Brianna Campbell / The Collegian Online

Fresno State Bulldogs at Illinois Fighting Illini
(3-8, 2-6 Big Ten)

Breakdown: Bulldogs
The Fresno State Bulldogs have a chance to win their 15th game against a Bowl Championship Series (BCS) team this decade, good enough for second best among non-automatic qualifiers.

From the Bulldogs’ perspective, this game feels a lot like their matchup against Kansas State at the end of the 2007 season. In that game, the ’Dogs were set for a bowl game and the Wildcats, a BCS team, had already been eliminated from bowl contention.

The Bulldogs won that game against Kansas State, 45-29, and finished the season with two more wins, including a bowl victory. The ending to this season could be very similar, but the Bulldogs have two major hurdles to overcome.

First, the Bulldogs have to adjust to the playing conditions. The game is at 9:30 a.m., the ’Dogs have to travel more than 2,000 miles and the temperature at kickoff will be 34 degrees.

If Fresno State can overcome the elements, its second hurdle will be trying to stop duel-threat quarterback Juice Williams.

The Bulldogs haven’t won a game in the Midwest this year, losing to Wisconsin and Cincinnati. If the Bulldogs can take down the Illini, they will finish the season 4-3 on the road and will be on a two-game winning streak going into the bowl game.

Breakdown: Fighting Illini
To say Illinois’ 2009 season was a disappointment would be a gross understatement. The Fighting Illini had huge hopes and seemed to have enough talent lined up for another run at a major bowl game.

But even with a senior quarterback and talent at the skill positions, Illinois has sputtered this year, going 3-8 in its first eleven games and winning only two conference games.

The Illini do not lead the Big Ten in a single major statistical category and have had some very disappointing losses along the way.

Head coach Ron Zook is in his fifth season in Champaigne, Ill., and has been assured by the university that he will be back for a sixth season next year.

So his players, all his recruits now in his fifth year, won’t have the burden of playing for their head coach’s job. But what will the Illini have to play for?

If the Illini muster up all the fight they have left in them and play like the Big Ten team they are, then quarterback Juice Williams and the offense could put up 40 points on Fresno State’s suspect defense.

If they are already thinking about how to spend their Christmas break, then the Bulldogs have a chance to win their first ever matchup with the Illini.