Pregame: Illinois vs Rutgers, Saturday, November 1st, 11:00am CT, NBC
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Rutgers is chomping at the bit. They had this game circled since we won on a crazy play to end the game last year. I hope Bret can get this team motivated as they may have hit the wall. Self confidence has to be shot at this point.
Retro62
- North Bethesda, Maryland
I see that, despite some terrible penalties today, our offensive line has improved a great deal after Bret said enough is enough. I think he just said basically the same thing about the defense. It may be much later than we wanted, but I do think he will have the defense performing better in our last four games. Even an average D should be enough to get us past Rutgers and the rest. Obviously, it could all go south again in any of those games, but I feel like we will do enough to win each of them. I think your prediction is sound too, and 8-4 would still be very good, I would just like to at least do as well as last year.
I see 8-4. I'm going to the MD game, hope that's a win
I believe you will see a number of coaches replaced after this season.
BB will not let what happened at Arkansas happen here, we have some coaches that are performing way below their pay grade. And he's waited quite a few years to get another bite at the apple.
BB will not let what happened at Arkansas happen here, we have some coaches that are performing way below their pay grade. And he's waited quite a few years to get another bite at the apple.
I am not a doomsayer, but this team will struggle to go 9-3. I think 7-5 is more realistic.
However, i don’t agree that it’s a waste of season.
Any year we go bowling should be considered a success.
I know it’s cool to be negative, but Rutgers is not a good football team. Let’s get a comfortable win for the good guys and get the boat going back in the right direction
Battle89
- Cary-Grove, the better Trojan team
Agree in all respects. I predicted 8-4 so right on track (flipped the IU & USC games though). But I no longer feel nearly as confident in the last four games.
I had them at 3-1 preseason but 2-2 is also likely, and worse is not out of the question. We literally could not stop UW once today, one punt after they dropped a pass.
So many receptions with no Illini even in the TV picture - and I feel like I’ve written those same words about previous games this year.
I'm almost certain the people penciling in a 7-5 season have not watched any of our remaining teams intimately all year to be oh so confident in our collapse.
Illinois is far and away the better team in all 4 of these games and that's a fact. 9-3 is the expectation. Win the games you're supposed to win.
The problem is that the same pessimistic projections/posters misplaced the bar in the first place. Washington was and is the better team.
Illinois is far and away the better team in all 4 of these games and that's a fact. 9-3 is the expectation. Win the games you're supposed to win.
The problem is that the same pessimistic projections/posters misplaced the bar in the first place. Washington was and is the better team.
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I wish we were a program that wins the games that we should. While Bret has the program in better shape than it has been in years even his teams have stumbled every year on locking those games down. Like you stated we haven't lost a game yet this year where we were favored or should have won so the last four games gives us/him a chance to put that tendency behind us.
Illiniaaron
- Geneseo, IL
I just can’t see them losing next week. Rutgers is not good.
At some point Henrey has to have faith in the secondary to press up. Idc if we have injuries but we look like the softest defense in the big2 conferences. It's got to change quick
I've been watching all the games you have, and we are just not a clean team. Way too many lil mistakes shooting us in the foot. Was at the Duke game and we were fortunate they couldn't hold on to the ball. Talent wise we're a 9-3 team, but constant mental lapses will have us drop another
The doom and gloomers appear from everywhere today. We are better than every team remaining on the schedule. NW is a decent, bowl quality team in a rivalry game so that should be competitive. Avoid silly mistakes and costly penalties and we can easily finish 9-3 for the 2nd year. Even 8-4 would cap a spectacular 2 year run for IL FB. If you are mad/sad/angry/disgusted that we are 5-3 with 4 winnable games left you obviously haven't watched IL FB for the last 30 years. We have lost to 3 very good teams that were clearly better than us. Rutgers, Wisconsin and Maryland are not and NW is close. Sky not falling y'all,
I’ve watched for the last 30 years and am still disgusted/mad/angry about the game and losses to date for this season.
“How” (how you lose) counts regardless of record for me.
Tired of the “8-4 is still a great run” crowd. Yes, we all know that on a very surface level and nobody is arguing it. It’s not the record that is upsetting. It’s the way the team has competed in all 3 losses. We have been outclassed, exposed, and completely embarrassed in all 3 losses.
NOT the expectation in year 5 of Bielema with NIL, the portal, 16 returning starters, and coming back from a huge bowl win against SC.
8-4 and close losses to topped ranked teams would have completely different reactions. Right now nationally, we are the overrated joke that was somehow #9 at one point. Not a good look, and not fun for fans.
NOT the expectation in year 5 of Bielema with NIL, the portal, 16 returning starters, and coming back from a huge bowl win against SC.
8-4 and close losses to topped ranked teams would have completely different reactions. Right now nationally, we are the overrated joke that was somehow #9 at one point. Not a good look, and not fun for fans.
I wouldn't say its doom and gloomers..its more reality vs. pre-season expectation..Coming in to the season, the majority of prognosticators including fans had us pegged as a top 5 big10 team with a legitimate possibility of making the playoffs. Reality is we're not top 5 but mid-tier (7-12) at best and not even close to being a worthy team of making the playoffs.....That is major disappointment..I don't blame most of the fans for being that upset..
That was in the old system before the CFP . Going to meaningless bowl game is not going to cut it
BZuppke
- Plainfield
If you watched this team from day 1 you should have concluded that we simply do not have the defense to be a playoff team. All this playoff scenario talk set false expectations. I did not think we’d beat IU or OSU, but certainly expected a better showing yesterday.
This was the problem! These people were misinformed. Look at our advanced stats last year - we weren’t close to top 10. People got the wrong impressive by just looking at wins losses. We got lucky in a few games - see Purdue and Rutgers. We are a solid top 30-35 team which is great for this program. If we had a competent defense coordinator who’s in year 3, we’d be much closer to CFP contention.
Well flip side how inspiring it is that we have won 5 games without a Defense!!!
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