Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Amen. Who knows what even happens from here? I’m ecstatically enjoying every moment I can of RELEVANCE! Feels so damn good.
Illini Football 2022
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ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
It felt last week like there were some lessons learned in that loss. Sometimes an early season kick in the teeth is the best thing for a team.
If we play clean football with competent kicking this is not an easy team to beat. We made those mistakes against Indiana and now our guys know the consequences.
pruman91
- Paducah, Ky
If we literally keep winning the games we should, we will be playing in a New Year's bowl; even with that loss. I'm going to consider the games we should win as games we are favorites to win.
Oct. 8 - We are favorites to win tomorrow. It may be an ugly game, but by definition, we will win. That will make us 5-1 (2-1).
Oct. 15 - Winning tomorrow, regardless of whether it's close or a blowout, will make us the favorites to win against Minnesota on the 15th. And we will. We will be 6-1 (3-1) and go bowling.
Oct. 29 - We will have two weeks off before heading to Nebraska. Going to Nebraska is always a tough road game, and Nebraska does have two 'easy' teams between now and playing us, but losing any of those two games will guarantee they will not be favorites to win. Even winning both probably does not put them as favorites, even with the home game. Illinois will win this game easily. Now 7-1 (4-1), Illinois will not just be talking about a bowl game, but the conversation will be centered on making a run at the B1G Championship game and a spot in the Playoffs.
Nov. 5 - When Michigan State comes to town on November 5, they will have just finished a stretch of Ohio State, Wisconsin, and then AT Michigan. At best, they win one of those game, and in reality probably lose all three. Illinois won't just be favorites, they will likely be double digit favorites. Illinois will come through, beat the spread, and win by 20+ points. Illinois will be 8-1 (5-1) at this point. If we haven't been making national news by this point, we surely will be now.
Nov. 12 - Purdue's schedule doesn't appear to be any tougher than Illinois' from this point until they meet us on November 12. They also aren't as good of a team as we are, so it doesn't mean they will have the same outcomes. Illinois will have home field, momentum, and even more importantly, confidence. We'll be favorites, and we will win. Illinois will have 9 wins for the first time since 2007.
Nov. 19 - A 9-1 Illinois team will travel to a 10-0 Michigan team. Illinois will be underdogs, and since I'm basing this off of being favorites or not, Illinois, by rule, will lose. Not a bad loss, but a loss none-the-less.
Nov. 26 - Northwestern will travel to Illinois, and we will be another double digit favorite to win the game. Again, Illinois won't disappoint, especially since it knows it needs to wow the bowl selection people. This game ends up 55-10 before starters are pulled half-way through the 3rd quarter (maybe even earlier). Illinois wins the B1G West with a 10-2 (7-2) record and gets the chance to take on Ohio State in the championship.
Dec. 3 - Illinois loses the Championship Game.
Illinois will finish the season 10-3 with a 7-2 B1G record.
The following New Year's Bowls (I'm saying any bowl from Dec 31 to Jan 2) have B1G tie-ins:
Rose Bowl (B1G vs, Pac-12)
Citrus Bowl (Big vs. SEC)
Tampa Bay (Big vs. SEC)
There's no way a 10-3 B1G team gets overlooked for at least one of those slots by through the selection process. Not to mention that the CFP may end up having two B1G teams (if the only loss to either Michigan or Ohio State is the other team).
So, if we literally keep winning the games we should, we will be playing in a New Year's bowl; even with that loss.
Just keep winning.
MustangWally
- Mayfield
I am so not aboard this hype train. Looking forward to some exciting games, but we're Illinois after all.
Ransom Stoddard
Ordained Dudeist Priest
- Bloomington, IL
To me it isn't that "we're Illinois", it's that we haven't played anyone yet, so it's faulty logic to determine the games we "should" win based on beating bad teams (and losing to another). Iowa's D is going to be the toughest we've seen so far, so I'm withholding any prognostication about the rest of the year until after 10pm tomorrow.
skyIdub
Winged Warrior
GrayGhost77
- Centennial, CO
The Galloping Ghost
- Washington, DC
We've crawled through our 500-foot pipe of sh*t. I'm ready to come out clean on the other side.
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MustangWally
- Mayfield
Exactly right.
I just want to beat Iowa. We'll worry about the other teams when their turn comes.
Mr. Tibbs
- southeast DuPage
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
No such reality exists, my friend! Nebraska can’t will themselves back to prominence by stating, “We’re Nebraska!” Similarly, there exists no cosmic curse that dooms us to simply conclude, “We’re Illinois, after all.”
We pretty clearly have the most competent staff we’ve had in well over 30 years. We are playing suffocating defense and fundamentally sound football. Even our one loss is a 3-point loss in a game where the refs literally gifted the other team 7 points - sorry, there’s no other way to say it! And we’ve looked immensely better every game since then.
