Pregame: Illinois vs Michigan State, Saturday, November 16th, 1:30pm CT, FS1

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#152      
Vinegarben
Cut stupid personal fouls, holding on big plays and not allow MSU to get a 1st down with 3rd and 20 like we have in past games. Luke-NO FUMBLES! We need a running back to go off and get 100 yards for A change. If the Illini can do these things they will win-24-17
 
#153      
Illini4Chief
ptgrd23 said:
Protecting Luke is critical. JMO
1. Don't call running plays for him till 4Q. He fumbles too much.
2. Keep McCray in game as blocker on passing plays. Other RB don't pass block well. Too small.
3. Luke has to be told to get throw it away or run if he does not see somebody open on his first 2 reads. He holds ball way too long for this years offensive line to protect him. Make him watch Paddock game film. Luke is not Patrick Mahomes who can scramble out of anything.
4. Roll Luke out more to confuse the pass rush.
5. Call more quick passes on 1st down. We are so predictable.
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6. Quit running at the right or left tackle every other play...tiny yardage gains if any....
 
#155      
RabidDawgClassic
Ander1345 said:
I'm guessing it's easier to produce and thus cheaper to purchase for resale.

I love me a good bear as much as anyone but kinda just seems like how it's trending. Low carbs and all that...

Haven't tried NÜTRL or whatever but I like Truly and the Kirkland brand stuff... Whiteclaws were gross to me.
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Bbc One Bear GIF by BBC
 
#166      
Fighter of the Nightman
Pikeillinifan said:
Just win this (injury-free) and move on. Let's close the year out strong.
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Pretty much where I am. The Minnesota loss zapped my delusions of a "special season" (I mean that in a way that my Iowa friends or whatever would consider it as such ... it's already fairly special to us and rightly so) after we lost to Minnesota at home. While I will be immensely disappointed if we lose to Northwestern at Wrigley given the extra-football meaning of that setup, I have resigned myself to the fact that Rutgers will be a tossup on the road. So, this is where my mental state will be Saturday night as I am several glasses of wine deep at our friend's dinner party they've been planning for weeks, lol.

1) Beat MSU (literally by any margin and any way possible), and I am once again jacked for the remainder of the season. 7-3 overall, 4-3 in the Big Ten and a reasonable goal of winning out. Even if we lose at Rutgers and can finish 8-4 (5-4), that creates clear, multi-year evidence that the Bielema Era Fighting Illini are here to stay as a competent football program ... something we have all dreamed of for years. And if we win out and finish 9-3 (6-3)?? I mean, we are talking one of the objectively best regular seasons we have had in 4 decades ... absolutely awesome.

2) Lose to MSU, and we are simply on the verge of collapse and at risk of losing the momentum we gained back after last year's disappointment. If we can lose to Minnesota and especially MSU in back-to-back weeks in front of our home fans and on Senior Day, then we can absolutely lose to RU in Jersey and cap the collapse off with a devastating and symbolic defeat to NU in the City of Chicago. I hate to be melodramatic, but the momentum from the early ranked wins, the 6-1 start, the top 25 rankings, the sellout crowds, etc. would absolutely 110% be completely overshadowed by 5 out of our last 6 games, creating a narrative that Oregon "broke us," scraping our way into a bowl game most people don't know exists, etc. Would diehard Illini fans see a 7-5 season as a clear-if-steady sign of progress for this program? Of course ... and rightfully so, all things considered. However, we will have suffered a severe setback to the perception of our football program to the rest of the nation and the more "casual" Illini fans that we absolutely need to keep growing our brand.

Bottom line? We simply have to win this one. Minnesota was our "mulligan" loss where we came back down to Earth from a potentially 10-2 dream-like season to simply "trying to finish this thing strong." We are out of gimmes or do-overs, at least IMO. Win or die trying tomorrow!
 
#169      
CaptainCrutch
Illinijoe said:
Hmm I don’t think this is right on the weather.
Little to no chance of rain Saturday. Beautiful cloudy Fall morning with possible sun in the afternoon!
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I’m still seeing winds 12-15mph and fluctuating around a 10% chance of rain (which means 10% of coverage area gets rain, not a 10% chance it actually rains) with game temps in low fifties.

It gusts in memorial stadium - I’m just saying
 
#170      
Illini2010-11
Fighter of the Nightman said:
1) Beat MSU (literally by any margin and any way possible), and I am once again jacked for the remainder of the season. 7-3 overall, 4-3 in the Big Ten and a reasonable goal of winning out. Even if we lose at Rutgers and can finish 8-4 (5-4), that creates clear, multi-year evidence that the Bielema Era Fighting Illini are here to stay as a competent football program ... something we have all dreamed of for years. And if we win out and finish 9-3 (6-3)?? I mean, we are talking one of the objectively best regular seasons we have had in 4 decades ... absolutely awesome.
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Maybe just a slight exaggeration :)

If we happen to finish 9-3, it would be our best regular season since 2007. In 2007, we had three very high quality wins (#21 Penn State, #5 Wisconsin, and @#1 Ohio State). That was such an out of nowhere pleasant surprise. It feels so long ago, but we also won the Big Ten in 2001 with a 10-1 regular season record. Unfortunately the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl, respectively, put a slight damper on those two seasons. This season, for me at least, has lost a lot of charm due to the way our ranked wins have turned out (Kansas is a disappointment, Nebraska is in free fall, and Michigan is just haha) -- all three of those ranked teams at the time might not even make a bowl game!

Still, 9-3 (or even 8-4) should be a very good foundational year if it were to happen, especially given the extremely low expectations coming into the season.
 
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#173      
Illinijoe
CaptainCrutch said:
I’m still seeing winds 12-15mph and fluctuating around a 10% chance of rain (which means 10% of coverage area gets rain, not a 10% chance it actually rains) with game temps in low fifties.

It gusts in memorial stadium - I’m just saying
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For a November game, this is outstanding weather. Wind will be an issue certainly but not a bad weather day at all. Depending on where you look, I am seeing even only 5 percent of the area gets rain.
 
#175      
GForce
mhuml32 said:
Irrational, but suddenly I feel better about this game.
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Did a fist pump when I saw this, like his mere presence in the locker room will bestow a heap of mojo upon the team and Luke.
 
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