lstewart53x3
- Scottsdale, Arizona
We’re going bowling. Book it.
Illini Football 2022
- Status
illini80
- Forgottonia
I’m hopeful. I really am, but I need to see us beat a good team before I fully buy in. We have some really good players and good coaches. We just have to cut out the mistakes and, for the umpteenth time, stay healthy!
Good news is that the B1G West seems to be in disarray. I am far more confident in us winning some division games then I was at the start of the season.
This comment has aged very well today
DeonThomas
- South Carolina
Michigan may be the only good team on our schedule this year!
Which makes it more of a shame that the refs snatched that W away from us. Going 4-0 into Madison would be sweet…because if we could come out with a win, a bowl would be just one W away.
(And before anyone says “we should have been far wnough ahead that it didn’t matter,” the fact remains that we did outplay Indiana, and part of it was having a touchdown ripped away, which makes it more than just one bad call).
mhuml32
- Cincinnati, OH
UM, UW, and Minnesota games are going to take some serious good breaks to beat them (UM will take historical good luck).
Feel better about the NW, Nebraska, Purdue, Iowa matchups than August? For sure, but still might be favored in only 1-2 of those games. Also would argue that you feel better about the UW game but they are still lightyears ahead of UI right now.
lstewart53x3
- Scottsdale, Arizona
Beat Chattanooga, Nebraska and Northwestern.
Then find a way to win one of:
Minnesota
Wisconsin
Iowa
Purdue
Michigan St
(Left Michigan off)
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
If we don’t beat Iowa this year, we’re officially cursed vs. them. We simply look like a better team than them so far.
Solid wins for them against Tulsa and Air Force (!)redwingillini11
White and Sixth
- North Aurora
College football bowl projections: Appalachian State's surge continues, Kansas makes long-awaited return
Jerry Palm's bowl projections shifted again but less so after a more calm Week 3
www.cbssports.com
| Dec. 27 | Guaranteed Rate |
Kansas State | vs.
Illinois | Big 12 vs. Big Ten | 10:15 p.m. | Phoenix, Ariz. |
Week 4 College Football Bowl Projections: Brett McMurphy's Predictions With Projected Spreads
Read on for Brett McMurphy's updated college football bowl projections, along with projected spreads, ahead of Week 4.
www.actionnetwork.com
Guaranteed Rate Bowl
Tuesday, Dec. 27⋅
Phoenix, AZ
Illinois
-1
Kansas
Pinstripe Bowl
Projected matchup: Florida State vs. Illinois
Bowl Projections, College Football Playoff Predictions: Week 3. UNLV? Arizona? Kansas?!
What are the bowl projections and the College Football Playoff calls after Week 3 of the college football season?
sports.yahoo.com
Frisco Football Classic*
Thursday, December 23, 2022TBA, ESPN
Toyota Stadium, Frisco, TX
Last Year: Miami University 27, North Texas 14
Bowl Ties: None
Bowl Projection: Illinois vs Texas Tech
*We’re making the call that there will be too many available bowl teams, so – again, this is a projection – ESPN will revive the Frisco Football Classic to get a Big 12 Texas team in against an available Big Ten squad.
mhuml32
- Cincinnati, OH
College football bowl projections: Appalachian State's surge continues, Kansas makes long-awaited return
Jerry Palm's bowl projections shifted again but less so after a more calm Week 3
Dec. 27 Guaranteed Rate
Kansas Statevs.
IllinoisBig 12 vs. Big Ten 10:15 p.m. Phoenix, Ariz.
Week 4 College Football Bowl Projections: Brett McMurphy's Predictions With Projected Spreads
Read on for Brett McMurphy's updated college football bowl projections, along with projected spreads, ahead of Week 4.
Guaranteed Rate Bowl
Tuesday, Dec. 27
⋅
Phoenix, AZ
Illinois
-1
Kansas
Pinstripe Bowl
Projected matchup: Florida State vs. Illinois
Bowl Projections, College Football Playoff Predictions: Week 3. UNLV? Arizona? Kansas?!
What are the bowl projections and the College Football Playoff calls after Week 3 of the college football season?Frisco Football Classic*
Thursday, December 23, 2022
TBA, ESPN
Toyota Stadium, Frisco, TX
Last Year: Miami University 27, North Texas 14
Bowl Ties: None
Bowl Projection: Illinois vs Texas Tech
*We’re making the call that there will be too many available bowl teams, so – again, this is a projection – ESPN will revive the Frisco Football Classic to get a Big 12 Texas team in against an available Big Ten squad.
I would absolutely lock in each of these matchups right now.
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
An Illinois vs Kansas bowl game would be a true gift to the college football sicko community.
mhuml32
- Cincinnati, OH
Slight update from the bye week:
Offensive Plays Per Game
2021: 67.7 (93rd)
2022: 81.7 (11th) (!!)
Offensive Yards Per Game
2021: 326.9 (111th)
2022: 440.7 (44th)
Offensive Yards Per Play
2021: 4.8 (109th)
2022: 5.4 (75th)
Yards per Pass Attempt
2021: 5.8 (121st)
2022: 6.4 (88th)
Average Time of Possession
2021: 29:19 (83rd)
2022: 35:40 (7th) (!!!)
