Illini Football 2025

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#176      
Dkayak
STLini25 said:
I disagree with your premise. The BT is better than the SEC. SEC hasn’t even had a team in the national championship game the last two years. BT has 3 of the 4 and the last 2 champions. The worse team in the ACC beat the best team in the SEC.

I don’t want to hear how good the SEC is until they start proving on the field. And they haven’t done that in almost THREE years.
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The head-to-head interconference games tell the story. The SEC was 1-5 vs the Big Ten in 2024 bowl games, indicating B1G has more depth. The Illini win over SC is a good example. The Gamecocks were overhyped as a CFP caliber team based on their SEC record, only to be dominated by the Illini in the Citrus Bowl.

What the SEC does have is a bigger brand, although it’s fading in the NIL era. Until this outdated brand equity is recognized it will continue to boost SEC teams in the CFP selection ranking based on a falsely elevated “strength of schedule”.
 
#177      
STLini25
Dkayak said:
The head-to-head interconference games tell the story. The SEC was 1-5 vs the Big Ten in 2024 bowl games, indicating B1G has more depth. The Illini win over SC is a good example. The Gamecocks were overhyped as a CFP caliber team based on their SEC record, only to be dominated by the Illini in the Citrus Bowl.

What the SEC does have is a bigger brand, although it’s fading in the NIL era. Until this outdated brand equity is recognized it will continue to boost SEC teams in the CFP selection ranking based on a falsely elevated “strength of schedule”.
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This 100%. I asked ChatGPT “what is the greatest SEC football achievement in the last THIRTY THREE months?” It replied with “Won 2024 SEC championship.” 😂

I then asked greatest achievement in last 33 months against a non SEC team. It replied “The SEC doesn’t have a great achievement in that time period against a non SEC team.”

The SEC is so over hyped. I’m tired of hearing how a win against an awful LSU team is a quality but a win against USC is nothing.

I’m tired of hearing how a loss to Florida State who is on a NINE game losing streak in the ACC is a quality loss for Alabama but Illinois win on the road against Duke who is better than Florida State is nothing.

Easiest money in world is betting against SEC football in non conference games. So over rated. So over hyped.
 
#178      
Illini in Italy
Dkayak said:
The head-to-head interconference games tell the story. The SEC was 1-5 vs the Big Ten in 2024 bowl games, indicating B1G has more depth. The Illini win over SC is a good example. The Gamecocks were overhyped as a CFP caliber team based on their SEC record, only to be dominated by the Illini in the Citrus Bowl.

What the SEC does have is a bigger brand, although it’s fading in the NIL era. Until this outdated brand equity is recognized it will continue to boost SEC teams in the CFP selection ranking based on a falsely elevated “strength of schedule”.
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I agree . . . mostly. Using the bowl games as a comparison does match up teams pretty well based on their records, but with the number of opt outs, it's not as good as looking at non-conference games during the season - although we seldom see top SEC/B1G teams play one another in the non-conference season - Texas v tOSU being the one exception I can think of . . .

One data point lending credence to the opt out discussion is shown below, number of 2024 NFL draftees by conference

SEC 59
PAC12 43
B1G 42
ACC 41
Big12 31
 
#179      
CaptainCrutch
STLini25 said:
I disagree with your premise. The BT is better than the SEC. SEC hasn’t even had a team in the national championship game the last two years. BT has 3 of the 4 and the last 2 champions. The worse team in the ACC beat the best team in the SEC.

I don’t want to hear how good the SEC is until they start proving on the field. And they haven’t done that in almost THREE years.
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Well, I think you’re just misunderstanding my premise. My premise isn’t “SEC is super to B1G top to bottom” it’s “SEC has better depth.”

You did nothing to weaken that. I said SEC probably wins the #5-#10 matchups you listed out there. I think that’s probably accurate. Anything after #10 didnt make the list, but I’d still guess SEC wins more than half of those head-to-heads. You said the worst team in the ACC beat the best team in the SEC this year. FSU beat Alabama at home in the first week of the season, yes. Ohio State nearly lost to Texas that same week and Texas is barely a ranked team. OSU is a world beater.

