Pregame: Illinois vs Mississippi State, Monday, January 2nd, 11:00am CT, ESPN2
- Status
Good news for all the travelers from both schools. I wish the Leach family all the best and am sorry for their loss. Coach
Leach was a huge figure in college football. His coaching and his sense of humor will be missed.. Playing the game in his
honor is a good thing and even as an illini fan, being there will be emotional. I wish them well and hope for a great game
and we win on a last second field goal!
Leach was a huge figure in college football. His coaching and his sense of humor will be missed.. Playing the game in his
honor is a good thing and even as an illini fan, being there will be emotional. I wish them well and hope for a great game
and we win on a last second field goal!
The Michigan State fiasco and now this….Illinois has been on the wrong end of a couple of rallying cries.
That said, I won’t be crushed if we lose this one…Leach was such a unique character that didn’t take himself too serious and from all accounts an amazing person. Really wanted him when we hired Lovie.
That said, I won’t be crushed if we lose this one…Leach was such a unique character that didn’t take himself too serious and from all accounts an amazing person. Really wanted him when we hired Lovie.
No offense intended, I liked Leach too. But this is pushing my buttons as my wife was making similar noises today. I want to win this bowl game and establish / maintain what has been built this year. Very sorry for the Leach family but I hope we do not roll over out of sympathy.
Spot on regarding MSU and now this...
illini80
- Forgottonia
Treading lightly because the situation is so much bigger than an exhibition game, but this will be tough. Everyone who’s not a diehard Illinois fan will be pulling for MSU and their players will never have more motivation to go out with a victory to honor their coach. I get it. Tough task for our staff and players to face.
Oh I still want to win. I just think his unfortunate passing at such a young age has taken some of the thrill of the game out of it.
KrushCow31
Former Krush Cow
- Chicago, IL
Whether we like it or not, we are officially the "bad guys" of this game in the eyes of the vast majority of CFB fans. Just the way it's gonna be.
Perhaps…but we also have the opportunity to go out there: play hard, accept the cards we were dealt, and show what a decent, classy program we have. And, just maybe, at least some of those people out there might go away thinking: “You know those Illinois kids play hard and they’re respectful too. I now have a little bit a of begrudging respect for them.”
Personally I was quite proud to be an Illini when I saw this:
Maybe something like that can happen…
I really hate when we have to play teams that have huge emotional motivation....Bear Bryant in the 1982 Liberty Bow, Virginia this year and now, Mississippi St. I'm sure I'm missing quite a few more.
I was at the LB in 82. BB looked to be just a figure head to me, it will forever be that his last game was a victory against Illinois.
I was at the LB in 82. BB looked to be just a figure head to me, it will forever be that his last game was a victory against Illinois.
Mike Leach would certainly want the game to be played
They will play for him.
More eyes and attention will be on our game and rightfully so. My HS coach died during our season and he coached my school for 20 years or so. It's tough, but football has a way of bringing people together. It's about having fun and appreciating the opportunities we get in this life.
KrushCow31
Former Krush Cow
- Chicago, IL
Most definitely. Just looking at reddit etc, we're not going to have anyone happy if we win. We'll only get that respect and admiration if we play hard and lose. I think we will be respectful and we should play to win, but that's just how it is gonna be I think.
Alternate theory: The vast majority of CFB fans don't care about this game.
illini80
- Forgottonia
Generally true of all the games except 2. However the situation will bring more eyes to the game and they won't be tuning in to see how Illinois plays.
It is what it is. We just accept it and do our best.
As far a the game goes, we didn't get much pressure on the one team this season that really throws the ball around(Purdue). MS REALLY throws it around. I'm assuming we'll be missing our 2 best secondary pieces in Witherspoon and Brown so forgive me if I'm apprehensive about our chances of stopping MS from having a 500 yard passing day.
KBLEE
- Montgomery, IL
They will also be missing their top WR.
Got a feeling a team that runs an "Air Raid" offense probably has a stable of wr's.....
