Pregame: Illinois vs Toledo, Saturday, September 2nd, 6:30pm CT, BTN
- Status
Hulu Live TV and then cancel after Feb(if you are a NFL fan and want to watch the SB) will run you about 432 bucks at 72/month. Carries the B1G Network and you'll be able to watch in region NFL games.
The Little guy looking for an edge does use comments like this to pump up the squad. Regardless of anyone's feeling on that prep, it is a fact Toledo has not prepped for Texas Southern, and a fact that Kansas is a road game 6 days after the opener. It could mean nothing. It's definitely not a "bad" spot for Toledo to be in.
Not a bad spot for Toledo.....also not a bad spot for Illinois to fit in some prep work for Kansas
Toledo plays Illinois than FCS school on full week. Kansas will play FCS school on Friday and full week to prep for Illinois at home. Illinois plays a Saturday night game vs Toledo than turns around on a short week to Kansas on the road. Seems like BB and crew are ahead of the curve if anything to not over work the guys after the first game.
From everything we've heard and seen, the Illini locker room is a close-knit group who has really bought in to what Bret is selling. And I also think they aren't happy about how they finished the season last year and will show up hungry opening day. I don't think there's any chance they show up looking past this Toledo game or unprepared for it. And if Toledo were to win this game, plain and simple it'll be that you outplayed us and took advantage of the question marks we had coming into the season. The games I'm more concerned about in how our team shows up are the back to back games against Nebraska and at Maryland sandwiched between a revenge game at Purdue and Homecoming against a ranked(?) Wisconsin. That 2 game stretch smells of prime disappointment especially if we start off the season successfully.
Toledo hasn't lost too many games in recent memory where I thought we played well and just got beat. Ohio State was a talent gap... but most seasons Toledo is favored in 10 and win 7 or 8. It's always unforced errors, injuries, turnovers, playcalling etc. I'd be pleased to lose a no turnover game by 10 pts where both teams came to play.
Tulane beat the Big12 Champs and then the Pac12 champs in 2022. If Toledo wants to be a top 25 team, beating the best at their best is necessary. Having 2 more practices with no body else on the brain, or even having learned another teams base defense or scheme... could be that tendency learned, needed for victory. Hopefully.
Key to beat Kansas. Toledo being slighted a bit when the chance was given to prep 2 full weeks for game 1.
And that's one of my gripes with Illinois schedule. You'd like to have FAU earlier or some 17+ pt favored gimme game in there for rest, and prep for other teams. Yalls schedule is not easy. Winning the West would prove this tough SOS OOC, helped you. If Illinois goes 6-6, this was a scheduling blunder.
altgeld88
- Arlington, Virginia
You've kept the discussion so lively here in the post-camp doldrums of August, I'm wondering whether you're going to continue to visit our Board after the Sept. 2 game and provide insight on our prospects. If not, win or lose, I for one will feel a gaping void come Sept. 3.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Love it, thank you for the update! Guessing we trickle over 45k for Toledo, which is a pretty "meh" crowd all around but a nice gesture given the circumstances for a home opener vs. a smaller school. RE: Penn State, I would guess it will be something like this:
47k if we start 0-2
51k if we start 1-1 (not sure the wins/losses matter)
56k if we start 2-0
Maybe with a 2-0 start and some aggressive marketing (likely to include some serious discounts or even free tickets to youth groups or something), we can at least dream of a sellout vs. Penn State. However, getting 14k+ tickets sold between now and September 16th might be difficult.
As a Toledo fan of course you are trying to make up all the bulletin board material you can get. As an Illini fan I look at this as smart planning. I have given my props to Toledo on here. Toledo/Kansas have a ton of similarities at the QB spot which is why you can gameplan ahead of time. Finn/Gleason for Toledo and Daniels/Bean for KU can hurt you with arm and legs. Illinois can easily be 0-2 or 2-0 after the first two weeks. Illinois isn't overlooking Toledo at all....JMO but that Kansas team can score some points
Bret’s always done this the first week. He and the staff take a look at the first 3 opponents. Staff not players. Everyone is all in on week 1. But you do you
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Yeah, to echo earlier sentiments, there has been AT LEAST as much fretting about how Toledo could easily beat us (and a host of other Power Five teams) on our home field if we do not execute and remain disciplined and/or if some of our units are actually worse than we expected in the offseason. If anything, the fans who are displaying confidence are likely just reacting to several months of the worrying ... I don't think many fans are "cocky" in the true sense of that word, which seems to be what UofToledoFans is insinuating.
Obviously the Bielema Era is (so far) a territory of stability that we haven't felt in decades so in one sense the past is the past, but ... we have lost to 6 non-Power Five opponents in Champaign in the last 25 years. It is literally ingrained in our psyche not to take opponents lightly, lol. In case anyone wants a torturous trip down memory lane...
2021 vs. UTSA (37-30) ... at least we took their OC, right?!
