ANN ARBOR, Mich. — 110,231.

That's how many Michigan fans packed into the Big House on Saturday. It's the largest road crowd Illinois has ever played in front of. I am not sure if Illinois has that many total fans. The Illini faithful never show up at Memorial Stadium and those who do nowadays tend to leave during the third quarter.

With Illinois unable to draw fans and Michigan being able to have a 10-year waiting list for their alumni tickets, I am stuck wondering why so many fans are willing to show up, even for a 56-14 blowout, and what Illinois needs to do to get some fans in Memorial Stadium.

"It's the tradition of Michigan football," Eric Farkas, a sophomore at Michigan said. "Every Saturday at the Big House is a special event. No matter who we're playing you got to get up for opponents."

Michigan fans are anything but subtle. They wear their tradition on their backs at every football game. The student section is packed with yellow t-shirts that say Michigan has 11 national championships, 40 conference titles and 827 wins, the most in college football. That's tradition.

Ask them who the best college football fans are and they stare at you blankly — the same look you get if you tell them Nebraska was the better undefeated team in 1997.

"Of course we are," Jenn Finn, a Michigan junior who studies Latin, said. "If you can get over 110,000 people at every game, why not?"

"If we came to a game and there were only 60,000 here what would that say to the players?" Farkas said.

What about a team that has trouble drawing 60,000? There are only 12 seasons in the 87 years since Memorial Stadium has hosted Illinois football games where Illinois has averaged 60,000. The last capacity crowd here was last year against Michigan. Since 2000, Memorial has only been filled to capacity four times.

So, enough about the past. What is the solution to change it around?

"Illinois needs to start winning consistently," Jason Chelsa, a Michigan fan said.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves, please. What else?

How about heckling. Every Michigan student takes their shots at opposing teams and their fans. I watched two Michigan fans walk two sections over to seek out a few Illinois fans and proceed to inform them Illinois can never be like Michigan football.

"Next time, can you bring your women's team?" a Michigan fan said after the game to Illinois fans.

At Michigan they breed them cocky, arrogant and expecting Rose Bowl berths. I guess winning can do that to you. They are so cocky, the students don't even need to drink before games. I'll take a short pause to let that sink in … NO DRINKING (I guess if you don't lose you don't need to drink away the sorrow).

"We don't get as drunk and wild as a lot of other schools," Finn said.

So to recap: we need to stop drinking and start winning. How many students are willing to give up Breakfast Club for wins?

The Big House is the largest college-owned largest stadium designed only for football. An overbearing crowd would be expected. Instead, the fans are confident enough in their Wolverines they don't need to cheer. The fans spend most of the game sitting quietly and waiting for the big play to happen.

So when sophomore wide receiver Steve Breaston returned a punt for a 74-yard touchdown after running around the Illini defense, the fans finally cheer. The scene makes me think I'm at the opera, not a football game. The fans have a dignified high society clap. The hooting, hollering and pandemonium that accompanies an Illinois touchdown is not there.

Michigan is the high-class football fan. If they were to show up to the game in one outfit, they would be the 40-year-old in the Dockers, a dress shirt and a sweater tied over their shoulders that looks out of place at a sporting event.

It's time for the Illini faithful to drop the beer, take off the backward hat and put on your best shirt. It's for the best of the team.