KrushCow31
Former Krush Cow
- Chicago, IL
I don't think the majority of CFB fans care about any game other than their own. But the recent events mean a lot more care than they did last week and of everyone new who cares, they aren't gonna be rooting for us.
It’s not that people care about our game specifically, it’s that a huge number of people love to watch college football.
And the NYD bowls are some of the last bits of football to watch outside the playoffs.
Sure, fans outside of Illinois and MSU don’t care much about the plight of either school.
But when they tune in to the first bowl game of the day, craving their college football hit and see that MSU is playing for their beloved, fallen leader you betcha they are gonna all of a sudden want to see MSU win.
We will be public enemy #1 (though not in a malicious way) for those 3.5 hours even if it’s subconscious for most people.
And that’s okay. I’m sure we will also honor him and people will see how the two teams can come together to pay their respects.
But yeah, the random fan that tunes in to the broadcast and sees what MSU is playing for will want them to win.
Reminds me of when we played Alabama in Bear Bryant's last game in the 1982 Liberty Bowl - our first bowl game in 20 years and we were the bad guys.
Mr. Tibbs
- southeast DuPage
I recall the game - I was a senior - watched it on TV . Had he announced that December he was stepping down ?
I do remember he passed away like 4-6 weeks later.
Was at that game, and after landing our first 'bowl game' in like forever, it had to be the one against Alabama in Bear's LAST game... bummer... We're almost never allowed to have nice things...
I was at that game as well, froze my a$s off. Not Champaign Tony's greatest night, and the game that sent Kris Jenner off to bigger and better things in the medical and health care investment fields.
Hi y’all, my mom was born in, and her family was from Illinois btw. Pekin. Although I’ve never been to Pekin. Just Chicargo as my dad pronounces it.
Any way,
Just stopped by to take the temperature of your fan base.
You guys will not be seen as “the bad guys”..wtf is that about? Why would the Illini fan base be seen as bad guys? Yeah, there will probably be more people tuning in to the broadcast than there would have been before we lost CML, but that’s not going to sway the game.
How our players react, and perform is going to determine how this game goes. I’m expecting them to be focused and play as effing hard as they ever have, but who knows in this unprecedented situation. We won’t have our best WR, or DB (criminal he didn’t even make the Thorpe finals, what a joke) Going to be interesting how our team responds. I just saw that we are naming our DC head coach. Right move? I don’t know, but I think it had to be done to retain what recruits we have committed. It’s already being reported that coaches are reaching out to some of our players to hit the portal. Couldn’t even wait till after the Memorial on Tuesday…
I have to say, personally, this loss has hit me harder than I would have imagined. I’ve seen a lot of interviews, and testimony from people about the man, and find myself becoming unusually emotional. It’s a sad loss.
Anyway, it’s good to see the Illini back and playing well. Look forward to playing a B10 school again..
Any way,
Just stopped by to take the temperature of your fan base.
You guys will not be seen as “the bad guys”..wtf is that about? Why would the Illini fan base be seen as bad guys? Yeah, there will probably be more people tuning in to the broadcast than there would have been before we lost CML, but that’s not going to sway the game.
How our players react, and perform is going to determine how this game goes. I’m expecting them to be focused and play as effing hard as they ever have, but who knows in this unprecedented situation. We won’t have our best WR, or DB (criminal he didn’t even make the Thorpe finals, what a joke) Going to be interesting how our team responds. I just saw that we are naming our DC head coach. Right move? I don’t know, but I think it had to be done to retain what recruits we have committed. It’s already being reported that coaches are reaching out to some of our players to hit the portal. Couldn’t even wait till after the Memorial on Tuesday…
I have to say, personally, this loss has hit me harder than I would have imagined. I’ve seen a lot of interviews, and testimony from people about the man, and find myself becoming unusually emotional. It’s a sad loss.
Anyway, it’s good to see the Illini back and playing well. Look forward to playing a B10 school again..
- Status