Bowls/Playoff & Polls Thread

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#76      
Birdus
If these are some of the possible matchups, I like our draw much better than Nebraska or Michigan. Manning is just starting to figure it out. LSU is down but they definitely have enough to beat Nebraska by double digits.
 
#77      
DeonThomas
Come to think of it, Iowa could just as easily get invited to Vegas (as us) --- so I guess that's probably why the insiders are saying that ReliaQuest is also getting some play.
 
#79      
Fighter of the Nightman
Someone touched on traveling fan bases and attendance at these bowl games, and how it could possibly affect where we are picked. I think attendance at these games is a lot more of a crapshoot than some think, with the only sure-fire ways to get a huge crowd being to (A) get two Blue Blood programs facing off or (B) have one team have a very clear home court advantage.

Here are the last three ReliaQuest Bowl crowds:

35,797 for Illinois vs. Mississippi State in 2022-23
31,424 for Wisconsin vs. LSU in 2023-24
51,439 for Michigan vs. Alabama in 2024-25

And here are the last three Citrus Bowl crowds:

42,791 for Purdue vs. LSU in 2022-23
43,861 for Iowa vs. Tennessee in 2023-24
47,129 for Illinois vs. South Carolina in 2024-25

I certainly think it would go against this board's assumed conventional wisdom that Illinois/South Carolina would draw a crowd that was nearly 8% bigger than Iowa/Tennessee and over 10% bigger than Purdue/LSU (mostly due to the latter team, of course). How many also would have guessed that Illinois/Mississippi State would draw almost 14% better than Wisconsin/LSU?!

I have two points here:

1) While it is understandable given that we have not even BEEN in hardly any bowl games over the last three decades or so, people here are underestimating what a draw Illinois might be as far as bringing fans. Mississippi State and South Carolina fans might have outnumbered us by slim margins, but we were near 50% of both crowds.

2) Even if there are other fan bases that might theoretically travel more willingly than us like Wisconsin or Iowa, we shouldn't discount how much more exciting these bowls are currently for our fans than for theirs. Iowa has been to 9 bowls that are at least as prestigious as the Music City Bowl since 2013 ... we've been to 2. Our fans rightfully might feel like this is a bigger deal!
 
#80      
BZuppke
For those making predictions based on comparative scores, please stop. Yes we got beaten badly by Wisky, but we beat USC and Duke and but for four turnovers we’re in a tight battle with tOSU. We beat NW, which beat Minnesota which beat Wisconsin. So how does this help predicting a bowl game? Not a jot.
 
#82      
illinifan1987
GoodePodzMelendez said:
The way I read this is Nashville is the obvious choice as Michigan and Iowa will go to the Citrus and Reliaquest Bowls. Now if the SEC sends 4 to the CFP which is a distinct possibility, Georgia, TAMU, Ole Miss and Bama will be the 4. Texas will go to the Citrus, Oklahoma to the Reliaquest and Vandy to the Tax Slayer Bowl in Jax. That leave Mizzou to go to Nashville to play us. The Music City Bowl will ignore the back to back thing to get a juicy matchup of Illinois and Mizzou. Especially after basketball does the Border War game. I, of course, have no idea if this will play out but the jogistics work. But we have been screwed before with the playing the local flavor in a bowl, UCLA in 1984, LSU in 2002 and USC in 08. We could get Vandy in Nashville which would be so Illinois like.
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In A Hurry Running GIF by Holly Logan

Beavis And Butthead Comedy GIF by Paramount+
 
#83      
jamie13197
I'll take Vandy or Tennessee. Let get that 9th win. See Carson Boyd slinging it down field.
 
#85      
blackdog
Fighter of the Nightman said:
Someone touched on traveling fan bases and attendance at these bowl games, and how it could possibly affect where we are picked. I think attendance at these games is a lot more of a crapshoot than some think, with the only sure-fire ways to get a huge crowd being to (A) get two Blue Blood programs facing off or (B) have one team have a very clear home court advantage.

Here are the last three ReliaQuest Bowl crowds:

35,797 for Illinois vs. Mississippi State in 2022-23
31,424 for Wisconsin vs. LSU in 2023-24
51,439 for Michigan vs. Alabama in 2024-25

And here are the last three Citrus Bowl crowds:

42,791 for Purdue vs. LSU in 2022-23
43,861 for Iowa vs. Tennessee in 2023-24
47,129 for Illinois vs. South Carolina in 2024-25

I certainly think it would go against this board's assumed conventional wisdom that Illinois/South Carolina would draw a crowd that was nearly 8% bigger than Iowa/Tennessee and over 10% bigger than Purdue/LSU (mostly due to the latter team, of course). How many also would have guessed that Illinois/Mississippi State would draw almost 14% better than Wisconsin/LSU?!

