2018 Prediction Thread

[TheGMan]

W vs. Kent State
W vs. Western Illinois
L vs. South Florida (Chicago, IL)
L vs. #10 Penn State
W at Rutgers
L vs. Purdue
L at #4 Wisconsin
L at Maryland
W vs. Minnesota
L at Nebraska
L vs. Iowa
L at Northwestern

4-8 (2-7)

I think this is the most likely outcome (I won't say floor, because injuries can/will happen). However, I also won't say that this is the ceiling either. I can see us pulling out wins over USF and Maryland (purely based on distraction with them) and getting to 6-6.

 

[KrushCow31]

Kent State - W
Western Illinois - W
South Florida - W
Penn State - L
Rutgers - W
Purdue - Toss Up (Homecoming)
Wisconsin - L
Maryland - W
Minnesota - L
Nebraska - L
Iowa - L
Northwestern - L

I say 6-6 or 5-7. I hope we beat Purdue at Homecoming but who knows.

 

[Selfcon4]

3-9 (1-8)

 

[illini80]

I'm going with 5-7 if we can stay reasonably healthy. Probably getting too optimistic with Bush, but I feel so much better about the QB position I can't help myself!

 

[skyIdub]

Kent State - W
Western Illinois - W
South Florida - W
Penn State - L
Rutgers - W
Purdue - W
Wisconsin - L
Maryland - W
Minnesota - L
Nebraska - L
Iowa - L
Northwestern - L

We're going bowling. There, I said it.

Who are you, and what have you done with the real S&C?

 

[Ramrod2010]

I voted for 4-5, but I can so easily see 6.

 

[FiveStar]

Who are you, and what have you done with the real S&C?

He sent him to the basketball thread.

 

[BZuppke]

Kent State - W
Western Illinois - W
South Florida - W
Penn State - L
Rutgers - W
Purdue - W
Wisconsin - L
Maryland - L
Minnesota - W
Nebraska - L
Iowa - L
Northwestern - W

7-5 and it was real hard to not say 8-4 wooooo

We also upset Ped U on a raucous Friday night at Memorial.

 

[ILFaninFL]

Kent State - W
Western Illinois - W
South Florida - L
Penn State - L
Rutgers - W
Purdue - W
Wisconsin - L
Maryland - L
Minnesota - W
Nebraska - L
Iowa - L
Northwestern - W

6-6

 

[Deleted member 654622]

He sent him to the basketball thread.

 

[BZuppke]

Moving my son in to the dorms today - surprised at how little faith the students have that we can win. They’ll get excited once we do but they have zero expectations. Interesting because when I was here in the 1980s we believed we would annually compete for the Rose Bowl. We need to reinspire the students to believe.

 

[Illinnoying Orange]

Moving my son in to the dorms today - surprised at how little faith the students have that we can win. They’ll get excited once we do but they have zero expectations. Interesting because when I was here in the 1980s we believed we would annually compete for the Rose Bowl. We need to reinspire the students to believe.

Well, there is a massive difference between how successful the team was in the 80's compared with how successful the team has been the past 10 years or so.

 

[ChiCityIllini]

No winning season since 2011 = not competitive last year = didn't score over 24 points once last year = one of worst programs in college football = low fan interest and expectations

 

[KrushCow31]

Moving my son in to the dorms today - surprised at how little faith the students have that we can win. They’ll get excited once we do but they have zero expectations. Interesting because when I was here in the 1980s we believed we would annually compete for the Rose Bowl. We need to reinspire the students to believe.

Tickets to games are like $20 and super easy to buy from other students. They got rid of the assigned seats so it's just first come get best seats, so nobody is getting up early Monday to get tickets with their friends and there's no rush. Students come in late and leave at the 3rd quarter, if they even come at all. A lot of greek life students don't even bother leaving their block anymore.

Why would you? Flirt with someone and hang with your friends at a bar with $1 beers > Watch Illinois lose 35-24 to Rutgers.

That's what it was like in 2013 and I imagine it's pretty much the same.

