Pregame: Illinois at Maryland, Friday, December 2nd, 8:00pm CT, BTN
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altgeld88
- Arlington, Virginia
Now, now. You're dissing an AP National Coach of the year, Henry Iba Award winner, and a MICHIGAN MAN. And he totally won the BT that year. We can be sure his recent struggles have been complete flukes.
/s
sacraig
- The desert
Steal of the century!Don't forget that he recruited The Jett Howard.
A friend is an asst AD at MD and offered me free tickets (I live in the area). Had to pass because we are celebrating my daughter graduating early from Oregon State that evening. Cheer extra loud for me, please.
sacraig
- The desert
Tell your daughter to take an extra semester and really enjoy it. Live a little!
Then go to the game.
The Galloping Ghost
- Washington, DC
Dear God, if I knew what awaited me in the real world of 1999-2001, I would have absolutely flunked another class or two. Graduating early takes some guts, kudos to her.
Capitalize POS.
InDaAZ
- Eugene, Oregon
)sacraig
- The desert
Money is nice, but do you know what is also nice? An extra semester with a light course load to have the time of your life with relatively little responsibility.
I WILL BE THERE!!!!!!
Question: who will step up this game?
So far Hawkins, Danja, Shannon, Epps, and Harris have all had "breakout" games... Who's next? So fun to have depth.
So far Hawkins, Danja, Shannon, Epps, and Harris have all had "breakout" games... Who's next? So fun to have depth.
altgeld88
- Arlington, Virginia
And the NPV of that extra semester will far exceed that of any after-tax earnings reduced by lost leisure time. I didn't hang on campus but took six months off after finishing my degree to tour the American west with a buddy. I've enjoyed those memories for 32 years now and didn't regret a moment of it.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
This is why I have this weird feeling we lose to Maryland but turn around and upset Texas in one of our best games of the year.
altgeld88
- Arlington, Virginia
I respectfully disagree (with incentive, as I'll be there Friday and can not abide the insufferable, delusional Maryland fans.)
WE WILL WIN.
Chad Fleck
- Eureka, IL
I completely skipped "the college experience" and got married. Commuted to school and just focused on classes and work. I'm pleased to have more time with my wife. I guess we all can find ways to take joy in the choices we made.
altgeld88
- Arlington, Virginia
Too many young people at that age are on greased rails. Each to his/her own.
Since Underwood got here we have always played much better on the road than at home.
altgeld88
- Arlington, Virginia
This^ The sole reason why we lost at MD last January (four days after that epic Purdue game at home on MLK Day) is because Kofi was concussed and Belo had the flu. BU had to put BBV, who hadn't started in the post (or maybe ever) on Donta Scott for 40 mins. He hung in there for around 25 mins but then faded. Scott ran amok and killed us in the 2H.
Mentally, I'm approaching these next two like I approached Vegas. Won't get too distraught if we lose both. Win one and I'll be happy. Win two and I'll have visions of Natties dancing in my head.
I know the MD win is probably more valuable but I think I'd rather have the TX win. When's the last time we beat a top 2 non-con opponent? Would be huge for perception and seeding.
I know the MD win is probably more valuable but I think I'd rather have the TX win. When's the last time we beat a top 2 non-con opponent? Would be huge for perception and seeding.
Sounds like my last semester at Ill! I needed 3 hours to graduate, and could have, but Viet Nam was beckoning so I went back for the fall semester, signed up for thirteen hours of fun stuff and dropped classes when they had papers come due. The big plus-- I went into the draft lottery (number 352, baby!) The big minus-- Illini went 0-9 in football (Thanks Jim Valek!)
It was the only time in college when I didn't feel the big pressure to succeed. Great times...
Epsilon
M tipping over
- Pdx
Username doesn’t check out.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Hey, it's not like I'm going to wake up Friday and NOT be thinking we will win!I respectfully disagree (with incentive, as I'll be there Friday and can not abide the insufferable, delusional Maryland fans.)
WE WILL WIN.
I could just see the first road trip being a bit rough.I decided to look into this, skipping the early years where we sucked ... and I think this perception got crafted during our 2019-20 season during a very specific stretch and reinforced at critical times that stick in our memories as fans ... but I am not sure it is totally true.
