7-5 would be massively disappointing for the preseason 12th ranked team in the country. I've been watching Illini football long enough to realize that it's certainly possible (maybe even likely)... but it would still be a big bummer.
Pregame: Illinois vs Western Illinois, Friday, August 29th, 6:30pm CT, Peacock
- Status
8-4 is my guess.
Haha yeah but most of us don’t really want those other things. When you cancel I wouldn’t be surprised if you get an offer to comeback at a lower rate for basketball season. I’m at $3 per month for the next 6 months. Which means we’ll probably get March basketball games on peacock after my promotion ends (sorry all).Annual reminder for everyone that...
But just under $20 to get TV for the #12 Illini football home opener. There’s so much about that sentence that would have blown my mind 20-30 years ago.
Illini2010-11
- Sugar Grove
The Vegas O/U is not the best measure to use in stating that 7 wins would be a pretty good season. There are a couple books that have set the over/under at 8.5, and those that have it set at 7.5 have the over as anywhere from -150 to -200 odds of hitting. This would indicate that a 7 win season is actually underachieving. Almost all of us will be happy to have back-to-back 7+ win seasons, but it is hard to see how simply going 7-5 would be something other than disappointing, especially given how old this team will be at key positions. There can be an honest debate about how good the preseason computer models are (I personally believe that they are undervaluing the Illini).
The results from last season have certainly elevated fan expectations, and rightfully so. This team is keeping so much of the talent from last season, and the schedule is about as favorable as you can hope for. I personally believe that any team that starts the season ranked in the top 15 preseason and finishing with less than 8 wins as a disappointing season. It certainly happens that top ranked teams fall from the rankings by year end, but it does not change the disappointment that the season became.
The only way a 7 win season looks good to me is if the team battled major injuries to key players. My biggest fear is that anything less than 8 wins this season will result in a drop-off in ticket sales for 2026 and stall some of the momentum the program has built. Therefore, it is very easy to argue that only 7 wins will be a disappointment, potentially a huge disappointment depending on how the 7 wins unfold.
Same here. My guess is the team is better than 8-4 but that’s where they end up with a trip to the Reliaquest bowl.
Probably not as much as Alabama is paying EIU on 11/22
Illinois Football Favored vs. Western Illinois in Season Opener by ... How Much?
The numbers don't just favor the Illini – they predict a blowout of epic proportions by a seasoned, talented Big Ten club
www.si.com
Haha yeah but most of us don’t really want those other things. When you cancel I wouldn’t be surprised if you get an offer to comeback at a lower rate for basketball season. I’m at $3 per month for the next 6 months. Which means we’ll probably get March basketball games on peacock after my promotion ends (sorry all).
But just under $20 to get TV for the #12 Illini football home opener. There’s so much about that sentence that would have blown my mind 20-30 years ago.
Hate to break it to you all but Peacock is not going to offer a deal just for B1G fans.
And I honestly wonder how many people that are complaining about stuff being on Peacock have actually looked more into what it has in terms of content.
Don't play not to get hurt. Don't use negatives.
I saw prediction of the Pinstripe Bowl, and another putting Illinois 6th in the B1G (but the best team in Champaign). So there's that. I know there are a lot of reason to hold one's horses, but there are even more to ride 'em. They were born to run and they know it.
Is anyone thinking 11-1 or 10-2?
Ryllini
- Lombard
I'm thinking 1-0.
I've thought about 10 or 11 and decided it is healthier for me to think 1-0.
Hate to break it to you, I couldn’t care less why they offer the deals, I’m just glad that they do. My experience thus far has been that similar to XM Radio, peacock aggressively offers deals to retain subscribers (not tied to Big Ten fandom).
And I think most of us are well aware that it offers content beyond the Illinois games, it’s that we don’t think that content is worth $11 a month and having yet another service.
Speaking only for myself, the only reason I’m subscribed is to watch the Illinois opener and it’s $3/month. I don’t care about the week 1 NFL Game in Brazil. I may end up watching it, but I wouldn’t have paid $11 to do so.
Although I believe 8-4, I think this team has the talent for an 11-1 finish. I’ve just been an Illini football fan for too many years to allow myself to believe this will happen. I’d love to see it though.
I don't see an Ohio St win and between USC/Wisconsin/Indiana/Washington, 2-3 more losses
You're worried about Wisconsin and Washington?
We will go 7-5 or 11-1, there’s no in between for me and I ain’t seeing no second loss in this schedule. 
When was the last time Illinois won a non-exhibition game on the West Coast? The only West Coast win I can remember in the past 30 years was 2011 Kraft Fight Hunger bowl and most of those have been blowouts.
1. What's the past 30 years have to do with this year and this team?
2. Washington comes after a bye week....I suspect we will get out there a day earlier to adjust.
Even when Illinois has been good / solid, there’s many years of them playing poorly on the West Coast rest or not (could say the same thing about the PAC teams going east). Last year against Oregon was without a doubt our worst performance all year. Could look at the 1980s and 1990s of all the losses west too when Illinois was good (USC 1989 the one exception).
I will grant Oregon was ugly last year, but I'm not ready to seal the date of this team based on the performance on the road in the 80's/90's before any current member of the team was even born
- Status