Illinois 21, Oregon 10 Postgame

#201      
We need a running count of how many times opposing teams fire a coach shortly after we beat them. I feel like it happens every year.

Oregon... USC...Welcome again to the Big Ten. Both experienced the same thing on Saturday.

These privileged traditional West Coast powers are being introduced a little bit more every year to what good old tough Midwestern football has been for generations. Nothing that we ‘Flatlanders’ haven’t known about Midwestern football for a long time.

The West Coast never paid too much attention to Midwestern Flatland Ballers – except for maybe USC and Notre Dame which was always billed as some kind of clash of college football royalty.

And there is someone else still having trouble with life in the Large Ten. The proud Nebraska Cornhuskers which was so used to great success for so long and which still has not adjusted to life in the Big Ten. Which has confused Husker fans still trying to come to terms with all this and still wishing for the good-old Big 8 and We Only Have To Worry About Oklahoma years.

The Midwest may not have Pacific Ocean views and salty air or really tall Redwoods around and too many rainy days. No, it’s got prairies (a few left anyway) and feisty weather (for sure). But it always has lots of guys every year who know how to Play Ball whether they all come from here or not. It’s not just the old Three Yards and a Cloud of Dust anymore. But it is still Midwest grit to play here.

Welcome to the Flatlands...
 
#202      
I don’t get it. Do they not realize they are making things look bad on TV as a student section. Is there more interactive cheers they can do during the game? Seems like the basketball student fans are more involved in the games than the football student fans. It was a close game from start to finish not a blow out. I can’t remember understand leaving on a blowout but not a close game. The players need our students to generate noise. Maybe moving them out of the NEZ to somewhere else in the stadium will fix things?
Do you watch or go to the basketball games? They are constantly on their phones.

I was laughing that the post game show hosts were saying the students are going to show up for the Neb game on a Friday night. It will depend on the weather. Cold game and they won't show up. Or if they do, they will leave early to go to the bars. It's sad because the games have been fun and the team can use their help with noise in that end zone.

I know people are calling for the students to be put on the 50 yard line behind the opponent bench, but if they don't come or if they leave early, why waste great seats? If they have to be in the east main, put them in the sections they are already in and the balcony above. Do all B10 schools have this issue?

As far as the sales to Oregon fans, when you let people buy 10 seats for their season ticket allocation, what do you expect? We haven't had the same people in front of us all year. Different people every game.
 
#203      
I don’t get it. Do they not realize they are making things look bad on TV as a student section. Is there more interactive cheers they can do during the game? Seems like the basketball student fans are more involved in the games than the football student fans. It was a close game from start to finish not a blow out. I can’t remember understand leaving on a blowout but not a close game. The players need our students to generate noise. Maybe moving them out of the NEZ to somewhere else in the stadium will fix things?
I was at the game - first one at Memorial Stadium in a couple of years. I think part of the problem is the NFL-izing the game atmosphere. Less band, more electronic noise. Less crowd-led participative cheers, and all PA led cheers. Less Block I, more some dude on the field with his pic on the scoreboard screaming fake enthusiasm. I actually noticed that they started cranking music on the coreboard over the band! THEY EVEN CUT OFF ILLINOIS LOYALTY WITH ELECTRONIC SCOREBOARD NOISE!!

It felt less than a college atmosphere than any game I have been at - on the road or at home.

PS - I noticed the same trend at the basketball game the night before.
 
#206      
One other thought on the game day experience:

I would love to bring back the east side I-L-L and the west side I-N-I chant. The way it is now, people just randomly yell one or the other. It used to be a really loud, reverberating cheer. Now it's an afterthought or grass roots cheers in individual areas.
 
#207      
angry half baked GIF
Boo You Suck GIF by Adult Swim
 
#208      
Our tackling still needs work! How many times did they have a chunk play after initial contact? Defense looked very vulnerable whenever we lined up. We were saved by last gasp tackles. Worst defense by far under Bielema...

We won because of three big plays on offense. With a freshman QB!

And Raiola is NOT a winning QB.

And I just love our coach! He's great at making chicken salad out of chicken...feathers.

Bring on Maryland!
We won because the defense only allowed 10 points (none in the second half!)! The defense is far from good, but that unit outplayed the Oregon offensive unit. That is the key difference in the game. The defense made the important 3rd down stops that was lacking all season. Hopefully that unit gets a bit of confidence after a very good showing against an out of sync offense. Of course they could improve tackling, but this defense took huge steps forward this week.

