Pregame: Illinois vs Penn State, Saturday, September 16th, 11:00am CT, FOX
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That is Fox's top announcing team? Buahahahaha (sorry, I can't stop laughing) haha hahahahaha..."Fox’s top announcing team — Gus Johnson and Joel Klatt — will still make the trip to Champaign for the network’s national broadcast of Saturday’s Illinois-Penn State Big Ten opener at 11 a.m."
Fox calls audible — Big Noon Kickoff show cancels Champaign visit, sticking with 'Coach Prime'
Since debuting in 2019, the show has been to 10 Big Ten campuses — Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin — butwww.news-gazette.com
I'll wait to make a prediction until midweek after we find out if there will be any injury issues, and if we learn anything more from Bret on changes to the O-line. Even though it's reactionary, based on how we've looked the past 2 weeks, a 14pt line for PSU seems a little high but not too egregious. I'd probably have put it at 11pts to account for home field myself as 17pts on neutral does seem a bit much, but I certainly wouldn't call Illinois a value bet at 14.
Really this comes down to whether our defense and linebacking corps can make the major changes needed to stop the run and whether we can patch together the right side of our o-line. If we can, Illinois is a solid bet ATS. If we can't, take PSU in a heartbeat.
Really this comes down to whether our defense and linebacking corps can make the major changes needed to stop the run and whether we can patch together the right side of our o-line. If we can, Illinois is a solid bet ATS. If we can't, take PSU in a heartbeat.
TentakilRex
- Land O Insects between Quincy-Macomb-Jacksonville
You don't want to see the Monday Night Football lead announcer and his paycheck.
IlliniFanHere
- New York
If our Defense can give 500+ to Unranked Kansas.....how much will they give up to #7 Penn State
Same here in Illinois during the 49ers Steelers game.
altgeld88
- Arlington, Virginia
I haven't followed this string so have probably missed many iterations on this topic. However, the choice of CU for Fox BNS doesn't make me angry, just disappointed.
It makes sense for Fox. Deion's is a once-in-a-generation (or more) story. Fox makes the choice that will draw the most eyeballs. This weekend that's Coach Prime in Boulder. Folsom will sell out, the students will be in a frenzy already at mid-morning when the show begins there, and that's the backdrop they crave. CU will likely crush CSU but that's of no consequence to the choice of where to stage the BNS program. It's just our bad luck to be the bride left at the altar.
I don't believe the choice has anything to do with our play v. Kansas. We could have smoked Kansas and they would have shifted to Boulder anyway. What bigger story, and rocket-ship bling, in college football has there been in the past 20 years to rival what's going on now at CU? 30 years? Gary Barnett turning around NU quickly isn't even in the ballpark.
It's ratings, eyeballs, and advertising $$. That's it. The circus is in Boulder, not Champaign. No one, not simply the Illini, can compete with this. It sucks to be us in this sitch but c'est la vie.
I share your frustration and embarrassment, but I think you need a bit of a reality check. Our own fans haven’t jumped on the bandwagon yet to support the team so don’t expect any entitlements from the national audience. We aren’t even close to a sellout for PSU game, and that’s with the FOX courtesy giving us months to hype the game.
Focus should be on getting a single sellout before we expect any meaningful national attention.
I tell ya, this has been just one of those sports weekends for us Chicago Illini fans... Just some of the worst football imaginable
Krombopulos_Michael
- Aurora, Illinois (that’s a suburb of Chicago)
The entire sports weekend.
MoCoMdIllini
- Montgomery County, Maryland
Gus. Johnson."Fox’s top announcing team — Gus Johnson and Joel Klatt — will still make the trip to Champaign for the network’s national broadcast of Saturday’s Illinois-Penn State Big Ten opener at 11 a.m."
Fox calls audible — Big Noon Kickoff show cancels Champaign visit, sticking with 'Coach Prime'
Since debuting in 2019, the show has been to 10 Big Ten campuses — Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin — but
(And if you heard it in your mind's ear like he would say it... then it worked.)
