Pregame: Illinois vs Rutgers, Saturday, November 2nd, 2:30pm CT, BTN

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#151      
I disagree. I think we have a solid shot at both games. MSU has hardly scored at all in B1G play and we have a bye week, so 2 weeks to prepare for Iowa, who only beat Purdue at home by 6. Let's go on a run and win 8 games and get in a nice bowl game somewhere warm.


MSU has a bye this week, which is too bad. Their offense is terrible and we might be able to shut them down, and it only takes one play for Corbin or Imatorbhebhe to get 6. Iowa scares me, but I guess you can make the case that they are Wisconsin light, and we beat Wisconsin heavy. I expect to lose both but winning one of them wouldn’t shock me. But whenever I get ahead of myself (three way tie for first at 6-3 is still possible), we usually put up an embarrassing performance. Beat Rutgers. Even by a field goal. 3 big ten wins in a row would be sweet.
 
#153      
Illinois is incredibly bad. Years of Wisconsin disappointment has clouded your objectivity. Wisconsin has shown that it has the defense and running attack to easily win this game. Our guys have great confidence now. There is no doubt we will romp them.

Fixed this to show how ahead of ourselves we are getting. Wiscy fans almost certainly said the same things before playing us. Go Illini
 
#154      
MSU has a bye this week, which is too bad. Their offense is terrible and we might be able to shut them down, and it only takes one play for Corbin or Imatorbhebhe to get 6. Iowa scares me, but I guess you can make the case that they are Wisconsin light, and we beat Wisconsin heavy. I expect to lose both but winning one of them wouldn’t shock me. But whenever I get ahead of myself (three way tie for first at 6-3 is still possible), we usually put up an embarrassing performance. Beat Rutgers. Even by a field goal. 3 big ten wins in a row would be sweet.
Maybe. You can never presume that fan message board sentiment has anything to do with the team, but Sparty fans just seem worn out with Dantonio. In that situation, the extra week away might lead to the team drifting apart rather than refocusing to finish strong.
 
#155      

Illwinsagain

Cary, IL
Rutgers hasn’t scored on the road this year. I don’t mean that figuratively as in “they haven’t played good offense in road games.” They literally haven’t scored in three road losses.
I had to look it up, @ Iowa, @Michigan and @ Indiana. Only road games left is us and @ Penn St.


Edit: Ah, beat to it.
 
#156      

Illiniaaron

Geneseo, IL
I'm wondering...what's the point of making bowl projections at this stage? Most of them will be incorrect, if somehow the Illini lose this week they will be yanked out of any bowl projection. Is it just because sports media tries to predict everything else?
 
#157      
Sports journalism doubles as hype.

It's the only reason we have a pre-season top 25 that doesn't even matter.

It makes the landscape of college football more digestible. If it was up to me I wouldn't even start ranking teams until week 6.
 
#159      
You're right. I'm going to focus all my mental energy on Rutgers so that we win. Now don't disturb me until Sunday, I have work to do.

Excellent. Our future is in your hands now! If I catch you looking past Rutgers, I'll know who to blame.
 
#160      
Sports journalism doubles as hype.

It's the only reason we have a pre-season top 25 that doesn't even matter.

It makes the landscape of college football more digestible. If it was up to me I wouldn't even start ranking teams until week 6.

Unfortunately, pre-season rankings do have an impact -- especially in basketball. For football, they don't matter for the playoffs typically but for other bowls they can. This year UCF was rated 17 in the preseason poll. Currently SMU (same conference) is undefeated and ranked 15. If it had been SMU that was ranked #17 in preseason with their undefeated record instead of UCF they'd be ranked higher than 15 right now. Look at Minnesota. Unranked in preseason while Michigan was ranked 7. UM has two losses, Minnesota none, and UM is ranked one spot lower than Minny. That wouldn't be the case if Minny had started out ranked 7 or even 18, where MSU started. And how did Michigan get back to within one spot of Minny -- by beating a team that already had a loss but was ranked #9 in preseason poll.
 
