Bowl Games Thread
I like the idea of west division
9 (USC, Oregon, WA, UCLA, Nebraska Iowa, Minnesota Illinois NW)
meeting east division champion in Rose Bowl
9 (OSU, Mich, MSU, Indiana, Purdue WI, PSU, Rutgers, MD)
With 2 crossovers and 2 OOC games and you got yourself a solid league.
MustangWally
- Mayfield
I'd prefer three divisions:
WEST
Oregon
Washington
USC
UCLA
Nebraska
Minnesota
MIDWEST
Iowa
Wisconsin
Illinois
Northwestern
Indiana
Purdue
EAST
Michigan
Michigan State
Ohio State
Penn State
Rutgers
Maryland
Five games in your division. Two crossovers in each of the other two divisions.
Divison champs with the two best records play for the championship . . . rotates between Indy and the Rose Bowl.
WEST
Oregon
Washington
USC
UCLA
Nebraska
Minnesota
MIDWEST
Iowa
Wisconsin
Illinois
Northwestern
Indiana
Purdue
EAST
Michigan
Michigan State
Ohio State
Penn State
Rutgers
Maryland
Five games in your division. Two crossovers in each of the other two divisions.
Divison champs with the two best records play for the championship . . . rotates between Indy and the Rose Bowl.
Think bigger....we're going to 20 or 24 teams. Let's say 20. Here's how it could go down:
- Four divisions of five teams each.
- 12 game season over 13 weeks, starting Saturday of Labor Day weekend, ending Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend
- 9 conference games (4 in each division plus cross overs, preserved rivalries, etc.).
- 6 team playoff, top two division winners get a bye
- First round of games is on campus (#6 @ #3, #5 @ #4), on second Saturday in December
- Second round is neutral sites (Indy, Detroit, Minneapolis, Vegas, Santa Clara, Tampa, possibly Phoenix), on third Saturday in December
- Championship is Rose Bowl, 1/1, 2pm PST kick
SEC does the exact same thing, using the Sugar Bowl as their championship
Two winners meet, neutral site, second Monday in January.
Other bowls, if they still exist, can select non-playoff teams for slots.
- Four divisions of five teams each.
- 12 game season over 13 weeks, starting Saturday of Labor Day weekend, ending Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend
- 9 conference games (4 in each division plus cross overs, preserved rivalries, etc.).
- 6 team playoff, top two division winners get a bye
- First round of games is on campus (#6 @ #3, #5 @ #4), on second Saturday in December
- Second round is neutral sites (Indy, Detroit, Minneapolis, Vegas, Santa Clara, Tampa, possibly Phoenix), on third Saturday in December
- Championship is Rose Bowl, 1/1, 2pm PST kick
SEC does the exact same thing, using the Sugar Bowl as their championship
Two winners meet, neutral site, second Monday in January.
Other bowls, if they still exist, can select non-playoff teams for slots.
Not sure where this belongs, but if you go to the 14 minute mark, I think it's a good discussion of where the sport is getting things right and wrong. For all the hand wringing about NIL and becoming like the pros, there's a great counterpoint on scheduling more towards meaningful games, and an amazing playoff season.
Klatt & Herd around 14min
Klatt & Herd around 14min
MustangWally
- Mayfield
If you add UNC, Virginia and FSU to the East, that pushes Michigan and Michigan State to the Midwest and Iowa to the West. Then you go to a 10 game conference schedule.
Illinir1
- Camdenton, MO
Answer: Tim Beckman, Bill Cubit, Lovie Smith.
These three coached the Illini from 2012 thru 2020. Their combined record over that time period was 34-71 (.324 win %) and an abysmal 16-58 conference record (.216 win %!!!). They beat down the spirit of any but us most die-hard Illini fans.
Over that same 2012-2020 time period Missouri was 59-49 (.546 win %)
Missouri had a great year this year, finishing 11-2. But this season was preceded by 6-7 (2022), 6-7 (2021), 5-5 (2020) for Eli Drinkwitz.
