The best team may or may not win the regular season. The problem is an unbalanced schedule. We had some scheduling advantages but those that didn't play Purdue twice or at Purdue or at other top teams certainly have an advantage as well as those that don't play Nebraska and other weaker teams only once. I know it would likely mean more loses but I'd be in favor of playing everyone twice during the regular season. Then other than injuries factoring in it would be much more likely that the best team would be the champion.
Pregame: Illinois vs Penn State, Thursday, March 3rd, 6:00pm CT, FS1
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Haha fair enough.
turnaround3
- 1st & Daniel
Agree with mostly all of this one just one added caveat, there are scenarios where we could grab the Chicago #2 or #3 that involve not running into Purdue again, however unlikely they may be:
1) Purdue wins tonight, setting up the 3 way B1G tie
2) We go 2-0 and presumably get a two or more likely three way share of the regular season B1G title
3) Purdue gets upset on Friday (*maybe* even Saturday?) of the BTT
4) We win the BTT, particularly if we beat UW on the way to doing so
5-0 down the stretch while both UW & PUR stumble is certainly not among the most likely scenarios, but it exists.
As I read this thread, I had to go back and look at the title, I thought I was reading a post season thread LOL. Anyhow, PSU is the next game. After watching their last two games, it looks like they have given up after barely beating NW at home and getting destroyed by Nebby. We need to not fall back to playing to the talent of our opponent. Attack, get a big lead and hold it. An easy victory will net help us ratings wise but a close game will. If we can get a big lead, I doubt they have the fight to claw back into the game. Never let up though
Hope to see RJ playing
Back in the day when the Big Ten was really 10 teams, they did that. 2 games per week, usually Thur and Sat, for 9 weeks. With 14 teams now, 26 games would be just too brutal.
That bar is set too low. Give us a B1G championship every 4 OUT OF 5 years and we'll be happy. Not being greedy, just restoring order to the Universe.
OK, maybe National Championship every 4 years...
ILLINI IN NE
- Omaha,Ne.
And BBV. It would be great to have everyone healthy for the post season.
I'm gonna dispute the "much better on the road." We've lost 3 at home, 4 away and 1 neutral. Our home losses were to Arizona, Purdue and OSU. All very good teams. Our away losses include Maryland and Rutgers, and our neutal loss is Cincinnati (and none of these 3 was even close). We are a good road team, but we still do enjoy a home court advantage.
Realistically our team still has too many flaws to win a national championship. But every game it appears they are addressing them. Hawkins is really helping with our biggest weakness (no 4 or tall 3 on defense). If Verdonk and Payne can play solid defense to spell Kofi that fixes a second problem. If Plummer can play reasonable defense that fixes a third and if Demonte can hit open shots we can win a championship. This also assumes we don't ever have that Ohio state officiating crew again. Just a laundry list of areas the team can grow
For the Penn State game I would love to see the team come out agressive, evaluate the opponents game plan, make in game adjustments and play with energy, poise and hit open shots
I would say being on a neutral code where the fan turnout is 50/50 is probably the worst of all three. I'd rather be fully on the road at that point.
PSU will be sky high to play us. Not sure they were too excited to play lowly Nebby.
Too lazy to look it up, but beating us would likely be the highlight of their season, so we have to be ready
Win this one and we clinch a 1-4 seed in the BTT and make the IA game a little less important to win.
1990? Literally the most hostile environment I've ever seen at a sporting event. Iowa came out of the tunnel knowing they'd already lost. (And Ervin Small's three in that game remains a top-five Illinois basketball moment for me.)
Unrelated, but I would soil myself laughing if Wisconsin lost a share of the title by losing to Nebraska.
altgeld88
- Arlington, Virginia
Enjoy. Rest assured that a long line of fellow Loyalty devotees stand prepared to fill the void.
sacraig
- The desert
Biggest home game against Iowa in approximately 1 year.
Illinois 82-71 Iowa (Mar 13, 2021) Final Score - ESPN
Game summary of the Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Iowa Hawkeyes NCAAM game, final score 82-71, from March 13, 2021 on ESPN.
altgeld88
- Arlington, Virginia
"Home" game v. Iowa would have been in Champaign a year earlier, March 2020. The "Kofi Bestrides Garza As A Colossus" finale before the world fell apart the following week and everything sporting was cancelled..Biggest home game against Iowa in approximately 1 year.
Illinois 82-71 Iowa (Mar 13, 2021) Final Score - ESPN
Game summary of the Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Iowa Hawkeyes NCAAM game, final score 82-71, from March 13, 2021 on ESPN.www.espn.com
sacraig
- The desert
Hmm... you are, of course, correct that the game I cited was a home game only in the sense that we were the higher seed in the tournament. However, even the home game from earlier that season was pretty huge: https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/game/_/gameId/401263417
altgeld88
- Arlington, Virginia
Well, I'm nothing if not pedantic
I'd forgotten about the reg season game last year v. Hawks. I remember that season finale in 2020 because it seemed like the first time in well over a decade when it was the final weekend of the season and our game mattered monumentally. I don't believe my pulse dropped below ~ 150 for the entire second half.
It only goes head to head if you're Michigan.
texillwek
🔶🔹🔸🔷
danielb927
Orange Krush Class of 2013
- Rochester, MN
Absolutely agree about the unbalanced schedules. Without a doubt that has an impact on the regular season champion. BUT, even if we played everyone twice, I still suspect the best team would only win the regular season title around 75% of the time. There’s enough randomness from game to game that even 26 games won’t smooth it out completely.
- Status