I have two points here:

1) While it is understandable given that we have not even BEEN in hardly any bowl games over the last three decades or so, people here are underestimating what a draw Illinois might be as far as bringing fans. Mississippi State and South Carolina fans might have outnumbered us by slim margins, but we were near 50% of both crowds.

2) Even if there are other fan bases that might theoretically travel more willingly than us like Wisconsin or Iowa, we shouldn't discount how much more exciting these bowls are currently for our fans than for theirs. Iowa has been to 9 bowls that are at least as prestigious as the Music City Bowl since 2013 ... we've been to 2. Our fans rightfully might feel like this is a bigger deal!
Click to expand...

I was at the Reliaquest game and no way did Mississippi State Fans outnumber us. They were just louder because of the stupid cowbell. Really they had a relatively small number of fans that traveled for the game for how close it was to them.
 
#86      
GoodePodzMelendez
TX Illiniwek said:
Just to be clear, when we played UCLA in '83 and USC in '08, we didn't get "screwed". That was the Rose Bowl match-up...Pac10/12 vs. B1G...before the BCS it was the two Champions facing off, which is what '83 was. B1G teams were playing USC and UCLA for years in that game. The '02 Sugar Bowl did feel different but the Fiesta had Oregon/Colorado (West Teams) and the Orange had Florida/Maryland (East Teams). Illinois was B1G Champion and was going to a BCS Bowl and the Rose Bowl that year was the National Championship Game between Miami and Nebraska, so Illinois had to go to a different BCS Bowl. I don't recall the other options for the Sugar besides LSU, but the BCS committee took them, I'm sure, partly for the obvious reason of filling the stadium. All that said, when the bowls are physically located in the areas of these various schools, for northern tier teams its going to be difficult to have a significant presence, or a presence that outnumbers the opponent...except for maybe scUM or OSU. But, Illini fans certainly showed up for the Citrus Bowl last year. The Cocks had us outnumbered but not by a lot...it was pretty even. I, for one, was proud of our showing there. If the NCAA can set up an Illinois/Mizzery Music City Bowl, that could be the most equitable scenario we could hope for. But, the scenario of Vandy or Tennessee could still happen, which is just how the Bowl system works and schools like Illinois have to accept it...it isn't getting screwed. When Chicago starts hosting a bowl with their new domed stadium in Arlington Heights (or wherever its set for), then Illinois playing LSU, or South Carolina, or USC there might be a different story.
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I get that but we are still playing in their back yard as well as playing LSU in New Orleans
 
#87      
TheChief4Life
blackdog said:
I was at the Reliaquest game and no way did Mississippi State Fans outnumber us. They were just louder because of the stupid cowbell. Really they had a relatively small number of fans that traveled for the game for how close it was to them.
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I was there too, and I 100% agree with this. To be completely honest, it felt as if Illinois had control of that town for the days leading up to the game. Hardly saw a Miss St fan until game day, and even then, maybe right before we got to the stadium.
 
#92      
wma500
Implied percentages of making the playoffs based on current odds:

Alabama 95%
ND 79%
BYU 26%
TT Off the board

As for TT/BYU game, TT is -559, BYU is +400. TT favored by 12
As for GA/AL game, GA is -136, AL is +113. GA favored by 2.5

As long as Alabama keeps it close, they're in. BYU wins, they're in (along w/ TTech). ND stays in, if Tech wins; gets bumped if BYU wins.
 
#94      
DeonThomas
wma500 said:
Implied percentages of making the playoffs based on current odds:

Alabama 95%
ND 79%
BYU 26%
TT Off the board

As for TT/BYU game, TT is -559, BYU is +400. TT favored by 12
As for GA/AL game, GA is -136, AL is +113. GA favored by 2.5

As long as Alabama keeps it close, they're in. BYU wins, they're in (along w/ TTech). ND stays in, if Tech wins; gets bumped if BYU wins.
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I want to see ND get bumped. Go Cougars!!
 
#99      
the juiceman cometh
#100      
gibb52
Bama at 9 tells me they have to win Saturday. Texas moves in with a Bama loss.
 
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