Cincinnati 49, Illinois 36. It's a shame for his sake that Tony Pike had to sit for all or most of the last four-and-a-half games, because it's obvious he'd be surging right about now as an All-American and Heisman candidate if he'd been in the pocket shredding defenses at a record pace instead of Zach Collaros as Cincinnati closes in on a BCS berth. As far as his own personal standing is concerned, Pike's absurd afternoon in his first full game back in the fold -- 32-of-46 for 399 yards and a school-record six touchdowns, with four different receivers bringing in at least six catches -- is just another prolific footnote in an offense that can do no wrong regardless of the triggerman.

It's not like anyone was paying rapt attention after the Bearcats went ahead 21-7 in the first quarter, anyway, effectively ending the only chance this game had to be interesting outside of Ron Zook being summoned to midfield by a messenger in grim reaper garb bearing a pink slip. In fact, the only drama at all was ABC color analyst Bob Griese's cryptic aside in the first half that America's Next Top Coach, Brian Kelly, told him before the game that "something will be decided in the next 7-10 days" about his future at Cincinnati -- although Griese seemed entirely in the dark as to whether Kelly was referring to a possible contract extension at Cincinnati, a prospective offer from Notre Dame specifically or a break with UC generally over his longstanding issues with facilities and support. It's not clear who's making the decision, or what they're deciding -- did Griese ask a follow-up question, by any chance? -- but it does put Kelly on the clock for a move that could make his career.

Whether Kelly is or is not bound for South Bend, he very likely already knows it, and the Bearcats' effort in the de fact Big East championship game next week at Pitt probably won't have any bearing on his fate with the Irish. It will mean everything, though, to the Bearcats' wrapping up the only perfect season in school history with another BCS bid, and -- just like Rich Rodriguez in his surprisingly contentious exit from West Virginia after blowing a national title shot against Pitt in the season finale two years ago -- how they handle the storm this week and show up next Saturday with all of the season's tangible rewards on the line could play a big part in how Kelly is remembered at Cincy if he really is on the way out.