Illini Football 2026

#208      
rdk573
After yesterday's results, according to this service, we're ranked 48th (12th in the BIg10), ahead of Maryland (50) , Wisconsin(69) , and MSU (73), Purdue (102) and Rutgers (114)

https://www.collegefootballpoll.com/rankings/

(It appears This service is still using last year's results in their ranking algorithm)

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#218      
Fighter of the Nightman
Based on what I have seen out of our team so far, I truly cannot decide if I like or absolutely hate how our schedule breaks down by week, haha. It almost entirely depends on just how much the defense can improve as the season goes on.

You can make the argument that we might as well get our butt whoopin' in Columbus out of the way in Week Four, and a home game against Purdue is the best reasonable "medicine" we could hope for now that conference play is underway. However, if the POTENTIAL is there for our defense to at least get to the point where it is serviceable, I worry that an absolute embarrassment on Saturday could shatter our confidence.

Either way, if we assume a likely loss at OSU and a (HOPEFULLY likely...) win vs. Purdue to follow, count me as incredibly nervous for us to head to East Lansing with a 3-2 record. With a bye week looming, I feel like that MSU game could be a bit of a make-or-break stand for this football team. If we fall to 3-3 with Oregon coming up, momentum could take an awful turn. However, if we can get to 4-2 with a bye week on the horizon, the path to a decent season at least becomes more visible, ESPECIALLY if we can avoid looking utterly outmatched vs. OSU or Oregon. The thought of Fitz hyping his guys up to deliver a momentum-killing death blow to our team literally makes me want to vomit, so let's not let that happen!
 
#219      
TheFlyingIllini1317
Fighter of the Nightman said:
Based on what I have seen out of our team so far, I truly cannot decide if I like or absolutely hate how our schedule breaks down by week, haha. It almost entirely depends on just how much the defense can improve as the season goes on.

You can make the argument that we might as well get our butt whoopin' in Columbus out of the way in Week Four, and a home game against Purdue is the best reasonable "medicine" we could hope for now that conference play is underway. However, if the POTENTIAL is there for our defense to at least get to the point where it is serviceable, I worry that an absolute embarrassment on Saturday could shatter our confidence.

Either way, if we assume a likely loss at OSU and a (HOPEFULLY likely...) win vs. Purdue to follow, count me as incredibly nervous for us to head to East Lansing with a 3-2 record. With a bye week looming, I feel like that MSU game could be a bit of a make-or-break stand for this football team. If we fall to 3-3 with Oregon coming up, momentum could take an awful turn. However, if we can get to 4-2 with a bye week on the horizon, the path to a decent season at least becomes more visible, ESPECIALLY if we can avoid looking utterly outmatched vs. OSU or Oregon. The thought of Fitz hyping his guys up to deliver a momentum-killing death blow to our team literally makes me want to vomit, so let's not let that happen!
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My thoughts exactly, which is why blowing the Duke game stinks so much.
 
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