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Like the 2004 Cardinals, the 2004 - 2005 Illini fell a little short - A Hunt and Peck

But it was a fun ride.

Louisville Cardinals v Illinois Fighting Illini Photo by Elsa/Getty Images

As a fan of the University of Illinois Fighting Illini and St. Louis Cardinals, I find a lot of similarities between the the 2004 - 2005 Illini and the 2004 Cardinals. The main comparison people draw is the fact that both teams were among some of the greatest of all time to not win it all. It goes beyond that for me. Both teams had depth, were dominating, and were never truly out of any game. The 2004 NLCS was a testament to that for the Cardinals. The Birdos were down three games to two going into game six, but the final two games were at home.

The 2004 NLCS was a classic. It was a heavyweight bought, featuring two of the best teams that season. It was fantastic.

What brought on this comparison? March 26, 2005, this date thirteen years ago, the Illini completed one of my favorite comebacks of all time. Down fifteen, with three minutes and fifty seconds left in the game, the Illini came back to force overtime and won the game 90-89.

It was also fantastic.

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