2026 Season Predictions Thread

#1      

Dan

Dan
Admin
Dan
UAB
Duke
Southern Illinois
at Ohio State
Purdue
at Michigan State
Oregon
at Maryland
Nebraska
at UCLA
Iowa
at Northwestern
 
#2      
Illini in Italy
12-0 regular season, CFP playoffs 4-0, for the natty!

Yes, alcohol may have been involved in this prognostication . . .

Happy Ryder Cup GIF by Rodney Dangerfield
 
#5      
bluemountain
7-5. Our offense should be good to excellent and our defensive backfield is very strong. On the other hand, our DL and LB's are just not P4 caliber and we will give up a lot of points. Last year's team would have gone 10-2 with this schedule
 
#7      
OrangeBlue98
Username said:
7-5 with a victory in the victory in the Duke's Mayo or Pinstripe Bowl to end the season at 8-5. I hope I'm way underestimating us.
Click to expand...
That’s my thought as well. I see this year as a small regression, but to think 7-5 is “regression” shows how far we’ve come.

I want to see us be more competitive in games against the best of the best and not have a Wisconsin-style loss where we just lay a total egg.
 
#14      
PizzaHutParkingLot
Offensive MVPs

Houser: 3,000 passing, 25 total TDs

Valentine: 1,100 scrimmage yards, 10 TDs

The offense won't be Altmyer-level explosive, but it'll be really good if the OL isn't a disaster.

Offensive line

I think the line starts the season looking average and ends it looking pretty good. Not worried about talent.
More worried about five new guys learning to play together before Ohio State.

Offensive breakout

Feagin: 33 catches, 375 yards, 4 TDs

Defensive MVPs

Bailey: 92 tackles, 2 INT

X: 4 INT, All-B1G

Bailey racks up tackles because that's what Bailey does. X reminds everyone why people were so excited about him before the injury.

Defensive Breakouts

Barna: 6 sacks, Holmes: 8 sacks, Beerman: 70+ tackles
 
#15      
gecIllini
UAB -> Win
Duke -> Win
Southern Illinois -> Win
at Ohio State -> Loss
Purdue -> Win
at Michigan State -> Win
Oregon -> Loss
at Maryland -> Win
Nebraska -> Win
at UCLA -> Loss
Iowa -> Win
at Northwestern -> Win

9-3
 
#18      
Fly Illini Fly!
PizzaHutParkingLot said:
The offense won't be Altmyer-level explosive, but it'll be really good if the OL isn't a disaster.
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I do think it’ll be more explosive (doesn’t guarantee it being more efficient).

Houser has a bigger arm to push the ball downfield, and Platt gives us the speed we just haven’t had.

Altmyer had 12 “big time throws” last year, per PFF. Katin Houser had 23.
 
#19      
CaptainCrutch
UAB - W
Duke - W
Southern Illinois - W
at Ohio State - L
Purdue - W
at Michigan State - W
Oregon - L
at Maryland - W
Nebraska - W
at UCLA - W
Iowa - W
at Northwestern - W

I said what I said. CFP with the killer B’s (Bret, Bobby and Barry).
 
#20      
GMAN55
Im feeling 9 and 3. with this: we will find a way to defeat Iowa and lose 1 unexpectedly
 
#21      
GMAN55
So far I have not seen anyone who thinks we can beat Iowa besides me
 
#23      
Illini in Italy
My earlier post aside, I see anywhere from 10-2 (could we pull off another upset to make it to 11-1? Maybe . . .) to 7-5, although I'm leaning towards the more optimistic end of the spectrum and am calling 9-3.

UAB - W
Duke - W
Southern Illinois - W
at Ohio State - L
Purdue - W
at Michigan State - W
Oregon - L
at Maryland - W
Nebraska - W
at UCLA - L
Iowa - W
at Northwestern - W
 
#24      
Witherspoon_illini
Vs UAB- W 38-17
Vs Duke- W 31-20
Vs Southern Illinois- W 45-14
@ Ohio State- L 38-7
Vs Purdue- W 34-24
@ Michigan State- W 24-9
Vs Oregon- L 30-14
@ Maryland- W 36-33
Vs Nebraska- W 23-20 OT
@ UCLA- L 20-17
Vs Iowa- L 13-9
@ Northwestern- W 35-16

8-4 (5-4)
 
#25      
Mr. Tibbs
Witherspoon_illini said:
Vs UAB- W 38-17
Vs Duke- W 31-20
Vs Southern Illinois- W 45-14
@ Ohio State- L 38-7
Vs Purdue- W 34-24
@ Michigan State- W 24-9
Vs Oregon- L 30-14
@ Maryland- W 36-33
Vs Nebraska- W 23-20 OT
@ UCLA- L 20-17
Vs Iowa- L 13-9
@ Northwestern- W 35-16

8-4 (5-4)
Click to expand...
i’m with you on 8-4 being most likely

but nfw we lose to Iowa at home
 
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