Illini Football 2025

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#1      

Dan

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Welcome to the Illinois Football 2025 thread :illinois:


2025 Illini Football (8-4, 5-4)
DateOpponentResult
Fri, Aug 29Western IllinoisW 52-3
Sat, Sept 6at DukeW 45-19
Sat, Sept 13Western MichiganW 38-0
Sat, Sept 20at IndianaL 10-63
Sat, Sept 27USCW 34-32
Sat, Oct 4at PurdueW 43-27
Sat, Oct 11Ohio StateL 16-34
Sat, Oct 25at WashingtonL 25-42
Sat, Nov 1RutgersW 35-13
Sat, Nov 15MarylandW 24-6
Sat, Nov 22at WisconsinL 10-27
Sat, Nov 29NorthwesternW 20-13
 
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#4      
Are these teams just very good?
Have played 4 of top 5 efficient offense (depending where W lies)

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#8      
Are these teams just very good?
Have played 4 of top 5 efficient offense (depending where W lies)

View attachment 44626

Yes, coming into the Rutgers game we had played the 2nd most difficult schedule in the nation primarily because of the strength of the offenses we faced.

I look for the defense to be much improved to close out the season.
 
#10      
And it would appear our defense, while not spectacular, is reasonably solid. 🤷🏼‍♂️

It really sucks because they got scared and completely changed schemes after the Indiana game so we never got a chance to see how they would have fared against the other three teams. I think that did a huge disservice to our guys. Maybe they still would have gotten lit up but now there are going to be questions about if the normal scheme would have been better.
 
#11      
It really sucks because they got scared and completely changed schemes after the Indiana game so we never got a chance to see how they would have fared against the other three teams. I think that did a huge disservice to our guys. Maybe they still would have gotten lit up but now there are going to be questions about if the normal scheme would have been better.
Honestly, outside of Washington, our defense didn’t play that bad in those 3 games.

Held USC to 32. They average 39.8. Held Ohio St to 34. They average 36.6.
 
#13      
Held Duke to 19 - they average over 35 ppg and held Rutgers to 13 - they average over 29 ppg.

Those games they played their regular man to man coverage. USC, OSU, and Wash were the game they went zone and looked completely lost.

USC wasn't a terrible effort overall. OSU probably could have scored more if they had put the pedal down.
 
#15      
We are what we are. A solid not spectacular team. Thus far we have beat the teams we should beat & haven't beat the ones we shouldn't have beaten. If that continues we will end the season 9-3 pending a bowl game.

The next leap will have to come in the player acquisition phase. Just have to get a few more Jimmy's & Joes as the Zooker used to say.

All that said, Bret is doing a tremendous job with this program. Even thru downs, there is still progress being made. This team has taken 2 real humiliating losses this year (IU & Wash) & each time responded with their 2 best games of the year. That speaks real well to the ability of the coaches to both adjust schematically & to get/keep the players engaged in the effort to correct the mistakes & come out firing the next time out.

The IU loss could've/would've destroyed the season of a lesser coached team.
 
#16      
We are what we are. A solid not spectacular team. Thus far we have beat the teams we should beat & haven't beat the ones we shouldn't have beaten. If that continues we will end the season 9-3 pending a bowl game.

The next leap will have to come in the player acquisition phase. Just have to get a few more Jimmy's & Joes as the Zooker used to say.

All that said, Bret is doing a tremendous job with this program. Even thru downs, there is still progress being made. This team has taken 2 real humiliating losses this year (IU & Wash) & each time responded with their 2 best games of the year. That speaks real well to the ability of the coaches to both adjust schematically & to get/keep the players engaged in the effort to correct the mistakes & come out firing the next time out.

The IU loss could've/would've destroyed the season of a lesser coached team.

I would say at duke and against usc weren’t games we weren’t supposed to win.
 
#19      
I would say at duke and against usc weren’t games we weren’t supposed to win.
I think we were a slight favorite against Duke & a slight dog tho the higher ranked team vs USC. My comment in part was based on the play that unfolded during those games. We proved ourselves significantly better than Duke & at least some better than USC. And won both games.
 
#20      
USC is maybe the best win since Bret's been here and we were substantial underdogs. That wasn't some gimme game.
I don't disagree and did predict that we would drop the USC game in the preseason thread.

But 1) the majority of people did not (to the point that several others commented on how many were taking USC lightly), and 2) we were dogs only due to the awful game the week before.
 
#21      
I don't disagree and did predict that we would drop the USC game in the preseason thread.

But 1) the majority of people did not (to the point that several others commented on how many were taking USC lightly), and 2) we were dogs only due to the awful game the week before.
I think we would have been slight dogs (lookahead line was like +2) but yeah that game prior moved the line but it should have. That all goes into it. With regards to the preseason thread, yeah I thought as well USC could be tough but they were clearly a lot better than I and a lot of people thought once the games were played.
 
#25      
What's even more troublesome is that Wisconsin is putting up those gaudy numbers with nowhere near full capacity at Camp Randall.

It would be immensely funny to see Luke Fickell get bought out using money they raised in alcohol sales.
What else to do sitting through Wisconsin’s games,but to drown your sorrows in alcohol.
 
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