, and then maybe in D2 and D3 football sometime after that, but not in D1
That link validated what I said. High school first, then the D1AA, D2 and D3 schools after they adopted playoff systems.
Since the NFL implemented overtime, there has ALWAYS been one OT period for regular-season games. Playoff games are continued until a winner is determined.
---
### Author:  [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2022, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-college-teams-worse-than-illinois/975255/29 "2022-11-21T17:27:29Z")
OK. Must not have read it closely enough. My memory was apparently incorrect.
---
### Author:  [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2022, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-college-teams-worse-than-illinois/975255/30 "2022-12-01T01:00:37Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#):
>
> Was that officially called “extra period” or something instead of the (IMO stupid) “avoid ties at all costs” OT schemes developed later? Maybe I’m conflating with rule changes in some other major/possibly pro sports.
The NHL used a full 20 minute (not sudden death) overtime period in 1921. It was cut to 10 minutes in 1927. They eliminated overtime in 1942 to simplify getting to trains during the war. In the 1980s they returned to using overtime with five minutes of sudden death play. Originally it was 5 on 5. Over the years it was reduced to 4 on 4 then 3 on 3. I don’t recall it being called anything but overtime. They added the shootout in 2005.
---
### Author:  [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2022, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-college-teams-worse-than-illinois/975255/31 "2022-12-07T14:25:35Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#):
>
> Plus, at the time, I was VERY personally aware of the special treatment given football and basketball players, some of whom were essentially illiterate.
This is part of a dishonorable tradition dating back at least to the early 20th century. From a favorite James Thurber story:
“He was a tackle on the football team, named Bolenciecwcz. At that time Ohio State University had one of the best football teams in the country, and Bolenciecwcz was one of its outstanding stars. In order to be eligible to play it was necessary for him to keep up in his studies, a very difficult matter, for while he was not dumber than an ox he was not any smarter.”
> **[From James Thurber's "University Days"](https://patrick-vecchio.livejournal.com/492120.html)**
>
> Thurber My LJ friend anita\_margarita passed this along in response to my post about the decadence and depravity that permeates college sports. By coincidence, Thurber also attended Ohio State University (see post below) from 1913-18. Another course...
[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-college-teams-worse-than-illinois/975255.md?page=1)