Bowl/Playoff Projections - Illinois #16 in CFB Playoff Top 25

Fighter of the Nightman said:

I'm still kicking myself for not attending the Rose Bowl in 2008 (then again, I would have been a sophomore in high school trying to convince my dad to take me, so how much sway did I really have? ), and I will NOT miss it if we make it this time. I have a friend in Pasadena who even gets discounted tickets as a resident, so I told him if he lets me crash for free, I'd pay for this ticket and make him go to the game with me (my wife will have to stay back in Chicago and work, unfortunately).

So, other than obviously making the CFP (which would be unbelievably awesome), I am going to be cheering hard for all of the right things to happen for us to go to Pasadena!

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jrichisamazing said:

From what I've noticed, the committee does a pretty good job of looking ahead so they are ready to give us a good ranking if we do pull off the Michigan upset, and also so they don't have to drop Michigan too low. They usually hedge against having to do anything too distract, like move us from 16 to 6 in one week, if that makes sense.

Right now they aren't worried about it, still lots of football between now and then. If we lose to MSU or Purdue, that ranking doesn't mean much obviously. But if we beat both, somehow we will float up to right around 10th or 11th. Then when we beat Michigan, it will be easy to have us jump up to 6th or 7th.

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ChiefGritty said:

And give some credit to them, Connor Bazelak specifically.

Like every other QB this year we gave him a rough ride mentally and physically. Unlike every other QB this year he hung in there, stuck with it, and was still fighting and engaged enough to make the big throws in the big moments. Spencer Petras.....not so much. Brennan Armstrong had one foot back on the bus home by about the 2nd quarter of the Virginia game.

If I'm MSU or Purdue's QB coach that would be my message to my guy.

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