Illini Football 2026

#301      
bluemountain
Fighter of the Nightman said:
Okay, with the Cannon game coming up tomorrow ... what are your CURRENT Big Ten hate tiers? I was never as in to hating Purdue, but sitting in the freezing cold and watching them steal our Big Ten Championship Game hopes in 2022 while their obnoxious fans were complete clowns definitely elevated them for me, lol.

Tier 1 - Genuine Hate
- Michigan (I always rooted for them vs. OSU before they got good again, but WOW do I hate them now, haha...)
- Ohio State
- Indiana (more recent, but it was easy to adapt!)

Tier 2 - Genuine Dislike
- Iowa (I at least have some respect for their program over the last 25+ years)
- Purdue (again, this is mostly post-2022 for me)
- Wisconsin (I feel like the fact they've been sort of meh in the last 5+ years has injected zero humility into that fan base)

Tier 3 - Mild Dislike
- USC (I find them a VERY easy program to dislike, even though we don't feel "close" enough to them for true hatred to form)
- Northwestern (a weird paradox where I simultaneously just don't care that much but also find them really annoying and don't ever want them to be good)
- Michigan State (I feel like every couple years they do something hateworthy in one sport or another, and then I forget about them again)
- Nebraska (probably influenced by me having a bunch of Iowa friends, but I literally can't stand the online myth that they are these uniquely nice and classy fans ... go read their board, they spew hate the second you don't kiss the ring and accept their delusional reality where they're a Blue Blood)
- Penn State (my hate from after the scandal has mostly died down, but I do get annoyed by how entitled their fans seem to be when their history really doesn't back it up...)

Tier 4 - Mostly Indifferent
- Oregon (I find them obnoxious, but I can't say I "dislike" them)
- Maryland (they do kind of rub me the wrong way, though...)
- Minnesota (shocking how little I care about them given they're a longtime conference member)

Tier 5 - Totally Indifferent
- UCLA (love their colors, and you almost have to just feel bad for them a bit with the setup they have of an off-campus stadium, being dominated by USC, etc.)
- Rutgers (I actually empathize with them a lot ... their New York is our Chicago, their Philadelphia is our St. Louis, we are both in pro sports states, etc.)
- Washington (I've heard the actual students can be insufferable and the opposite of down to Earth but what a beautiful stadium and great color scheme)

If we open it up to non-conference, the only team I truly despise is Notre Dame (and their bandwagon fans who probably ditch the Irish when it's time for basketball season and bandwagon Duke or something). It's becoming easier to have almost zero respect for LSU as an athletic program, but it's also sort of almost a funny meme at this point. Can't say I care for South Carolina or Tennessee after our bowl encounters, haha.
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Michigan is #1,2 and 3 on the hate list for me - this goes back to Bo and Mo. Wisconsin is next, but far down the list - their fans are unreasonably entitled and i'm jealous their success the last 30 years hasn't been ours. Outside of that...I like Oregon since my dad went there and am pretty indifferent to everyone else.
 
#302      
Red77sng
lstewart53x3 said:
My list is probably a bit simpler. For football:

Don’t like:

- Michigan
- Iowa
- Purdue
- Wisconsin
- Penn St
- Northwestern

Don’t care:

- UCLA
- USC
- Washington
- Minnesota
- Maryland
- Michigan St
- Rutgers

Do like:

- Oregon
- Ohio St
- Indiana

I know I should hate all 3 out of envy, but I just can’t bring myself to do it.

Oregon and Ohio St, I look at them as basically playing a different sport + someone’s gotta be good enough to take down the SEC. I just don’t see either as direct competition to us.

And Indiana, I don’t know, I’m inspired by what they’ve done. They’re a beacon of hope to every middling P4 program in the country.
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I hatem all
 
#307      
Grandpa
Top tier of hate:
Every team in the SEC,
Every team in the Big Ten that isn't the Illini.
All of the Independents! They're all like "OOOO I'm an independent! I'm too good for your crappy conferences.!"
All the teams in the Big 12! Be honest, you hate them too
The entire ACC. If I hadn't hated them already, I would hate them for having teams that are on the Pacific Coast.
Every team that has ever beaten the Illini.

Next Tier of hatred:
Everyone who is left except for the Illini.
 
#308      
IlliniFan85
Fighter of the Nightman said:
Okay, with the Cannon game coming up tomorrow ... what are your CURRENT Big Ten hate tiers? I was never as in to hating Purdue, but sitting in the freezing cold and watching them steal our Big Ten Championship Game hopes in 2022 while their obnoxious fans were complete clowns definitely elevated them for me, lol.
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I am pretty sure I hate the refs more than Purdue for that game.
 