2019 vs. Eastern Michigan (34-31)
2016 vs. Western Michigan (34-10)
2012 vs. Louisiana Tech (52-24)
2009 vs. Fresno State (53-52)
2002 vs. San Jose State (38-35)
Obviously the Bielema Era is (so far) a territory of stability that we haven't felt in decades so in one sense the past is the past, but ... we have lost to 6 non-Power Five opponents in Champaign in the last 25 years. It is literally ingrained in our psyche not to take opponents lightly, lol. In case anyone wants a torturous trip down memory lane...
2021 vs. UTSA (37-30) ... at least we took their OC, right?!
2019 vs. Eastern Michigan (34-31)
2016 vs. Western Michigan (34-10)
2012 vs. Louisiana Tech (52-24)
2009 vs. Fresno State (53-52)
2002 vs. San Jose State (38-35)
I'd be careful being too complacent on special teams. In close games which this may be, they often tip the scales.
It's hard not to feel generally anxious given the programs history over the past 10+ yrs, but for the first time in a long time I am beginning to trust that the culture is truly different.
I will be very surprised if the team isn't disciplined, dialed in, engaged and holding each other accountable every week.
Separately thought, is Leonard's input going to be evident or impactful right away?
Unlikely to see anything of Leonard schematically on the field, he's not a coach and his match coverage isn't something you can just implement in a few weeks.
pruman91
- Paducah, Ky
You've kept the discussion so lively here in the post-camp doldrums of August, I'm wondering whether you're going to continue to visit our Board after the Sept. 2 game and provide insight on our prospects. If not, win or lose, I for one will feel a gaping void come Sept. 3.
A gaping void ??.........That doesn't sound good at all , bro...........It really really doesn't at all...................
Mr. pru , I would hope that your friend is using that sentence metaphorically speaking......If not then he might have been coerced
sublimally into a Reverse Stockholm Syndrome state of mind.............He could be a candidate for many years of intense electrical shock and lithium treatments.........I will now be monitoring his every post and I will contact you if his mental state worsens..............
Sounds like a solid course of action Siggy..................thanks for your input...........................
I think announced attendance for Toledo ends up being around 47k. My Sellout Watch tracker is still a bit conservative, but not sure to what degree.Love it, thank you for the update! Guessing we trickle over 45k for Toledo, which is a pretty "meh" crowd all around but a nice gesture given the circumstances for a home opener vs. a smaller school. RE: Penn State, I would guess it will be something like this:
47k if we start 0-2
51k if we start 1-1 (not sure the wins/losses matter)
56k if we start 2-0
Maybe with a 2-0 start and some aggressive marketing (likely to include some serious discounts or even free tickets to youth groups or something), we can at least dream of a sellout vs. Penn State. However, getting 14k+ tickets sold between now and September 16th might be difficult.
I think your other estimates are reasonable. There is almost no chance we sell out Penn State, unfortunately. It should be a good draw though assuming we don't lay eggs against Toledo and Kansas.
Pruman abhors a vacuum
redwingillini11
White and Sixth
- North Aurora
Whoa, Indy Illini Fan was Jim Leonhard all along. It makes total sense....
Probably a bit. I always root for our opponents after they play us unless its Ohio State, Bowling Green or NIU. The better the Illini finish regardless if Toledo wins Sept 2nd, the better our resume is to end. Digging ourselves out of the MAC tie in bowls or at least landing a top G5 matchup post MAC Championship is key. 10-2 or better with a game vs. an 8 win Illinois who is likely to be our only top 50 opponent is important maneuvering bowl season.You've kept the discussion so lively here in the post-camp doldrums of August, I'm wondering whether you're going to continue to visit our Board after the Sept. 2 game and provide insight on our prospects. If not, win or lose, I for one will feel a gaping void come Sept. 3.
altgeld88
- Arlington, Virginia
Ah, much better. I've managed to conjure the old Pru. All is well.
I do not know his camp routine. In his past he has slept on opponents though, and I bet if PSU was week 1 and FAU was week 2, he'd be plan differently.
Illini2010-11
- Sugar Grove
Yes, announced attendance will surpass butts in seat by a few thousand next Saturday. With an infant at home, at least this year, I will only be able to get out once or twice with my season tickets (long drive from Chicago suburbs), and then giving away the other games to friends/family. I am sure I am not alone, so I expect the bump in season tickets will come with a few games of those seats not being used/sold cheap on secondary ticket sites, which could hurt overall attendance numbers slightly in the sense of trying to sellout.
I actually think that we may get close to a sellout for Penn State game, especially if the Illini get off to a 2-0 start. Mixed in with week of game promos to get more students to game and Penn State traveling well, I expect very high ticket sales (actually attending the game is a whole different ballgame). There is potential to get close to sellout...I mean we sold out the North Carolina game in Lovie's first year (granted many fans around me had overly unrealistic expectations and fans very quickly stopped attending at first indication of team not matching perceived hype). So there is history of fans attending when the hype is real. If we can sustain some success over this year, then ticket sales in 2024 should be even better. Hopefully long ago are the days of ESPN making fun of our extinct student section in the North End Zone. I remember when the North End Zone opened in 2007 as a student, and we had those seats filled regularly (we used to have to get out first thing Monday to get seats there, otherwise seats were relegated to the overflow section in East Sideline).
- Status