After our great win in Madison in 2020, we won two (way too) close games vs. Rutgers and Northwestern at home, and then we won at Purdue and at Michigan back-to-back. Then, after losing two HUGELY hyped home games vs. #9 Maryland and Michigan State in Champaign in front of insane sellout crowds, we proceeded to win at #9 Penn State the next week. I think this is when the "Road Warriors" thing really took hold.
Then, in 2020-21, it was reinforced during a stretch where we fell from #12 to #22 in the AP poll after back-to-back home losses to a bad Maryland team and #21 Ohio State, before winning 11 of our last 12 - including winning three straight top 25 road games, one of which is arguably our most iconic regular season win of the last three seasons, the beatdown of #2 Michigan in Ann Arbor without Ayo.
However, the numbers don't back this perception up, IMO. If we take out "cupcake" teams (I will say only Power Five count here, excluding BTT and NCAAT), these are our records over the last three seasons:
Home: 25-8 (24-6)
Away: 21-12 (20-10)
Neutral: 2-2 (0-0)
Notable and/or especially memorable results by year:
2019-20
L 69-90 at #21 Arizona (hung with them for a half then boat-raced)
L 79-81 vs. Miami (FL) (epic Fake Comeback)
L 58-59 at #3 Maryland (the collapse and crap foul call)
W 71-62 vs. #5 Michigan
L 56-76 at #14 Michigan State (officially thought we sucked here)
W 71-70 at Wisconsin (broke a 13-game losing streak vs. the Badgers)
W 79-62 at Purdue (Griffin game ... start of Road Warriors legend, IMO)
W 64-62 at Michigan (Ayo's game winner, cementation of Road Warrios legend)
L 66-75 vs. #9 Maryland (game for first place in the Big Ten)
L 69-70 vs. Michigan State (Fake Comeback where Ayo gets hurt on last play...)
L 57-72 at Rutgers (fourth loss in a row after 8 straight wins)
W 62-56 at #9 Penn State
L 63-71 at #19 Ohio State (our "out of gas" game after 4 straight wins)
W 78-76 vs. #18 Iowa (Garza at the buzzer to get us the 4-seed in the BTT that never was)
2020-21
L 69-82 vs. #2 Baylor in Indianapolis, IN
W 83-68 at #10 Duke (great bounce-back beatdown six days later)
L 78-81 at Missouri (UGH)
L 88-91 at #19 Rutgers
L 63-66 vs. Maryland (utter crap)
L 81-87 vs. #21 Ohio State (a Fake Comeback)
W 80-75 vs. #7 Iowa (our "we're back" game, as we had fallen to #19 from #6)
W 75-60 vs. #19 Wisconsin
L 72-81 at Michigan State (Ayo being assaulted)
--- This FULLY cements the legend of Road Warriors, all consecutively! ---
W 74-69 at #23 Wisconsin (without Ayo)
W 76-53 at #2 Michigan (without Ayo)
W 73-68 at #7 Ohio State (Ayo's return game, debut of The Face Mask)
2021-22
L 79-83 vs. #11 Arizona (really frustrating end)
L vs. #4 Purdue 88-96 in 2OT (ugh...)
L 65-81 at Maryland (no Kofi)
W 56-55 vs. #10 Michigan State (no Kofi)
W 80-67 vs. #11 Wisconsin
W 74-57 at Indiana
L 59-70 at Rutgers (we got punked)
W 79-74 at #19 Michigan State (Trent pull-up)
L 83-86 vs. #22 Ohio State (Brad's technical, an almost comeback, etc.)
W 93-85 at Michigan
W 74-72 vs. #24 Iowa (Big Ten champs)
So, as you can see, we have had about as many good/bad memories in Champaign and abroad over the last three years, and our home record in "big games" is definitely better than our road record. The Road Warriors legend was established during our 8-game winning streak in 2020 that included huge wins at Wisconsin, at Purdue and at Michigan, then it was cemented when we won at #9 Penn State to break a 4-game losing streak. It reached legendary status when we closed out 2021 with 3 straight top 25 road victories, two of which were without Ayo, after a couple disappointing home games earlier that year. It is also certainly true that our road record is WAY closer to our home record than (1) it ever was back in the 1998-2006 stretch when we were really good and (2) it is to basically any of our Big Ten peers, which seem to rely a lot more on "protecting home court."
However, if you want to skip all that mumbo-jumbo, here is the REAL message:
What can be said without a doubt is we have been a FANTASTIC road team under Brad Underwood ... let's keep that up this Friday!
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