I think it’s fine to not get too far ahead of yourself dreaming, but this isn’t the same as past years where we’ve sat at a decent record and had a big home game coming up that ~COULD~ serve as this big “turning point” … objective outsiders think we can and SHOULD be 5-1 (2-1) on Sunday and in the driver’s seat for our division. We might indeed lose to Iowa, but I don’t recall hype that has been this “earned” since our Rose Bowl year (including our 6-0 start in 2011!).
Either way, it’s exhilarating to know what it feels like to have a huge game coming up and actually have real hope we can win if we just come out and play our game!
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
You can tell Illini Nation isn't used to being good at football because we're not going insane about inserting Chase Brown into the Heisman conversation.
He deserves to be in the consideration but it is such a hard award to win if you aren’t on a top ranked team ie top 5
He has to be one of the best rbs. He falls forward and runs with power
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
He reads what's in front of him so well, and he can hit the hole either very suddenly or very patiently, with the ability to violently cut for open space in either scenario.
He bends space and time, is what I'm saying
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
The Chicago Illini Club put on a gameday bar thing at the Budweiser Whateverville Saloon in Gallagher Way next to Wrigley Field and it was really well attended, well produced, and a lot of fun, one of the better Illini bar experiences I've had in the city.
My understanding is that they do this for every game (obviously a night game is preferable), but if any Chicagoans are looking for a good game watch spot with all the TV's and audio and whatnot I would recommend checking it out.
www.brickhousetavernchi.com
My understanding is that they do this for every game (obviously a night game is preferable), but if any Chicagoans are looking for a good game watch spot with all the TV's and audio and whatnot I would recommend checking it out.
Illinois Sports Bar | Budweiser Brickhouse Tavern | Wrigleyville
I-L-L! We’re proud to be the best Illinois sports bar in Chicago. Check out our game day specials…you’ll love them for sure.
www.brickhousetavernchi.com
mhuml32
- Cincinnati, OH
SP+ changes after week 6:
Minnesota 31 --> 28 --> 20 --> 16 --> 7 --> 10 --> 11 (-20)
Wisconsin 17 --> 9 --> 21 --> 15 --> 29 --> 33 --> 28 (+11)
Iowa 27 --> 41 --> 39 --> 31 --> 27 --> 29 --> 29 (+2)
Purdue 34 --> 43 --> 29 --> 36 --> 36 --> 25 --> 21 (-13)
Illinois 79 --> 70 --> 63 --> 63 --> 47 --> 44 --> 34 (-45)
Nebraska 44 --> 48 --> 51 --> 68 --> 69 --> 63 --> 67 (+23)
Northwestern 89 --> 80 --> 89 --> 99 --> 98 --> 88 --> 98 (+9)
Minnesota 31 --> 28 --> 20 --> 16 --> 7 --> 10 --> 11 (-20)
Wisconsin 17 --> 9 --> 21 --> 15 --> 29 --> 33 --> 28 (+11)
Iowa 27 --> 41 --> 39 --> 31 --> 27 --> 29 --> 29 (+2)
Purdue 34 --> 43 --> 29 --> 36 --> 36 --> 25 --> 21 (-13)
Illinois 79 --> 70 --> 63 --> 63 --> 47 --> 44 --> 34 (-45)
Nebraska 44 --> 48 --> 51 --> 68 --> 69 --> 63 --> 67 (+23)
Northwestern 89 --> 80 --> 89 --> 99 --> 98 --> 88 --> 98 (+9)
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
Other notes.
We are offense #91 and defense #4. Iowa is offense #102 and defense #1. Minnesota is offense #43 and defense #5.
Michigan State drops from 37th and ahead of us to 58th and well behind us.
SP+ rankings for all 131 FBS teams
Ohio State takes over the top spot in the SP+ rankings following Week 6.
Possibly hot take time? At this point in the trajectory of the program, coasting to 8-4 and a comfortable bowl game is just fine versus winning the West and getting destroyed by Ohio State.
Getting the program off the ground is about so much more than one season. We need like 7 straight bowl games or 8 in 10 years or something like that to truly get the train moving.
Of course you want to win every time you take the field, but if we ultimately don't get out ahead of our skis the rest of the way, due to injury or otherwise, it's okay. The story of this program will be told over the next decade. Not next Saturday.
Getting the program off the ground is about so much more than one season. We need like 7 straight bowl games or 8 in 10 years or something like that to truly get the train moving.
Of course you want to win every time you take the field, but if we ultimately don't get out ahead of our skis the rest of the way, due to injury or otherwise, it's okay. The story of this program will be told over the next decade. Not next Saturday.
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