Dkayak said:
The head-to-head interconference games tell the story. The SEC was 1-5 vs the Big Ten in 2024 bowl games, indicating B1G has more depth. The Illini win over SC is a good example. The Gamecocks were overhyped as a CFP caliber team based on their SEC record, only to be dominated by the Illini in the Citrus Bowl.

What the SEC does have is a bigger brand, although it’s fading in the NIL era. Until this outdated brand equity is recognized it will continue to boost SEC teams in the CFP selection ranking based on a falsely elevated “strength of schedule”.
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You’re cherry picking the bowl games. 2 of those wins were OSU against SEC teams. I am, again, not debating the top of the B1G against the top of SEC. I agree the top end is better. I’m saying the depth is better. B1G went 1-4 against SEC teams in the regular season where nobody is sitting out except for injury. SEC went 8-7 (15 bowl games) in bowl season and 3 of those losses were in CFP (so, not really worried about that because I’m not talking about the top end talent). B1G went 11-6, but 6 of the 11 were the CFP wins for Oregon, Penn State and Ohio State.

I’m not in any way saying our talent at the top is inferior, I’m just saying they’re better in the middle and bottom.
 
#180      
STLini25
CaptainCrutch said:
Well, I think you’re just misunderstanding my premise. My premise isn’t “SEC is super to B1G top to bottom” it’s “SEC has better depth.”

You did nothing to weaken that. I said SEC probably wins the #5-#10 matchups you listed out there. I think that’s probably accurate. Anything after #10 didnt make the list, but I’d still guess SEC wins more than half of those head-to-heads. You said the worst team in the ACC beat the best team in the SEC this year. FSU beat Alabama at home in the first week of the season, yes. Ohio State nearly lost to Texas that same week and Texas is barely a ranked team. OSU is a world beater.



You’re cherry picking the bowl games. 2 of those wins were OSU against SEC teams. I am, again, not debating the top of the B1G against the top of SEC. I agree the top end is better. I’m saying the depth is better. B1G went 1-4 against SEC teams in the regular season where nobody is sitting out except for injury. SEC went 8-7 (15 bowl games) in bowl season and 3 of those losses were in CFP (so, not really worried about that because I’m not talking about the top end talent). B1G went 11-6, but 6 of the 11 were the CFP wins for Oregon, Penn State and Ohio State.

I’m not in any way saying our talent at the top is inferior, I’m just saying they’re better in the middle and bottom.
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The BEST SEC win this year is against the 13th place ACC team and their best team lost to the worst ACC team. The SEC has literally accomplished nothing in 33 months. Literally nothing. I’m not buying any of the SEC hype. Or the argument they have depth. Nobody in the SEC beat any team this year much less the back half of the SEC.
 
#181      
IlliniFan85
#183      
fuddrules
STLini25 said:
The BEST SEC win this year is against the 13th place ACC team and their best team lost to the worst ACC team.
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I'm all for tamping down Michigan's accomplishments but they're better than the 13th place ACC team.

One thing that is going well for the SEC, they're kicking the rest of college football in TV ratings.
 
#185      
CaptainCrutch
STLini25 said:
The BEST SEC win this year is against the 13th place ACC team and their best team lost to the worst ACC team. The SEC has literally accomplished nothing in 33 months. Literally nothing. I’m not buying any of the SEC hype. Or the argument they have depth. Nobody in the SEC beat any team this year much less the back half of the SEC.
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Okay you’re at best trolling here. By KFord ratings (not using ESPNFPI given the obvious SEC bias):

SEC wins this year against the top half of FBS 130:
4 Notre Dame
14 Michigan
33 Clemson
36 SMU
38 Kansas
40 Arizona State
43 K State
47 Baylor
58 Tulane
63 Toledo

By same ratings, comparing 1-18 B1G/SEC
1: 1 - 5 adv Big 10
2: 2 - 6 adv Big 10
3: 3 - 9 adv Big 10
4: 10-11 adv Big 10
5: 14-12 adv SEC
6: 20-15 adv SEC
7: 22-16 adv SEC
8: 24-17 adv SEC
9: 25-18 adv SEC
10: 29-19 adv SEC
11: 55-23 adv SEC
12: 59-27 adv SEC
13: 60-34 adv SEC
14: 62-41 adv SEC
15: 65-45 adv SEC
16: 67-52 adv SEC
17: 68-NA
18: 74-NA

SEC’s worst team by this metric would be good for 11th in the B1G. Illinois, for reference, would be the 11th ranked SEC team by that metric.