 

[FlyNavy]

W vs. Kent State
W vs. Western Illinois
W vs. South Florida (Chicago, IL)
L vs. #10 Penn State
L at Rutgers
L vs. Purdue
L at #4 Wisconsin
L at Maryland
W vs. Minnesota
L at Nebraska (OT)
W vs. Iowa
L at Northwestern

We win games we're supposed to lose (USF, Iowa), and lose games that appear easier to win (Rutgers, Purdue). I think the USF game is a trap game for the Bulls, but after getting crushed by PSU we don't get back in the win column for another month. The team collects itself in November and the Iowa win has us talking a bowl game, but a heartbreaking loss in November ends that discussion.

Result is a 5-7 (2-7) season that puts us in good shape for 2019 and further helps recruiting in the following offseason.

 

[Fighter of the Nightman]

Tickets to games are like $20 and super easy to buy from other students. They got rid of the assigned seats so it's just first come get best seats, so nobody is getting up early Monday to get tickets with their friends and there's no rush. Students come in late and leave at the 3rd quarter, if they even come at all. A lot of greek life students don't even bother leaving their block anymore.

Why would you? Flirt with someone and hang with your friends at a bar with $1 beers > Watch Illinois lose 35-24 to Rutgers.

That's what it was like in 2013 and I imagine it's pretty much the same.

While I undoubtedly think this is still LARGELY the case, I do believe that the addition of Grange Grove (which has been a homerun, if you ask me ... get a good team, and that place will be one of the better tailgating atmospheres in the conference, period) has helped this a little. There were a few DI articles about Greeks trying to get spots in there. Now, obviously, when our season is pretty much lost and it's cold as hell outside, the appeal drops massively and attendance along with it.

 

[Second and Chalmers]

Part of it is just a turning away from attending live sports events generally, which is really sad IMO.

 

[Ransom Stoddard]

Kent State - W
Western Illinois - W
South Florida -W
Penn State - L
Rutgers - W
Purdue - W
Wisconsin - L
Maryland - L
Minnesota - L
Nebraska - L
Iowa - L
Northwestern - L

5-7

5 Ws in the first 6 games have the faithful planning on a December game, but then the real schedule begins.

However--I predict maybe 2 or 3 games where we lose by more than 2 touchdowns. This team will likely be able to compete for 3 quarters against a lot of our competition, but depth will be the difference.

 

[IlliniForTheWin]

Kent State - W
Western Illinois - W
South Florida - L
Penn State - L
Rutgers - W
Purdue - W
Wisconsin - L
Maryland - L
Minnesota - W
Nebraska - L
Iowa - L
Northwestern - L

5-7 (3-6). I think we lose nail biters to South Florida and Maryland that hopefully go our way for a swap at 7-5 instead of 5-7. The offense should look much better with the most important piece (QB) being much improved.

 

[JDHalfrack]

Part of it is just a turning away from attending live sports events generally, which is really sad IMO.

Honestly, even if the team were 10-2 and competing for a chance to go to the Big Ten championship game, I'm not sure the stadium would fill. Illinois has done a marvelous job of making the experience inside the stadium feel like a prison. Perhaps other schools do as well, but I'm not an annual season ticket holder anywhere else except Illinois, so I wouldn't know.

Grange Grove is awesome, and I think all the pre/postgame activities and hype are an awesome addition, but the second your ticket is scanned, it's miserable.

 

[StateFarmCenter]

Illinois has the best bar scene of any college that isnt ASU. Theres no reason to go to the games as a student, really.

 

[breadman]

Just curious as to why 99% of you predictors have us losing to Iowa.
I would mark that game down as a win this year.

 

[BWBW]

Just curious as to why 99% of you predictors have us losing to Iowa.
I would mark that game down as a win this year.

I'll take it!

 

[mossimo142]

Kent State - W
Western Illinois - W
South Florida -W
Penn State - L
Rutgers - W
Purdue - W
Wisconsin - L
Maryland - W
Minnesota - W
Nebraska - L
Iowa - L
Northwestern - W

8-4 (5-4)

 

[skyIdub]

Just curious as to why 99% of you predictors have us losing to Iowa.
I would mark that game down as a win this year.