#310      
Illiniguy74
Chief Piasa said:
I can confirm the ghost town part. On Dads’ Day in 1975 I didn’t order tix for the OSU game because he originally didn’t know if he could come. So when he arrived on game day we were able to get tix at the 35 yard line in the east front row. Even better, Archie Griffin made a sharp cut near the sideline in front of us and it was so quiet that we could hear the grass rip!

Fast forward to 1983 and it was so packed and noisy at the MI game that you couldn’t hear the person next to you (but it could have been due to ice in my ears; it was cold). Tearing down the goal posts for a championship in front of MI and Schembechler was sweet revenge for the ‘70’s.
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As I recall, it was a reasonably warm day for the Michigan game in '83. Game video supports that. The only really cold day was the season ender against Indiana.
 
#311      
moonpies
Fighter of the Nightman said:
Okay, with the Cannon game coming up tomorrow ... what are your CURRENT Big Ten hate tiers? I was never as in to hating Purdue, but sitting in the freezing cold and watching them steal our Big Ten Championship Game hopes in 2022 while their obnoxious fans were complete clowns definitely elevated them for me, lol.

Tier 1 - Genuine Hate
- Michigan (I always rooted for them vs. OSU before they got good again, but WOW do I hate them now, haha...)
- Ohio State
- Indiana (more recent, but it was easy to adapt!)

Tier 2 - Genuine Dislike
- Iowa (I at least have some respect for their program over the last 25+ years)
- Purdue (again, this is mostly post-2022 for me)
- Wisconsin (I feel like the fact they've been sort of meh in the last 5+ years has injected zero humility into that fan base)

Tier 3 - Mild Dislike
- USC (I find them a VERY easy program to dislike, even though we don't feel "close" enough to them for true hatred to form)
- Northwestern (a weird paradox where I simultaneously just don't care that much but also find them really annoying and don't ever want them to be good)
- Michigan State (I feel like every couple years they do something hateworthy in one sport or another, and then I forget about them again)
- Nebraska (probably influenced by me having a bunch of Iowa friends, but I literally can't stand the online myth that they are these uniquely nice and classy fans ... go read their board, they spew hate the second you don't kiss the ring and accept their delusional reality where they're a Blue Blood)
- Penn State (my hate from after the scandal has mostly died down, but I do get annoyed by how entitled their fans seem to be when their history really doesn't back it up...)

Tier 4 - Mostly Indifferent
- Oregon (I find them obnoxious, but I can't say I "dislike" them)
- Maryland (they do kind of rub me the wrong way, though...)
- Minnesota (shocking how little I care about them given they're a longtime conference member)

Tier 5 - Totally Indifferent
- UCLA (love their colors, and you almost have to just feel bad for them a bit with the setup they have of an off-campus stadium, being dominated by USC, etc.)
- Rutgers (I actually empathize with them a lot ... their New York is our Chicago, their Philadelphia is our St. Louis, we are both in pro sports states, etc.)
- Washington (I've heard the actual students can be insufferable and the opposite of down to Earth but what a beautiful stadium and great color scheme)

If we open it up to non-conference, the only team I truly despise is Notre Dame (and their bandwagon fans who probably ditch the Irish when it's time for basketball season and bandwagon Duke or something). It's becoming easier to have almost zero respect for LSU as an athletic program, but it's also sort of almost a funny meme at this point. Can't say I care for South Carolina or Tennessee after our bowl encounters, haha.
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Ohio st
Michigan
Penn st
 
#313      
fuddrules
Dislike:
Any team playing Illinois
Any OOC team playing a B1G opponent

That's really it but Michigan and USC are spoiled.

I have a lot of respect for Iowa always does (except some games vs. OSU) and what Cignetti has done at Indiana.
 
#314      
SampsonRelpenk
ChiefGritty said:
Hate With The Fire Of A Thousand Suns: All of the real Big Ten schools

Feel Absolutely Nothing About: Nebraska, Maryland, UCLA, USC, Oregon, Washington

Honestly Kinda Love: Rutgers
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If Penn State was able to eventually qualify for that first tier, who in the second do you think is most likely to one day?
 
#316      
Illini in Italy
Fighter of the Nightman said:
Okay, with the Cannon game coming up tomorrow ... what are your CURRENT Big Ten hate tiers? I was never as in to hating Purdue, but sitting in the freezing cold and watching them steal our Big Ten Championship Game hopes in 2022 while their obnoxious fans were complete clowns definitely elevated them for me, lol.

