Illini focused on win No. 10.(Sports)

Byline: Bob Logan Daily Herald Sports Writer

COLUMBUS, Ohio - For a few frantic moments late Saturday afternoon, Illinois had visions of Sugar Bowl goodies dancing in its cash register.

Wisconsin needed a late field goal to upset Michigan, which would have put the Illini in sole possession of the Big Ten lead, which translates into an automatic BCS bowl bid. Chances are that would have been to the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.

But in another of the twists of fate punctuating this strange college football season, it was the Wolverines who ended up booting the winning 3-pointer to stay locked in a first-place tie with Illinois.

"The only thing we have to worry about after winning our ninth game is a short week, getting ready to go for No. 10," said coach Ron Turner, briefly savoring the Illini's 34-22 victory here over Ohio State. "Everything else (especially the Big Ten race and the bowl quandary) will sort itself out."

If Michigan had fallen, ESPN would have found a national TV slot for the Thanksgiving Day game pitting the Illini against Northwestern at Memorial Stadium. Now it looks like that game will be on radio only (noon, WSCR 670-AM), with more than 30,000 tickets still unsold.

But with Illinois assured of at least sharing the Big Ten crown if it beats NU, a final sales pitch will start Monday. Tickets can be ordered on the phone, toll-free at (866) ILLINI-1 or via the Internet at fightingillini.fansonly.com.

Oh, brother: The whole family took a hit when starter Ohio State quarterback Steve Bellisari got suspended indefinitely after his arrest on drunken-driving charges early Friday morning. Steve's brother, Greg, a captain on the Buckeyes' 1996 Rose Bowl champs, had been tapped as honorary captain for Senior Day ceremonies.

Instead, neither Steve nor any family member was at Ohio Stadium for Saturday's tough loss to Illinois.

Steve Bellisari had been spotted with some teammates in a bar near the campus Friday night but was alone in his car when the police pulled him over.

The decision on whether Bellisari will be reinstated for next week's traditional season-ender at Michigan will be made in a few days.

"We'll have to sit down and ask, 'What do we need to do next?' " said OSU athletic director Andy Geiger.

Stat's that: Illini quarterback Kurt Kittner's 274 passing yards Saturday pushed him over the 8,000 career mark to 8,073. Much more important to the senior from Schaumburg is that this victory tied him with Jack Trudeau as the winningest quarterback in school history with 23 each.

"When Ohio State took Brandon Lloyd away today (with double coverage), Walter Young stepped up," Kittner said. "He caught passes over the middle, where they left gaps in coverage."

Illini Stadium? Illinois' run of success at Ohio Stadium stands at 6-2 since 1988. The Illini won four straight games here in alternating years from 1988 through 1994. Now coach Ron Turner has gone home victorious in his last two trips.

Coop scoop: Fired Ohio State coach John Cooper is not ready to retire at 63.

After taking a Pac-10 team (Arizona State) and a Big Ten team (Buckeyes) to Rose Bowl victories, Cooper's looking over his options and listening to coaching offers. One of them, a source close to Cooper said, might be Kansas, a perennial basketball power and football doormat in the Big 12.

"John figures that if Lou Holtz could bring South Carolina back, he might be able to do the same thing with a program like that," the source said.