exactamundo
Penn State 21, Illinois 7 Postgame
10-2 and the only loses to Top 10 Penn State and Top 10 Oregon both on the road is in the top 12.
PSU had the personnel to do it. Not everyone will. We’ll also learn from this game and get better.
Illini2010-11
- Sugar Grove
It would really depend on what other teams do. Only 7 at-large bids. Only lock for top 12 would be 11-1, IMO (finishing outside of B1G Champ game).
I personally do not think 10-2 would be enough given Kansas win does not look great, and it is to be seen how the Nebraska win ages. I think Illinois would need to win both Michigan and @Oregon to feel good about playoff chances. I think 10-2 with losses at PSU and Oregon would be 25% at best to get in top 12 playoff.
Absolutely. Beyond the bad snap, he got manhandled numerous times vs. PSU.
I agree and probably less than 25% chance. I would be shocked if any 10-2 team makes the top 12
I will wager any amount of money you want that a 10-2 team makes the playoffs. I will also give you odds.
Mr. Tibbs
- southeast DuPage
a 10-2 Michigan with losses to UT & OSU could get in
Because we have a sieve for an offensive line. There is insufficient time for a downfield game to develop.
Wild, but Indiana has an easier path to 10-2 than the Illini. Win at Northwestern and Michigan State. Beat three of Nebraska, Washington, Purdue or Michigan at home. Likely loss at tOSU.
Agree. Last year there were 5 teams in the top 12 with 10-2 records and in the top 25 only Liberty and SMU had less than three losses. They were 23 and 24.
Coaches better figure it out and how to stop the run because Michigan is going to do the same things.
Been an issue...
Last edited:
You are wrong. Both the D and O lines are decent. The D line is performing better than anticipated following the loss of Newton. Penn St has a solid O line and two of the best RBs in the country. If anything, Illinois' front seven got hammered by physically punishing RBs. Even so, Penn St did not roll over Illinois and blow them out. Meanwhile, the O line kept PSU's vaunted edge rushers in check for most of the game--and many times the Illini tackles were one-on-one with PSU's NFL-bound OLBs/DEs. Altmyer was not heavily pressured until late, when PSU got up two scores and simply pinned their ears back. While the O line made some mistakes, they played solid against a defensive front that was supposed to dominant Illinois. Most importantly, it's a team game. Sometimes when the rushing attack, for instance, doesn't gain yardage, it's the O line's fault (or the defense's credit). But sometimes it's the RB's fault for not hitting the hole, or it's the TE's or WR's fault for missing a block. And sometimes when Altmyer is pressured or sacked it's the O line's fault, but sometimes it's the QB's fault for holding the ball too long, or breaking the pocket when he shouldn't. To simply grumble, "our D and O lines are not very good," fails to recognize so many factors--and it fails to recognize that Penn State knew they were in a ball game.
I agree to an extent--namely that the interior of the O line has not been as strong as expected. But . . . it would help the O line immensely if the RBs consistently hit the hole on time. This is the Big Ten--big boy football. The holes are not going to be gaping every play. Sometimes there's just a crease. RBs gotta hit it!
I'm not saying it's impossible, I would just be shocked is all.
OK, I'll wager $1 @ 1,000,000 : 1 odds.....
If the Illini continue to improve as a program year-over-year, they have a much larger recruiting base close at hand than Iowa. Illinois is situated well between several major population centers, which produce a lot of talented players. The more Illinois improves, the more Illinois will be able to attract "local" talent. Every year the Notre Dames & Ohio States of the country snag talent out of Chicagoland, for instance. While bigtime programs will still get their share of local talent, if Illinois can keep this upward trend going, they will increasingly be able to recruit their pick of local talent from Chicago and St. Louis and other regional population centers.
That may be. But isn't funny how Penn State didn't blow Illinois out? Even the two score margin was earned until late in the game, with the help of a defensive turnover deep in Illini territory. Hmmm . . .
Kreutz is tough as nails, and by all accounts, smart as a whip. But (unfortunately) he's undersized. It was unfortunate to make such a terrible unforced error at that crucial moment in the game. But I trust that he's mentally tough enough to put that behind him and move forward.
People tend to think this every year, but in reality it was actually fairly common for 2 loss teams to be in the Top 8 in the BCS era. I would expect 1 or 2 3 loss teams to make the Top 12 each year.
For perspective during the BCS era:
4 major bowl years:
1999: 2L-2, 3L-1
2000: 2L-4, 3L-1
2001: 2L-2, 3L-1
2002: 2L-2, 3L-1
2003: 2L-3, 3L-0, 4L-1
2004: 2L-4, 3L-1
2005: 2L-2, 3L-1
2006: 2L-3, 3L-0, 4L-1
----------‐------------------------
5 major bowl years:
2007: 2L-5, 3L-0
2008: 2L-6, 3L-1
2009: 2L-2, 3L-0, 4L-1
2010: 2L-4, 3L-0
2011: 2L-3, 3L-0, 4L-1
2012: 2L-4, 3L-2
2013: 2L-3, 3L-0, 4L-0, 5L-1
2014: 2L-3
I'd also go over the last 9 years but how they compiled games during those years is more cumbersome to include. In any case, the point is there was never a year during the BCS years that multiple 2 loss or more teams didn't make the Top 8.
We're way jumping out ahead of our skis here, but I can all but guarantee that a 2 loss Illinois team with losses only to PSU and one of Oregon/Michigan/OSU and wins over Nebraska and 2 of Oregon, Michigan, or OSU would absolutely make the playoffs.
I'd even go so far as to say if a 2 loss B10 team with those type of wins and those type of losses didn't make the playoffs it would be one of the most blatant screw jobs imaginable as in all likelihood, they'd be replaced by multiple 2 loss teams with worse wins and losses and a couple 3 loss teams. There would be rioting