Illinois has received 12 commitments to Ron Turner''s third recruiting class. Here are the players:

Jim Bloodworth   Warren Hills (N.J.) H.S.   OL

CHAMPAIGN – Ron Turner's shopping bag is half full. And he still has more than seven weeks left before college football's version of Christmas: national signing day.

The second-year Illinois coach spent the weekend at "the mall." Thirteen possible recruits are visiting with Turner and his Illinois staff.

CHAMPAIGN – No smiling. No congratulations. No pats on the back.

Eastern Illinois scared the team from the big league in the big arena. The Panthers wanted more.

As a sophomore in high school, Eric McGoey tried football for a day and decided to give it up. Three years later, he hopes to start for a Big Ten team.

The Wheaton Warrenville South wide receiver committed to Illinois on Thursday.

Eugene Wilson didn't have the usual campus visit to Illinois. No Saturday basketball game. No crowd of players.

By the time the Merrillville, Ind., defensive back/receiver made it to campus, most of the other recruits were on their way home. Basketball games Friday and Saturday forced Wilson to postpone his trip until Sunday.

Ron Turner's third Illinois football recruiting class is at seven and counting. Turner picked up two more commitments this week. The players expected to sign in February:

Florida State suffered a worse defeat – 24-7 to North Carolina State – than did Ohio State in its lone loss (28-24) to Michigan State.

But a deeper study confirms Bobby Bowden's Seminoles deserve the "championship game" slot opposite Tennessee on Jan. 4 in the Fiesta Bowl.

Forty-four college football teams received official bowl assignments Sunday. Illinois wasn't one of them.

For the fourth consecutive year, the Illini will spend the holidays at home. The last bowl trip came after the 1994 season. Illinois is 10-33-1 since.