We owe them bad just for that....Imagine where Toledo might have been had we not taking Timmy Lasagna away from them???
Pregame: Illinois vs Toledo, Saturday, September 2nd, 6:30pm CT, BTN
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I'm still trying to burn that era out of my consciousness but the fire poker can only get in so far... Dark times.Imagine where Toledo might have been had we not taking Timmy Lasagna away from them???
mhuml32
Gesture of Northern Aggression
You can "hitch your wagon" to one of these beliefs, but not both. You can view this as either (a) our group has performed before and our experience/depth will win out over scheme or (b) our scheme allows folks in this position to flourish so I'm not worried about the experience.
Schedules are made way in advance so I get it. Teams aren't avoiding Toledo but it comes down to $$$ and your AD. Toledo is a very respectable MAC team but no Big Ten team is shaking in their boots about facing a MAC team or they might as well throw in the towel for the conference schedule.
I love watching college football any day of the week. MAC games are on all the time and catch a decent amount of them during the week. Last year for example Toledo faced Stony Brook, UMass and San Diego St. I saw you have San Jose St at home this year. There has been a Mountain West connection for awhile which is fine cause you never know what team will be decent years out. Get rid of the FCS games routinely like Stony Brook last season and Texas Southern this season. There are teams in conferences like AAC and Sun Belt that I watch just as much. Best thing conferences like AAC, Sun Belt and MAC could do is schedule a random matchup between them instead of adding FCS opponents and throw them on for 2-3 straight days leading up to Saturday.
TEs is a question for both teams right? What are your guys numbers coming back? We have a few TDs coming back from a young room still but did graduate TE1. Illinois Inquirer dudes are the ones that put the O/u on 400 yards and 4.5 TDs for your room. Our O/u is probably 7.5 TDs for that room. And that hits most years for Candle.
We had 500 yards and 11 TDs from that room. 100 yards and 3 TDs are coming back to fight and fill in for lost production.
How many snaps do your DBs bring back? We have 2 and 3 full seasons of snaps at every DB spot but CB3 which is 7 starts I think.
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Last year was year 1 of the new AD. Wku and App State are doing home and homes soon. We played LIU not SB. But the new AD has an emphasis on HBCUs for cash games. So we switched Wagner for Texas Southern this off season.
mhuml32
Gesture of Northern Aggression
This is where PFF's rating system is an effective tool. Toledo's scheme benefits tight end receiving stats but it also means they have more responsibility in the passing game. Illinois uses their TEs less for passing but leans on them a lot for the running game. Based on PFF's numbers, Illinois' returning tight ends have shown to be better (play-to-play) with what they're being asked than Toledo's.
Reiman is going to play in the NFL. His goal might be 25 catches, and 30 catches isn't unrealistic, but he's also a solid blocking TE. He can lift the Illinois running game in ways that Toledo's TEs either can't or aren't asked to do.
Illini2010-11
- Sugar Grove
This speaks volumes to the national perspective that Illinois football had been since the end of the Zook era. I am glad that cloud is, hopefully, officially over; but it is a sad state of affairs when fans from a mid to upper tier MAC team thinks it is an "automatic win" when scheduling a visit to Champaign. For that reason alone, I want Illini to absolutely run Toledo off the field for good measure.
Knew it was LIU but my fingers put SB.lol (Thought of Stony Brook once I listed UMass since they played last season)
Home and home is the only way to go for schools not in the P5 who want quality competition every year. Cash games happen at all levels....it pays the bills
I see Illinois taking the game over. I actually think Toledo vs San Jose St might be more comparable in talent this season when they play than vs Illinois. You should have a good scouting report on them since they have USC and Oregon St first two weeks.
altgeld88
- Arlington, Virginia
lol the Sprockets hanging their hats on beating Michigan in 2008, with the venerable RichRod at the Wolverines' helm, probably the worst Michigan team in living memory. 3-9 and 10th in the conference that season. I mean, props, 'cause you guys finished at 3-9, too, that season. Miami (2-10), beat you 42-14 on your home field.
And perhaps someone can help me understand how wins v. Arkansas and Iowa State in 2015 have any relevance in 2023. It's nice that Toledo beat a Top-20 Arkansas team then. That and an inflated $2 will get me 12-hour-old, lukewarm coffee at the deli down the street.
Let's return to reality: two football teams in 2023 will play on Sept. 2 in MemStad. They each got votes in the Top 25 preseason. That indicates on a neutral field it should be a competitive game. We're not playing on a neutral field. Vegas has us at a touchdown + favorite. In the absence of my Ouija board I tend to favor the views of those who put their money on the line. We can discuss it further among ourselves. You seem intent on us taking your team seriously. I believe most of us do. I mean, Northwestern is no Toledo.
Am looking forward to an enjoyable game. Odds are that it will be a close one. Good for all concerned. We like debating with guests on our board but you gotta bring more than "Toledo's got Bielema's number." Or "We beat two P5 teams in 2015."
BTW, BB's got lots of numbers. Which one exactly does UT possess?
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Not sure Toledo should have expected to, say, waltz in here in the fall of 2021 or even 2019 and get an "automatic" win ... lol. But point taken, Bielema has transformed this program.
The fact that regardless of our record, success, bowl games, NFL players we are looked at as inferior... is why we want to run you off your field lol. This game would be TD on a neutral, and a 3 or 4 pt spread at the Glass Bowl. Gotta love early season hype.
That's fine. It's just odd to hear NFL talent from a room that only gets a few TDs. Our 15 TD TE coached by Discher could have been an awful blocking TE. I usually just pay attention to targets, yards and TDs. And I'd bet on more from our room than yours. That's all.
band camp
- STL City
"We"?
I could personally make fun of BB to his face as a Toledo fan and that's fun for us. 1-0 baby. And I never once brought up ISU in 2015. One of you did.
Come on, yall don't say "we" referring to your team? And I was on student staff so I can say we.
IlliniKat91
- Chicago, IL
Now I get the fervor
band camp
- STL City
I do not. I'm not on the squad.
So lump them in with the WR group.
might as well go to the game wearing neutral colors if you can't root for "your team." Or just skip it all together.
Facing the law firm of Newton & Randolph, and their Associates Coleman & Jacas, Toledo's QB will be praying that his TEs can block REAAALLLY well. I don't care what P5 program your transfer OL came from; they're not blocking all those guys 1 on 1.
Looked at inferior by who? As a non P5 school I think Toledo is very respectable over the years. Toledo probably got more national air time than Illinois looking back over the years. Looking for that bulletin board material on an Illini board.......whatever gets you pumped up
It would be like an Illini fan starting an account on a Toledo forum and preaching about Red Grange and Dick Butkus
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