The PSU-Illini game is the Big Noon game. The pre-game show, Big Noon Kickoff, is what moved to Boulder. Sucks for the DIA as they planned all the pre-game activities around that show when it was announced to be coming in mid-summer.
Maybe reeling people in and will announce it late to hype Colorado and Sanders
Illini2010-11
- Sugar Grove
Big Noon is at Champaign this week. That is the game that is playing. The Big Noon kickoff show is in Boulder, which I believe is the first time (with exception of Covid year) that it is not on the campus Big Noon is playing. Sucks for fans, but we still do have a prime television slot. The team needs to play better this week in front of a big audience.
Edit: Sorry a poster above me answered first.
pruman91
- Paducah, Ky
Gus Johnson , born in a hyperbolic chamber , is the master of the hyperbole with an elevated screech vocal level and an inflated opinion of his eliteness...........if I wasn't already gonna listen to Brian B. and Martin O'Donnell I would mute the sound and listen to some tunes rather than hear his incessant goings on,,,,,,I really really would.....................
I find Gus Johnson to be absolutely annoying as a broadcaster! He goes into 'yell' mode and just will not turn it off. He is as equally annoying calling basketball games. Now for the football game... I fully expect us to play better. I'm hoping the crowd is large and loud. This will be Penn State's first road game. Things are never as easy on the road. Our defense has certainly underperformed these first two weeks. They must play better Saturday. Offensively, we must be able to run the ball more effectively to help keep our defense off the field and to give DA some protection. He has been getting hammered these first two weeks. He will not last a whole season at this rate with the hits he has been taking. My sense of optimism going into the season has certainly been tempered after these first two games. With all of that in mind, I certainly expect us to play our best game yet. GO ILLINI!!
Illini re-evaluating defense after Kansas loss
Bret Bielema: 'What I get concerned about is when we have fundamental things that break down'
Bielema mentions what would be best case scenario if true - trimming it up - assuming he means the playbook. Could be defense is too young for the game plans they implemented last year.
Huh? It was a nice recovery today for us Illini/Packer fans. Right guys? Guys?
The entire sports weekend.
Obviously I would love a win on Saturday. But honestly, if we show improvement and stay within a TD or so, until the 4th quarter, I will completely satisfied.
I was also thinking, when is the last time we started a season by playing 3 teams the caliber of which we have played this year? (All potential 10 win teams)
I was also thinking, when is the last time we started a season by playing 3 teams the caliber of which we have played this year? (All potential 10 win teams)
Ransom Stoddard
Ordained Dudeist Priest
- Bloomington, IL
I'll be at the game.
Chanting "Gus Johnson Sucks", hoping I'm close enough to the field to get picked up by the microphones.
Illini2010-11
- Sugar Grove
CBB taking some blame for the early struggles. Respect that. However, He is not the DC.Illini re-evaluating defense after Kansas loss
Bret Bielema: 'What I get concerned about is when we have fundamental things that break down'
Bielema mentions what would be best case scenario if true - trimming it up - assuming he means the playbook. Could be defense is too young for the game plans they implemented last year.
Who cares if fox game day is here or not. Matt Leinart and Co. are wanna be ESPN game day and Lee Corso, the "A" team! I would have hit the roof if they took the national audience away from Champaign come 11am..
Let's focus on showing up, being loud, and having some fun. Long season, let's start by upsetting PedoSt..!
I am confident that as long as we don't get poor Luke killed, we are going to get better
as the season progresses.
Let's focus on showing up, being loud, and having some fun. Long season, let's start by upsetting PedoSt..!
I am confident that as long as we don't get poor Luke killed, we are going to get better
as the season progresses.As a Chicago/Illinois fan in Texas, this weekend literally could not have been worse.
1. School I work at lost our primary rivalry game screwed by the refs. AD got apology phone call from head of officials.
2. Illini lose
3. Texas wins
4. Bears lose
5. Packers win
6. Cowboys win
Football gods very angry this week.
Oh, and just like dickie v, I love Gus Johnson too.
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