It isn't about parades. It isn't about pep rallies. It isn't about alumni lamenting over how old they've become at old campus haunts that don't look or feel the same anymore. Nope, Homecoming isn't about any of this. It's about cupcakes.
Cupcakes are college football teams that have no business being on the field with the home team.
Homecoming is about the ol' alma mater gnashing a cupcake, spitting the sprinkles everywhere and wiping its mouth with its sleeve. Particularly the much-maligned defense, which sacked Hawkeye quarterback Jon Beutjer five times, forced four turnovers and held the Hawkeyes to 267 yards of total offense. We didn't have to blitz that much. We just played real well up front. But junior safety Bobby Jackson respectfully disagreed with the leader of the Illini defense.