Illini Football 2023
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Joel Goodson
- dawgville
new turf looks sweet!
If we can get 6 wins I really think we can sustain this a long time. Lots riding on this year.
GrayGhost77
- Centennial, CO
Very doable.
Been several decades when Wisconsin and Iowa don't instantly make me think "L". If we get solid play from Altmyer and our O-Line, I can see a world where we could start out 4-1 or even 5-0 despite our frontloaded schedule. And while PSU is definitely the most talented team in those first 5 games, I think we do have the defense necessary to give them significant problems. 3-2 is a lot more likely, but better is possible. The one game though that I think we're all pretty much overlooking is that Nebraska game. Without Frost, that will likely be a much different program than we're used to and if Rhule can get the kids there to play up to their talent level my gut feel is that one might be a pretty dangerous game if we are 4-1 or 5-0. And if we were to get past them @Maryland has trap written all over it.
As for ceiling, I'll chug some Kool-Aid and say our ceiling is 11-2 this year including a trip to the B10 championship game earning us a very very high end bowl game. Will it happen? Probably not, but I do think there's a possibility. Plus, in a perfect world, here we are 10-2 or 11-1 lining up against Michigan for the B10 championship with the winner earning a spot in Pasadena for the College Football Playoffs, and this time, the refs allow us to close it out.
Del
Man we have a world of talent on this roster. Absolutely
refreshing from past teams.
Delete my post on Roster. Went to fightingillini.com pretty up to date.
Man we have a world of talent on this roster. Absolutely
refreshing from past teams.redwingillini11
- North Aurora
Woof, what does it say that NBC got these games? Will they get better games later in the season? Who got the better games?
Looking at The Athletic's prediction for these weeks from a few weeks ago:
How TV programming could play out for college football's opening weeks in 2023
On May 31, the major TV networks will announce their selections and kickoff times for the first three weeks of the season.
theathletic.com
Would we still be looking good for Big Noon Kickoff for the Penn State game?
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
^ Wow, Charlotte at Maryland primetime on NBC?? 
That belongs on BTN Plus!
As for Illinois/Penn State, given our season last year and their hype and it being an early Big Ten season game, I think that one will have a great TV slot, but there is some decent competition.
Saturday 9/16 Big Ten Games
[ Syracuse at Purdue is on NBC at 7:30 pm ]
Penn State at Illinois
Washington at Michigan State
Minnesota at North Carolina
Syracuse at Purdue
Louisville vs. Indiana (Indianapolis, IN)
Western Kentucky at Ohio State
Bowling Green at Michigan
Northern Illinois at Nebraska
Georgia Southern at Wisconsin
Western Michigan at Iowa
Virginia Tech at Rutgers
Northwestern at Duke (this has ESPNU written all over it, given it's an ACC home game)
So who all are we fighting for these spots? Some games will be on BTN or FS1, and I imagine that those channels will try to nab some of the Michigan or Ohio State games for this week so that they can get those teams on the smaller channels at least some weeks. Since we are no longer on ESPN, does that just mean that every single one of those games is fighting for the FOX slot?? I'm sure the UL/IU game counts as Indiana's home game, so that probably rules out an ESPN slot (though I highly doubt it's a serious contender for FOX).
I would say given that MSU is projected to be down, Illinois/Penn State is clearly the best matchup that week.
That belongs on BTN Plus!As for Illinois/Penn State, given our season last year and their hype and it being an early Big Ten season game, I think that one will have a great TV slot, but there is some decent competition.
Saturday 9/16 Big Ten Games
[ Syracuse at Purdue is on NBC at 7:30 pm ]
Penn State at Illinois
Washington at Michigan State
Minnesota at North Carolina
Syracuse at Purdue
Louisville vs. Indiana (Indianapolis, IN)
Western Kentucky at Ohio State
Bowling Green at Michigan
Northern Illinois at Nebraska
Georgia Southern at Wisconsin
Western Michigan at Iowa
Virginia Tech at Rutgers
Northwestern at Duke (this has ESPNU written all over it, given it's an ACC home game)
So who all are we fighting for these spots? Some games will be on BTN or FS1, and I imagine that those channels will try to nab some of the Michigan or Ohio State games for this week so that they can get those teams on the smaller channels at least some weeks. Since we are no longer on ESPN, does that just mean that every single one of those games is fighting for the FOX slot?? I'm sure the UL/IU game counts as Indiana's home game, so that probably rules out an ESPN slot (though I highly doubt it's a serious contender for FOX).
I would say given that MSU is projected to be down, Illinois/Penn State is clearly the best matchup that week.
redwingillini11
- North Aurora
I don't think we expected anything different. Probably not ideal to have a Friday night game that late in the season. But oh well. I hope the place is rocking so we can continue our streak against Nebraska!
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Unfortunately, I think our fans are still very "fair weather" in the most literal of literal senses, haha. We drew less for a game vs. Purdue with a CLEAR trip to the Big Ten Championship Game on the line than we did for an 11:00 am start vs. Minnesota four weeks earlier in the season when we had proven less (I would argue the Minnesota win proved we were for real and the beatdown of Nebraska in Lincoln was the top of the hype mountain!). Why? Because the second one was cold, haha.
redwingillini11
- North Aurora
Well, I guess I was referring to a rowdy crowd for a night game. I get that it's not likely to be a packed house. An early October night should still be fantastic conditions in Champaign.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
True. I got married last October 1st in Chicago, and I think it was over 70!
Dan
Admin
Select Illini Football Game Times Announced - University of Illinois Athletics
Four game times for the Illinois football team's 2023 schedule have been set, including a FOX Big Noon Kickoff home showdown against Penn State.
fightingillini.com
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
WOOHOO! B1G Noon Kickoff it is!Select Illini Football Game Times Announced - University of Illinois Athletics
Four game times for the Illinois football team's 2023 schedule have been set, including a FOX Big Noon Kickoff home showdown against Penn State.
Also, that photo is a great visual representation of how our gorgeous, architecturally unique stadium is totally weakened by the eyesore of the Horseshoe, as it has no visual beauty to it and its distance from the field looks so ridiculous that it is actually pretty comical. It's amazing that in all these years we haven't even done the easiest of "touch-up" renovations to extend those seats down to field level to match the rest of the stadium (we haven't had the track in YEARS).
redwingillini11
- North Aurora
TentakilRex
- Land O Insects between Quincy-Macomb-Jacksonville
There is one thing on the TV Bucket List that needs accomplished (preferably while Lee Corso is still there)
mhuml32
- Cincinnati, OH
There is one thing on the TV Bucket List that needs accomplished (preferably while Lee Corso is still there)
Usually the game needs to be a no-doubter for ESPN to pick up a FOX game as GameDay. It would be a major shock if Illinois - Penn State is picked (I haven’t looked at the other options).
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Is there some sort of clause where the Big Ten agrees to give ESPN TV rights for College Gameday, specifically? Because I thought they lost their TV rights for our game starting next season.
This is going to be fun!!! Football is back in Champaign baby! I L L
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Call me crazy, but we need to give away free tickets before we allow a September Big Noon Kickoff game to not be sold out. Big Noon Kickoff has closed the gap considerably on College Gameday, and that gap will continue to close if ESPN is shut out of Big Ten football (FOX never had SEC games to begin with, after all).
The point is that we have not had this kind of spotlight on a game in Champaign for YEARS - arguably since the Michigan home game in 2007 and possibly even further back. It really is an ESSENTIALLY important opportunity for our program, our stadium and our fans to shine. I hope we pull out all of the stops, Grange Grove is packed and there is a buzz in the air!
Hopefully no one muffs a punt this time
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