Third Down Conversion Percentage
2021: 37.99% (76th)
2022: 44.66% (40th)
Offensive Plays Per Game
2021: 67.7 (93rd)
2022: 81.7 (11th) (!!)
Offensive Yards Per Game
2021: 326.9 (111th)
2022: 440.7 (44th)
Offensive Yards Per Play
2021: 4.8 (109th)
2022: 5.4 (75th)
Yards per Pass Attempt
2021: 5.8 (121st)
2022: 6.4 (88th)
Average Time of Possession
2021: 29:19 (83rd)
2022: 35:40 (7th) (!!!)
Third Down Conversion Percentage
2021: 37.99% (76th)
2022: 44.66% (40th)
mhuml32
- Cincinnati, OH
Defense Edition! A few changes from the offensive version, also wanted to include the 2020 version to see the rapid change since Lovie's final season:
Defensive Yards Per Game
2020: 467.3 (113th)
2021: 366.6 (43rd)
2022: 274.3 (12th) (!!)
Defensive Yards Per Play
2020: 6.3 (104th)
2021: 5.1 (31st)
2022: 4.1 (11th) (!!)
Yards per Pass Attempt
2020: 8.9 (118th)
2021: 7.1 (43rd)
2022: 5.0 (11th) (!!)
Third Down Conversion Percentage
2020: 43.00% (89th)
2021: 35.33% (27th) (!)
2022: 25.53% (21st) (!)
Opponents Yards Per Point
2020: 13.4 (79th)
2021: 16.7 (17th) (!!)
2022: 25.7 (13th) (!!)
Love that last stat, as the offense has had turnover issues and has put the defense in a worse spot this year than 2021 but the 2022 defense is still out-performing them. It's also the best looking group of teams; the schools ahead of Illinois: Georgia, Ole Miss, Minnesota, Iowa, 3-0 Tulane, Michigan, 3-0 Duke, TAMU, TCU, Oklahoma, & Washington State.
Defensive Yards Per Game
2020: 467.3 (113th)
2021: 366.6 (43rd)
2022: 274.3 (12th) (!!)
Defensive Yards Per Play
2020: 6.3 (104th)
2021: 5.1 (31st)
2022: 4.1 (11th) (!!)
Yards per Pass Attempt
2020: 8.9 (118th)
2021: 7.1 (43rd)
2022: 5.0 (11th) (!!)
Third Down Conversion Percentage
2020: 43.00% (89th)
2021: 35.33% (27th) (!)
2022: 25.53% (21st) (!)
Opponents Yards Per Point
2020: 13.4 (79th)
2021: 16.7 (17th) (!!)
2022: 25.7 (13th) (!!)
Love that last stat, as the offense has had turnover issues and has put the defense in a worse spot this year than 2021 but the 2022 defense is still out-performing them. It's also the best looking group of teams; the schools ahead of Illinois: Georgia, Ole Miss, Minnesota, Iowa, 3-0 Tulane, Michigan, 3-0 Duke, TAMU, TCU, Oklahoma, & Washington State.
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
A small sample size against a weak schedule, but these two in theory don't really go together, and represent a real success for the way Lunney is trying to play.
So far so good for the easy to theorize but hard to execute "smart tempo".
How many three and outs have we had compared to last year? Who would have thought VA was this bad with 80% of its offensive team coming back. Wyoming has had a good pre conference wins.
Ransom Stoddard
Ordained Dudeist Priest
- Bloomington, IL
I was really exceited to see the offense go no-huddle a bit in the first Q against UVA, but things weren't clicking - Int, Fumble, 3&out, 3&out resulting in a special teams TD, then finally an offensive TD.
Illinois had only 1 possession over 1:50 in the first half (the very long drive ending in a fumble on the 5), but every drive in the 2nd half was 1:39 or longer excluding the final posession of the game. Lunney definitely took the air out of the ball with a 3 touchdown lead, as shown by no turnovers other than the 2 missed FGs in the 2nd half.
10 Illini possessions in the first half, 6 in the second. I'm hoping they can repeat those 1st half numbers for the entire game against Chatty.
Ransom Stoddard
Ordained Dudeist Priest
- Bloomington, IL
From mhuml32's post above:
Third Down Conversion Percentage
2021: 37.99% (76th)
2022: 44.66% (40th)
For more context,
2021 full season was 68/178 (9.17 3&O/game)
2021 through 3 games was 18/41 (7.77 3&O/game)
2022 through 3 games is 21/47 (8.67 3&O/game)
So the quick eye test is that we're worse at this stage of the season than last year, but trending somewhat better than the entire 2021 season.
Thanks for these numbers. That ESPNU slot is awful. The other chart showed BTN getting numbers similar to ABC for the noon slot, which surprised me. I wonder what match-ups were opposite our game against NW last year, because even that game on BTN should have out-drawn this year's VA game on ESPN-U.
blackdog
- Champaign
I think the defensive piece also plays into the TOP and overall plays for the offense. The defense is able to get off the field so quickly it keeps giving the offense more chances with the ball. Those 3rd down conversion numbers really speak to being able to sustain some drives while keeping opponents possessions short.
The difference between Lovie's last year and this staff is astounding both offensively and defensively.
- Status