Also the offense was able to finally get the run game working, which opened up the pass for the two tds in 2nd half.
 
#211      
#212      
Deep Thoughts:

1. Make curved/arched ILLINI permanent on helmets!
2. Aidan is fast
3. Two-quarterback system is good right now.
4. Matthew Bailey is a great football player.
5. Wish I could live closer to Champaign.
 
#214      
Oregon... USC...Welcome again to the Big Ten. Both experienced the same thing on Saturday.

These privileged traditional West Coast powers are being introduced a little bit more every year to what good old tough Midwestern football has been for generations. Nothing that we ‘Flatlanders’ haven’t known about Midwestern football for a long time.


The West Coast never paid too much attention to Midwestern Flatland Ballers – except for maybe USC and Notre Dame which was always billed as some kind of clash of college football royalty.

And there is someone else still having trouble with life in the Large Ten. The proud Nebraska Cornhuskers which was so used to great success for so long and which still has not adjusted to life in the Big Ten. Which has confused Husker fans still trying to come to terms with all this and still wishing for the good-old Big 8 and We Only Have To Worry About Oklahoma years.

The Midwest may not have Pacific Ocean views and salty air or really tall Redwoods around and too many rainy days. No, it’s got prairies (a few left anyway) and feisty weather (for sure). But it always has lots of guys every year who know how to Play Ball whether they all come from here or not. It’s not just the old Three Yards and a Cloud of Dust anymore. But it is still Midwest grit to play here.

Welcome to the Flatlands...
Say what you will about the Ducks though…they confidently fly into town the night before…A good 7 or 8 of ‘em, avoid the advice of the team dietician and head to Steak and Shake for a very late meal on South on Neil. You know…to get some quality tallow and dairy.

But, respect…because they make their choice; and they own it. Do they chirp, quack and allege fowl-play by means of food poisoning ? Nope.

Hell no-they don’t! They don’t cry conspiracy! They don’t act like they got screwed over like some impotent Trojan fan. The next day, these Ducks take their beating line Men! As for the fans, they quietly waddle their web-toed feet back to logging country…wiser for the wear.

(I know this because my son didn’t feel well and we had to leave the basketball game at half. Apparently he wasn’t the only one who was getting sick…because those stalls where disgusting…AND well before my son or any ducks got there…just sayin…(like the stuff of nightmares.)
 
#217      
I was at the game - first one at Memorial Stadium in a couple of years. I think part of the problem is the NFL-izing the game atmosphere. Less band, more electronic noise. Less crowd-led participative cheers, and all PA led cheers. Less Block I, more some dude on the field with his pic on the scoreboard screaming fake enthusiasm. I actually noticed that they started cranking music on the coreboard over the band! THEY EVEN CUT OFF ILLINOIS LOYALTY WITH ELECTRONIC SCOREBOARD NOISE!!

It felt less than a college atmosphere than any game I have been at - on the road or at home.

PS - I noticed the same trend at the basketball game the night before.

All of those things have happened as a reaction to the crowd being sticks in the mud. The athletic department is pulling out all these crazy ideas because the fans won't cheer on their own at football or basketball games.
 
#218      
If this doesn’t encourage NIL donors, nothing will.

Gives me even more confidence in BB that he can have a rough start to the season with a serious issue, and still recover.
That said, how they finish the season is going to matter a lot.
Marlyand should be a W, but the rest is pretty hard.
UCLA undefeated
Nebraska and Iowa both 5-2
NW is no joke this year. Only loss is to Indiana by a score.

7-5 would impress me.
 
#220      
Tremendous response from the staff and players after a shaky Q1. Great win! Much needed!
I was out of town and had to watch the highlights (knowing the outcome). After a few minutes of highlights those with me commented "is this the game they won?!"
 
#221      
Gives me even more confidence in BB that he can have a rough start to the season with a serious issue, and still recover.
That said, how they finish the season is going to matter a lot.
Marlyand should be a W, but the rest is pretty hard.
UCLA undefeated
Nebraska and Iowa both 5-2
NW is no joke this year. Only loss is to Indiana by a score.

7-5 would impress me.
Our first 6 games would be the kind of start that past Illinois teams would just fold 'em and pack it in. Bert showed early that he could bring fight. Glad it's still there.
 
#222      
I’m still excited! What a great game. I do believe we’ll see a different team the rest of the season. The D has jelled and with our O line and running game, our young QBs won’t have too much pressure on them. Beat Maryland and come home to Friday night football against the Cornhuskers with bowl eligibility on the line.
 
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