Big Ten Football to Start October 23-24 (CFB Thread)

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#2      
Lot to talk about, but I think I'll just say the obvious: Gonna be critical to anyone's title hopes to win the conference. Not enough games to get an invitation without it.
 
#3      
Lot to talk about, but I think I'll just say the obvious: Gonna be critical to anyone's title hopes to win the conference. Not enough games to get an invitation without it.

I think it's critical not to lose a game if you want to go to playoffs.
 
#4      

ILLINIShox24

Orange Krush '04 & '05
Honestly mixed feelings on this. Will be good to see the team out there. Feels like the B1G played this a lot like the March shutdowns. Lock everything down for a short amount of time, then open things back up when technically the virus is more spread than when you decided to shutdown in the first place. LSU and Texas A&M have essentially said their entire team got Covid. Hopefully the team remains healthy and they have fun out there.
 
#6      

illini80

Forgottonia
Honestly mixed feelings on this. Will be good to see the team out there. Feels like the B1G played this a lot like the March shutdowns. Lock everything down for a short amount of time, then open things back up when technically the virus is more spread than when you decided to shutdown in the first place. LSU and Texas A&M have essentially said their entire team got Covid. Hopefully the team remains healthy and they have fun out there.
But that only means they have had it. I’ve read nothing about how many currently do or when or where they contracted it. The fact that most of the team has had it doesn’t necessarily mean football was the cause. Maybe it was for many but no one I’ve seen has seriously analyzed it.
 
#7      
No schedule yet, but I'm going to be upset if our crossovers our PSU, OSU, and/or UM. I'm fine with one of those three, but it's upsetting that we get to be a punching bag for sake of the conference hopefully making the playoffs.
 
#12      
The daily rapid testing is a critical component, and I'm very glad to see that as part of the plan for starting up again. Sure we are starting up later than other conferences, but I appreciate that the university took the time to ensure they had a plan for a safe return in place rather than the approach the SEC took.

Illinois goes 8-1 on the way to the Rose Bowl.
 
#13      
Anyone see how this is going to affect the post-season? Earlier I saw reports that the bowls would take whoever they had to, even if it meant teams with horrible records. If the BIG and Pac12 are playing, that should make it possible for the worst teams to stay home. With a conference only schedule, the bottom teams might only have a win or two.
 
#14      
Anyone see how this is going to affect the post-season? Earlier I saw reports that the bowls would take whoever they had to, even if it meant teams with horrible records. If the BIG and Pac12 are playing, that should make it possible for the worst teams to stay home. With a conference only schedule, the bottom teams might only have a win or two.
Yeah that'll be a big part of it. I also suspect some schools declining a bowl invite if they can't afford it (unclear how payouts work maybe the bowl games pay for everything) or because they know there team is so bad they just want the season over (happens in basketball).
 
#15      

Looking at this, the medical protocol looks straight-forward, that a team must stop competition (practice or games) for 7 days if the team has a positive rate over 5% or the population is over 7.5%. I don't see anything about the clock resetting, so I'm thinking teams could lose one game after going red, but sneak in the next as long as the outbreak remains isolated.

I expect the big boys will run a very tight ship with their players to make sure they keep playing, but as they say, the best laid plans....
 
#16      

sbillini

st petersburg, fl
Looking at this, the medical protocol looks straight-forward, that a team must stop competition (practice or games) for 7 days if the team has a positive rate over 5% or the population is over 7.5%. I don't see anything about the clock resetting, so I'm thinking teams could lose one game after going red, but sneak in the next as long as the outbreak remains isolated.

I expect the big boys will run a very tight ship with their players to make sure they keep playing, but as they say, the best laid plans....

I actually read it is an "and" scenario (both team and community have to be red)? But then again, they don't address the red/orange type scenario, so perhaps i'm wrong. kind of confusingly worded, imo.

Press release wording aside, I do think this has been better structured and more rigorous than I assumed it would be. They messed up the execution on this in the first round, but looks like they're much better designed in the second. Unlike some other conferences where it's just "let 'em play and we'll see what happens". I'll give the Big Ten credit for that.

Excited to see them play!
 
#17      
I actually read it is an "and" scenario (both team and community have to be red)? But then again, they don't address the red/orange type scenario, so perhaps i'm wrong. kind of confusingly worded, imo.

Press release wording aside, I do think this has been better structured and more rigorous than I assumed it would be. They messed up the execution on this in the first round, but looks like they're much better designed in the second. Unlike some other conferences where it's just "let 'em play and we'll see what happens". I'll give the Big Ten credit for that.

Excited to see them play!
That’s where I’m at. Data on Covid changes weekly as new studies are done and the positivity rates ebb and flow. Idk why they didn’t just announce something like “an indefinite delay while we seek to implement measures for the safety of our athletes.” Coulda said that, made reference to the Illinois rapid test and there wouldn’t have been such an uproar. It just seems so so simple.
 
#19      
No schedule yet, but I'm going to be upset if our crossovers our PSU, OSU, and/or UM. I'm fine with one of those three, but it's upsetting that we get to be a punching bag for sake of the conference hopefully making the playoffs.
Hear what you are saying, but, this team can punch back and if we play one of those, I hope it is the first game as they will have a hard time not overlooking us and if you look at we have added under free agenc... We have a much better team than last year with very good OL. BP and the running game is key. If Epstein can stay healthy and BP puts it all together with a year and all these weapons, look out.
 
#20      
Hear what you are saying, but, this team can punch back and if we play one of those, I hope it is the first game as they will have a hard time not overlooking us and if you look at we have added under free agenc... We have a much better team than last year with very good OL. BP and the running game is key. If Epstein can stay healthy and BP puts it all together with a year and all these weapons, look out.
This team is without a doubt capable of being a middle of the pack B1G team. Also, I'm a big believe in 'any given saturday'.

That being said, this OSU team might be their best of the past decade--which is truly saying something. As big of a miracle the Wisc win was last year, if we beat OSU this year, it's probably the biggest upset in CFB history and at the very least top 5.
 
#21      
Hear what you are saying, but, this team can punch back and if we play one of those, I hope it is the first game as they will have a hard time not overlooking us and if you look at we have added under free agenc... We have a much better team than last year with very good OL. BP and the running game is key. If Epstein can stay healthy and BP puts it all together with a year and all these weapons, look out.
Agreed! Really looking forward to this OL, and see the payoffs from BP’s off season and a year in the system.

It’s mighty nice to be able to talk football again.
 
#22      

APS iMBA

Urbana, IL
So if there are no spectators, is there going to be a band?
 
#23      
Does anyone know if the other 'fall' sports are also back?
 
#24      

altenberger22

South Carolina
This team is without a doubt capable of being a middle of the pack B1G team. Also, I'm a big believe in 'any given saturday'.

That being said, this OSU team might be their best of the past decade--which is truly saying something. As big of a miracle the Wisc win was last year, if we beat OSU this year, it's probably the biggest upset in CFB history and at the very least top 5.
Appalachian State winning at Michigan gets the nod for #1 in my book.

I'd suggest googling the Top 100 NCAA football upsets of all time for a complete list --- all of which are games much, much, much more stunning than an Illini victory would be this year. Keep in mind we have an experienced roster, and we're roughly Top 10 in terms of returning production. We're not the floormat of the Big 10 in 2020.
 
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