#161      

Deleted member 654622

D
Guest
Unfortunately, pre-season rankings do have an impact -- especially in basketball. For football, they don't matter for the playoffs typically but for other bowls they can. This year UCF was rated 17 in the preseason poll. Currently SMU (same conference) is undefeated and ranked 15. If it had been SMU that was ranked #17 in preseason with their undefeated record instead of UCF they'd be ranked higher than 15 right now. Look at Minnesota. Unranked in preseason while Michigan was ranked 7. UM has two losses, Minnesota none, and UM is ranked one spot lower than Minny. That wouldn't be the case if Minny had started out ranked 7 or even 18, where MSU started. And how did Michigan get back to within one spot of Minny -- by beating a team that already had a loss but was ranked #9 in preseason poll.
It is the easiest way the NCAA can ensure teams with big fan bases get the more revenue generated games (sat night game and bigger named bowls)
 
#162      
See my post on Page 4 if you haven't already

The triple-option calls for a disciplined D, everyone know their assignment and does not try to be the hero. Up until the last couple of weeks, we have not seen that. If Lovie has the time and the D listens, it could be alright. I think I saw where AF rushes for 254 per game.
 
#163      
Do not look past Rutgers.
Do not look past Rutgers.
Do not look past Rutgers.
Funny you say that I was actually talking to a rutgers fan yesterday i told him you guys are the one team i DO NOT want to play...
Because they are a team with nothing to lose period. They at the end of the day a D1 big ten football team so they do have talent..
When you put a team on the field who has nothing to lose, and does not fear losing combined with talent you can be dangerous..
Think about what a win over illinois would mean to Rutgers right now.. them beating us would be like beating a top 25 team in there eyes... they need no more motivation, we are a well coached, talented team who is hot right now and 2 weeks removed from beating a top 6 team in the country, who played a top 15 team very well....
So to end this novel I REFUSE TO OVERLOOK rutgers because of the aforementioned reasons..
I'm just hoping they will do as we are supposed to do and beat Rutgers, and I'm hoping they do it decisively...
 
#165      
Not really?

I can definitely go in-depth as to what he was not doing well but I really don't know WHY that is. I expected some progression from Quan as a sophomore with his Junior year as my target for true growth and development. I never saw this level of regression coming.

please
 
#166      
I'm wondering...what's the point of making bowl projections at this stage? Most of them will be incorrect, if somehow the Illini lose this week they will be yanked out of any bowl projection. Is it just because sports media tries to predict everything else?
They get paid by the word.
 
#169      
Guys... we are fans on a message board. We are allowed to look past any team we like and talk about bowl games all day. We don’t play or coach the games. We sit in the stands or on the couch.

Thank you. Almost posted something like this at least a dozen times. We as fans do like to over inflate our importance. I do hope the game is well attended — the one thing fans can impact.
 
#170      
Would LOVE this. My alma mater vs the team I bleed orange/blue for and have never ending loyalty towards.

I would be happy if either team won, but will be rooting for Illinois.

The last time the 2 played in a major sport was the 2006 (I think) NCAA tourney in which I was one of like 3 freshmen cadets rooting for Illinois in a packed Clune Arena (Air Force’s basketball venue where we watched the game on projector screens).

It was right before a massive training weekend, and let’s just say I singled myself out to all the upper classmen who were about to train us every time I yelled and clapped when Dee hit a three.

Lots of push-ups that weekend for this Illinois fan.
So now we know why your institutional memory is so brief, Youngster! By contrast, this old fart was at the 1979 game in Colorado Springs, cheering with mixed emotions what would turn out to be one of our only 2 wins in what thankfully was Mo’s last season. (We also beat the school up north, which wasn’t saying a lot.).
 
#171      
So now we know why your institutional memory is so brief, Youngster! By contrast, this old fart was at the 1979 game in Colorado Springs, cheering with mixed emotions what would turn out to be one of our only 2 wins in what thankfully was Mo’s last season. (We also beat the school up north, which wasn’t saying a lot.).

Missed the Bill Parcells-coached Falcons team by a year.
 
#172      

WiscIllini

Madison, WI
I'm wondering...what's the point of making bowl projections at this stage? Most of them will be incorrect, if somehow the Illini lose this week they will be yanked out of any bowl projection. Is it just because sports media tries to predict everything else?

Well...it's a projection. What's the point of bracketology? Same concept
 
#173      
Not even a little worried about this one. Maybe if it were on the road I would be, but we should easily blow these guys out at home.
 
#174      
Not even a little worried about this one. Maybe if it were on the road I would be, but we should easily blow these guys out at home.
Hopefully they do win in convincing fashion to help impress the recruits.
 
#175      

mhuml32

Cincinnati, OH
Shocked I haven't seen a score prediction in this thread.

Illinois - 34
Rutgers - 10
 
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