Tier 1 - Genuine Hate
- Michigan (I always rooted for them vs. OSU before they got good again, but WOW do I hate them now, haha...)
- Ohio State
- Indiana (more recent, but it was easy to adapt!)

Tier 2 - Genuine Dislike
- Iowa (I at least have some respect for their program over the last 25+ years)
- Purdue (again, this is mostly post-2022 for me)
- Wisconsin (I feel like the fact they've been sort of meh in the last 5+ years has injected zero humility into that fan base)

Tier 3 - Mild Dislike
- USC (I find them a VERY easy program to dislike, even though we don't feel "close" enough to them for true hatred to form)
- Northwestern (a weird paradox where I simultaneously just don't care that much but also find them really annoying and don't ever want them to be good)
- Michigan State (I feel like every couple years they do something hateworthy in one sport or another, and then I forget about them again)
- Nebraska (probably influenced by me having a bunch of Iowa friends, but I literally can't stand the online myth that they are these uniquely nice and classy fans ... go read their board, they spew hate the second you don't kiss the ring and accept their delusional reality where they're a Blue Blood)
- Penn State (my hate from after the scandal has mostly died down, but I do get annoyed by how entitled their fans seem to be when their history really doesn't back it up...)

Tier 4 - Mostly Indifferent
- Oregon (I find them obnoxious, but I can't say I "dislike" them)
- Maryland (they do kind of rub me the wrong way, though...)
- Minnesota (shocking how little I care about them given they're a longtime conference member)

Tier 5 - Totally Indifferent
- UCLA (love their colors, and you almost have to just feel bad for them a bit with the setup they have of an off-campus stadium, being dominated by USC, etc.)
- Rutgers (I actually empathize with them a lot ... their New York is our Chicago, their Philadelphia is our St. Louis, we are both in pro sports states, etc.)
- Washington (I've heard the actual students can be insufferable and the opposite of down to Earth but what a beautiful stadium and great color scheme)

If we open it up to non-conference, the only team I truly despise is Notre Dame (and their bandwagon fans who probably ditch the Irish when it's time for basketball season and bandwagon Duke or something). It's becoming easier to have almost zero respect for LSU as an athletic program, but it's also sort of almost a funny meme at this point. Can't say I care for South Carolina or Tennessee after our bowl encounters, haha.
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I hate 'em all with the fires of a thousand burning suns
 
#317      
STLini25
A few comments:

1) We are at the low point of Bielema tenure

2) We are the worst team in BT and SEC and maybe P4

3) We have very little coming back next year

4) Our coaching staff is weak

5) Our NIL is at the bottom of P4

How we played today and this year is where we are as a program. We are currently 1 of the 2 or 3 worst programs in the BT.
 
#318      
STLini25
Makes no sense to play Houser the rest of the year. Play Boyd and Clayton and see if you have a QB for next year.
 
#319      
Illinifan533
STLini25 said:
A few comments:

1) We are at the low point of Bielema tenure

2) We are the worst team in BT and SEC and maybe P4

3) We have very little coming back next year

4) Our coaching staff is weak

5) Our NIL is at the bottom of P4

How we played today and this year is where we are as a program. We are currently 1 of the 2 or 3 worst programs in the BT.
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Why, why, WHY is this always the default mindset when Illinois football is struggling? We weren't great in 2023, doomers came out of the woodworks to sh*t on the team and we bounced back. Sure, there's going to have be some changes in player evaluation, roster construction, and most importantly on the financial side to stay competitive, but we are not the only bad team in P4, but I guess some Illini fans would have to pay attention to other teams to get a reasonable take.
 
#320      
ChiefGritty
STLini25 said:
A few comments:

1) We are at the low point of Bielema tenure

2) We are the worst team in BT and SEC and maybe P4

3) We have very little coming back next year

4) Our coaching staff is weak

5) Our NIL is at the bottom of P4

How we played today and this year is where we are as a program. We are currently 1 of the 2 or 3 worst programs in the BT.
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The good news and the bad news is that the only thing that matters is the money.
 
#322      
STLini25
Illinifan533 said:
Why, why, WHY is this always the default mindset when Illinois football is struggling? We weren't great in 2023, doomers came out of the woodworks to sh*t on the team and we bounced back. Sure, there's going to have be some changes in player evaluation, roster construction, and most importantly on the financial side to stay competitive, but we are not the only bad team in P4, but I guess some Illini fans would have to pay attention to other teams to get a reasonable take.
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There are 34 teams in the BT and SEC. Name all the teams who we are better than.

Maybe Maryland. Maybe MSU. We are are bottom 3 or 4 team and you are splitting hairs?

And the 2023 Illinois team would destroy the 2026 Illinois team.
 
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