Yet, coming off of those three previous seasons, Missouri sold out five of their seven home games this year (capacity 62,621)
Missouri's average home game attendance this year was 60,169 (96% of capacity)
Missouri had five losing seasons in the nine seasons of 2012-2020 and two of those were due to a loss in their bowl game ('21 & '22)
Compare Missouri attendance with an Illini team coming off of an 8-5 season:
Zero sellouts (capacity 60,670) (the last Memorial Stadium sellout was Lovie's first game vs. North Carolina Sep. 10, 2016)
Largest crowd was 54,205 for the Wisconsin game (89% of capacity). Also, FAU (53,512 - 88%) and Indiana (53,157 - 88%)
Illinois average home game attendance this year was 49,698 (82% of capacity)
Illinois attendance on a good trajectory: 2021 - 35,347 2022 - 43,048 2023 - 49,698 but may take a hit after missing a bowl this year.
Illinois had a losing record in all nine seasons from 2012-2020 with one of those due to a loss in their bowl game ('19 Redbox Bowl)
The hole the previous coaching regimes dug is very deep and will take time to get out of. Coach Bielema is off to a great start compared to the previous coaches going back to John Mackovic (1988-1991), who was the last Illini coach with an overall winning record (30-16-1 = .663!!!). After the '21, '22, and '23 seasons Coach Bielema is 13-12 overall (.520 win %), and 9-9 in conference. That 9-9 confernece record is like being national champions compared to the combined conference .216 win % of the three previous coaches.
Keep the faith. Coach Bielema has the ship turning.
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Nice analysis
I agree it will take long time to become constant winner. Mike White got us on track with west coast offense and JC transfers. Mackovic kept it going.
Ron Turner had a couple good seasons but faded. Ron Zook same.
Beckman, Cubit, Lovie pretty much stunk it up and put us back in the cellar.
Brett is improving team and culture. He is not a rock star recruiter like Ron Zook but I think he is a program builder.
I am very excited about next years team.
The Galloping Ghost
- Washington, DC
For one game only, I'm a huge freaking Washington Fan.
Go Dawgs!!!
IlliniSaluki
- IL metro east burbs of St. Louis
And Michigan does what Michigan does.. score. Let's now see how Washington responds.
scUM 7 - 0
scUM 7 - 0
They were dealing with weather issues prior to the game tonight:
IlliniSaluki
- IL metro east burbs of St. Louis
scUM 7 - 3 Washington
Washington moved it down the field well but in the red zone fizzled out and wasted 2 of their first half TO's on the first drive of the game settling for a field goal.
Washington moved it down the field well but in the red zone fizzled out and wasted 2 of their first half TO's on the first drive of the game settling for a field goal.
The Evil Empire . . . SMFH
IlliniSaluki
- IL metro east burbs of St. Louis
scUM 14 - 3 Washington
Michigan drives down in short order with a big pass to setup another Edwards rushing TD. Edwards has both TD's for scUM tonight.
Michigan drives down in short order with a big pass to setup another Edwards rushing TD. Edwards has both TD's for scUM tonight.
GrayGhost77
- Centennial, CO
If they win I hope it gets vacated for their shady, cheating ways. Washington wins by default.
IlliniSaluki
- IL metro east burbs of St. Louis
Washington forced to punt in their 2nd drive of the night.
TentakilRex
- Land O Insects between Quincy-Macomb-Jacksonville
Nice choke job FBS!
Michigan is absolutely dicing up Washington on the ground right now.
IlliniSaluki
- IL metro east burbs of St. Louis
scUM 17 - 3 Washington
scUM can't get into the endzone and settle for a FG.
scUM can't get into the endzone and settle for a FG.
Almost looks like Michigan knows everything Washington is trying to do. 
Too soon?
Too soon?IlliniSaluki
- IL metro east burbs of St. Louis
Washington goes for it on 4th and 7 and fails the conversion, pass over thrown. scUM starting in great position.