Lastly - to bolster my point: if you take away the top 3 teams (since I am not arguing that our top is better than theirs, which it clearly is), our 4-10 would have an average KFord ranking of 20.57; SEC would have an average ranking of 15.43. After top 10 it gets significantly more in favor of SEC.
 
#186      
STLini25
our defense is bad. Is it (1) good players and bad DC or (2) bad players and good DC?
 
#187      
STLini25
I think there is some clarity where we are as a football program. I think we are at the middle of the BT as a program in that 8-10 range. Need some better talent to get in the 5-9 range.
 
#188      
ChiTown
STLini25 said:
I think there is some clarity where we are as a football program. I think we are at the middle of the BT as a program in that 8-10 range. Need some better talent to get in the 5-9 range.
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With better defensive co-ordinator as well…..both the scheme and play calling has to fit the personnel too.
 
#189      
Nohops 73
Illinois has made it this far by finding underrated players and effectively developing them. It’s clear that greater success on the recruiting trail is needed to move up the food chain. I’m excited about the 2026 class, but this level has to be the minimum standard for the future.
With all of players we lose after the bowl game, this needs to be the most successful transfer portal Illinois has ever had.
 
#190      
STLini25
Nohops 73 said:
Illinois has made it this far by finding underrated players and effectively developing them. It’s clear that greater success on the recruiting trail is needed to move up the food chain. I’m excited about the 2026 class, but this level has to be the minimum standard for the future.
With all of players we lose after the bowl game, this needs to be the most successful transfer portal Illinois has ever had.
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Besides Luke I don’t feel we are losing many contributors to this team. Looks like a bunch of average players players plus Luke.
 
#191      
sacraig
pvaughn8 said:
This is just my perception, but I feel like people up north still watch SEC games where people in the south couldn't care less about a big ten game. That would have something to do with the ratings disparity
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I think that's cultural. The people in the north just want to binge good football regardless of conference. The SEC fans think they are the only conference that plays football.
 
#193      
STLini25
Points still the same even if it’s Luke, Hank Beatty and a bunch of average contribution. We finished average in the BT because we have a bunch of average contributors that we aren’t going to miss greatly.
 
#196      
Brosky
This is a football question. How in God's name has Cignetti turned Indiana's football program around so fast? I know he deserves a lot (maybe most or all) of the credit. But you can't do what he has done without spending tons of $$$. Indiana has no football legacy; where does all the money come from?
 
#197      
sacraig
SKane said:
I live in SEC-land.

My wife calls SEC football a cult. She is right (as always).
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I got my graduate degree from an SEC school. The football atmosphere is fun, but there's definitely uncomfortable cultish atmosphere to it. You don't hear us all chanting "Big Ten" but they definitely change "S-E-C," so much so that they have it in the background of their TV promos.
 
#198      
STLini25
sacraig said:
I got my graduate degree from an SEC school. The football atmosphere is fun, but there's definitely uncomfortable cultish atmosphere to it. You don't hear us all chanting "Big Ten" but they definitely change "S-E-C," so much so that they have it in the background of their TV promos.
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They might need to downgrade their pride a little bit because if no team steps up this year they will be looking at 48 months since they’ve had a team even in the Championship game
 
#199      
sacraig
STLini25 said:
They might need to downgrade their pride a little bit because if no team steps up this year they will be looking at 48 months since they’ve had a team even in the Championship game
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apocalypse now horror GIF by Maudit


EDIT: I am disappointed that, when searching for this gif, just searching "the horror" only led to gifs of Sheldon Cooper and a variety of others. I had to search "kurtz the horror" to get the real one. SMH
 
#200      
Future Insider
On defense for next year who are you giving top NIL $ to retain. I’m not sure I’m breaking the bank on any of them. PORTAL!
 
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