CHAMPAIGN - If you walked through the Illini football schedule before the season began, it wouldn't have been difficult to circle games against Missouri and Penn State as likely losses.

Both games were away from home. And both were against teams expected to be very good.

A look at today's Associated Press Top 25 national rankings indicates both teams are better than just very good.

Unbeaten Missouri is No. 4 in the AP poll while unbeaten Penn State is No. 6. So while Illinois is disappointed to be 2-2 after losing at Penn State 38-24 on Saturday night, losses against two teams ranked among the top six in the country makes it a bit easier to swallow.

Illini coach Ron Zook said 2-2 is not the start he hoped for, but he reminded his team their main goals are still all within reach.

"College football is a little bit different than the NFL," Zook said Sunday. "No one expects an NFL team to go undefeated. I told our team last night, I don't know that anyone is going to go through the Big Ten schedule undefeated. Ohio State might. Penn State might.

"All you can do is worry about the next game, not what's down the road or what has already happened. I just told our coaches, we're not where we want to be but we're probably where a lot of people would have picked us to be."

Zook said team goals - set by the players, not the coaching staff - are still on the board.

"They are all attainable," he said while declining to specify what those goals might be. "Obviously we can't have a whole lot of slipups.

"I wasn't happy after the (Penn State) game, but I had a feeling of peace because we had made progress. As long as we continue to improve and continue to coach and have guys do what they're capable of doing, we'll be OK."

Minimizing slipups presumably means avoiding a second straight loss this Saturday at Michigan (2:30 p.m., ABC), where the Wolverines are feeling good after rallying from 19 down to knock off Wisconsin, 27-25.

Before that, though, Zook was still explaining his decision to go for it on fourth-and-two from Illinois territory early in the third quarter of the Penn State game.

Quarterback Juice Williams tried a sneak but was swamped for no gain. Zook said the didn't realize the distance needed was two full yards.

"Where I thought the ball was going to be spotted (after third down) and where it was spotted were two different things," he said. "I thought it was a yard, but when they spotted the ball, we were in a hurry-up situation and the only thing I could have done to stop it was call timeout.

"I went ahead and let it go. We took a chance. I took a chance. Hindsight is 20-20 and I wouldn't have done it if I knew what was going to happen. We're going into the game to win. On the same token, I have to be smart. I don't want to take stupid chances, but I want to do everything we can to win."

Zook said the Illini emerged from the game in good shape on the injury front.

"(Tailback) Daniel (Dufrene) has a sore shoulder?but the doctor didn't feel there was any issue there. (Cornerback) Dere Hicks has a big bruise on his bicep but he'll be all right. There shouldn't be anyone who is not able to play."

Zook also said Troy Pollard is ready to join the running back rotation now that he has due back from an ankle injury.

mtupper@herald-review.com|421-7983