Illini Football 2025

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#76      
Rlouizjr01
I'm not so sure about 3 luckys but 2(just make one at Ohio State and I'd be happy with one..lol).I think the fights will be USC and Washington.Now that they have a year in the process and know that B1G football is rugged,I'm sure these teams will incorporate more running.With so many returnees I think it's about sound plans of execution and just a tick up on discipline. Maybe a little more ferocious of a defensive line too.
 
#77      
illini0440
Rlouizjr01 said:
I'm not so sure about 3 luckys but 2(just make one at Ohio State and I'd be happy with one..lol).I think the fights will be USC and Washington.Now that they have a year in the process and know that B1G football is rugged,I'm sure these teams will incorporate more running.With so many returnees I think it's about sound plans of execution and just a tick up on discipline. Maybe a little more ferocious of a defensive line too.
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Lincoln ain't changing his whole offensive identity now that he is in the B1G
 
#78      
Rlouizjr01
Orange_Blue said:
Is anyone else still trying to escape that fear that we will return to being "the Illini" who will once again start with sky high expectations and end up with a losing record?
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I don't anticipate a losing record but I do remember three years ago we were going places and then hit a wall. From 7-1to 8-4 was kinda painful even though it was 8-4,and took one more lump in a bowl game....with stars..lol
 
#79      
Rlouizjr01
illini0440 said:
Lincoln ain't changing his whole offensive identity now that he is in the B1G
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Well I was thinking that 500 record might've caused some adjustments.Losing to Minnesota which is good team and of course the others in the B1G (MICHIGAN), maybe cause some rethink..Hello wasn't even tearing up the PAC 12 yet
 
#80      
illinifan31
Bilbo said:
I wondered after our Bowl victory if it was better to end like we did, or like Indiana. We won a game that was played a whole 10 days later. Their playoff loss was on a Friday night, pre-Christmas, one-sided... I guess you always aim for the playoffs, but it seemed like their season ended on a whimper.
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We also got a bigger payout than Indiana, which is wild to me although it all goes to the same pot.
 
#83      
illiniguy24
Fly Illini Fly! said:
10-2 is the **realistic** goal for me. Obviously you wanna win any game you play in.
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Look At Us Paul Rudd GIF
 
#84      
So ILL
Battle89 said:
You may get some grief for that but I've had similar thoughts. I think we have gotten a tremendous amount of recruiting mileage out of that bowl win, especially the head coach 'incident' and the perception that we just owned them. Not sure a wide-margin first-round playoff loss gets us the same cachet.
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It also helps that the bowl win was against a very high quality opponent in South Carolina, who many felt deserved to be in the CFP.
 
#86      
Fighter of the Nightman
Bilbo said:
I wondered after our Bowl victory if it was better to end like we did, or like Indiana. We won a game that was played a whole 10 days later. Their playoff loss was on a Friday night, pre-Christmas, one-sided... I guess you always aim for the playoffs, but it seemed like their season ended on a whimper.
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Echoing what others have said, there is at least an argument that our ending is preferred. As you said, you “always want to make the CFP,” so in that sense you take IU’s outcome. However, programs like Indiana and Illinois are trying to build something from what was close to nothing, and momentum is key in that process … it feels like we had more momentum heading into the offseason.
 
#87      
BWBW
So ILL said:
It also helps that the bowl win was against a very high quality opponent in South Carolina, who many felt deserved to be in the CFP.
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No one thought that more than ballistic beamer.
 
#88      
IlliniwekKDR
Fighter of the Nightman said:
Echoing what others have said, there is at least an argument that our ending is preferred. As you said, you “always want to make the CFP,” so in that sense you take IU’s outcome. However, programs like Indiana and Illinois are trying to build something from what was close to nothing, and momentum is key in that process … it feels like we had more momentum heading into the offseason.
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Not sure what Indiana is bringing back this year, but for us 18 returning starters is massive for momentum
 
#89      
Illini92and96
Battle89 said:
You may get some grief for that but I've had similar thoughts. I think we have gotten a tremendous amount of recruiting mileage out of that bowl win, especially the head coach 'incident' and the perception that we just owned them. Not sure a wide-margin first-round playoff loss gets us the same cachet.
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I see what you are saying, but I’d really like to get on the “teams that made the playoffs” list.
 
#92      
ptgrd23
IlliniwekKDR said:
Not sure what Indiana is bringing back this year, but for us 18 returning starters is massive for momentum
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IU fans are drinking the crimson and cream Kool-Aid. They think they have Knute Rockne as coach and they are going to CFP every year.

Both teams had pretty much everything go their way last year. No injuries to key personnel.

While I am hopeful about Illini we have not gone back to back 10 wins since I started following in the late 60's so it would be a huge accomplishment. The schedule is favorable - toughest games @ Indiana, host OSU. We miss Penn State, Oregon and Michigan.

