Big Ten Conference weakling Illinois has baffled analysts and angered rival coaches by announcing one of the best recruiting classes in the nation, The New York Times reported Wednesday.

According to Rivals.com, a Web site that follows college recruiting, Illinois has the 17th best recruiting class in the nation.

The Fighting Illini are 4-19 over the past two seasons, including 1-15 in the Big Ten.

Coach Ron Zook and his staff won head-to-head recruiting battles with Notre Dame, Michigan and Ohio State, according to The Times.

John L. Smith, who was fired as Michigan State's coach last season, told The Times: “If they had a winning program and all of that, it would be a different deal. If they had the greatest facilities in the world, then maybe they could sell them. But what are they selling?”

He also told The Times, “Where there’s smoke, there’s probably fire.”

But Jim Delany, the commissioner of the Big Ten, made an unsolicited call to a reporter for The  Times to say that “blogosphere smoke” was the reason for any suspicion surrounding the Illinois class. “Around signing day,” he said, “smoke does not equal fire.”

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“If something is going on, they’ll get theirs,” Wisconsin assistant coach Randall McCray told The Times. “But if nothing is going on, it’s just jealous people that are getting beat in recruiting. I don’t know.”

“Illinois is a pretty darn good place,” Illinois athletic director Ron Guenther told The Times. “And we’re going to roll up our sleeves and battle with the heavyweights.”

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