Nice to finish season on win. CFP guarantees only one of 8 entrants will do that.
 
#93      
sacraig
illinidarrin said:
https://twitter.com/x/status/1919802020837339638
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I like the sentiment but I hate the line people keep using. We can't be the Indiana of this year if people actually expect us to be good.

Also, Indiana wasn't as good as they seemed given their amazingly soft schedule. They only played 4 teams with winning records and only beat 2 of them (Nebraska and Michigan) and got beat soundly by the other two. They won the games they had scheduled and I don't fault them for that, but their true colors showed in the B1G championship and CFP, their only two games against real competition.

I don't want to be this year's Indiana. I honestly thing last year's Illinois would have beaten last year's Indiana. I want to be better than that.
 
#95      
Birdus
sacraig said:
I like the sentiment but I hate the line people keep using. We can't be the Indiana of this year if people actually expect us to be good.

Also, Indiana wasn't as good as they seemed given their amazingly soft schedule. They only played 4 teams with winning records and only beat 2 of them (Nebraska and Michigan) and got beat soundly by the other two. They won the games they had scheduled and I don't fault them for that, but their true colors showed in the B1G championship and CFP, their only two games against real competition.

I don't want to be this year's Indiana. I honestly thing last year's Illinois would have beaten last year's Indiana. I want to be better than that.
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I too don't like the comparison. Indiana was destined to be a one and out. I don't think it has to be that way with the Illini. If we can claw our way in, anything could happen provided we are healthy.
 
#96      
pruman91
I've been hyped about the FB team since the great season last year and am happy with all the positive vibes and coverage by the many pundits who are raving about this years Illini team being held in such high regard......

it's fun being talked about so much this off season..........it really really is....
 
#97      
BZuppke
Battle89 said:
You've pretty much nailed it Fighter. It's all been about changing the image of Illinois as a stepping stone or way station to further other personal needs of the coach. Mackovic pretty much walked in the door saying he was looking for the next and bigger job, and it is a separate debate as to whether we were better off with him (loved and lost) than without him (never loved at all). He would have fit in well on the basketball team this year though.

I'd argue that Mike White was the last coach to actually build a complete program, the sustainability of which is yet another debate. Mackovic more maintained what White had built, using his own methods. Which was no small feat in and of itself, so I fall into the loved and lost camp above. In short:

- White: builder but with unsustainable methods.
- Mackovic: stepping stoner, professional, from day 1. Wanted a blue-blood college football job.
- Tepper: Peter Principle, and 100% one-sided, all D no O.
- Turner: stepping stoner, professional. Zero interest in recruiting and sole goal was returning to the pro league.
- Zook: 100% one-sided, all recruiting & zero Xs and Os. And terrible at staff-building too. Classic AD move here, the General fighting the last war.
- Koenning: undefeated at Illinois. Oh Vic, we hardly knew ya.
- Beckman: in way over his head but he and we were also victims in that no one wanted the job. Lowest point since the post-slush fund days.
- Cubit: not ideal, but not a dagger to the program. Words that will echo in my brain forever.
- Smith, L.: stepping stoner, personal, from day 1. Wanted to pad his retirement and give Junior a job.
- Smith, R.: had a chance to tie Koenning for all-time highest winning percentage but fell short.
- Bielema: I thought at the time that leaving Wisconsin for Arkansas was a terrible decision, but man did that work out for us. Bless him.
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I agree with most here but Mike White recruited all of that talent that Mackovic used to win. When that talent ran out, Mackovic struggled. Mackovic was a great Xs and Os guy with the personality of a dead fish. It was Mackovic who could not sustain a program. And when he left we had no AD at a time we could have attracted an experienced head coach. Crucial point in our history.
 
#98      
Bbuck21
sacraig said:
I like the sentiment but I hate the line people keep using. We can't be the Indiana of this year if people actually expect us to be good.

Also, Indiana wasn't as good as they seemed given their amazingly soft schedule. They only played 4 teams with winning records and only beat 2 of them (Nebraska and Michigan) and got beat soundly by the other two. They won the games they had scheduled and I don't fault them for that, but their true colors showed in the B1G championship and CFP, their only two games against real competition.

I don't want to be this year's Indiana. I honestly thing last year's Illinois would have beaten last year's Indiana. I want to be better than that.
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Exactly. Honestly, comparing the 2025 Illini to 2024 Hoosiers is an insult.
 
#99      
GoodePodzMelendez
Bbuck21 said:
Exactly. Honestly, comparing the 2025 Illini to 2024 Hoosiers is an insult.
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I agree. Their schedule was a walk in the park. At least we are playing at UW and home against OSU. I wish we played PSU as I think Luke would pick their D apart and we would win. I am not sold on them. Franklin and Allan will find a way to screw it up for them.
 
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