Your Dream Illini Football Schedule

#1      

Fighter of the Nightman

Fighter of the Nightman
Chicago, IL
Fighter of the Nightman
Interpret this how you want (i.e., one single year or posting a "formula" with protected opponents, etc.), but it has to be 12 games and let's assume 9 Big Ten games for now, and assume the "current" post-expansion Big Ten. I get some people wouldn't like my choices, but I tried to make it a bit interesting ... I used this year's Saturday dates for simplicity's sake:

9/2 - vs. Wyoming ... or a similar program. Someone who isn't a total pushover but a team we should beat.
9/9 - vs. Missouri (St. Louis, MO - Busch Stadium) ... hate me all you want! I honestly think Braggin' Rights is one of the coolest setups in the country, and it could absolutely be replicated for football in an outdoor setting for a beautiful September weekend, plus the area around Bush Stadium is made for this type of event. You'd have to work on it logistically with the Cardinals, but I think the city of St. Louis would welcome this, as they embrace Braggin' Rights wholeheartedly. It wouldn't kill me if it is just home-and-home, but Braggin' Rights outside?? Sign me up.
9/16 - vs. Rice ... pretty much ANY (usually) bad opponent that is in a talent hotbed.
9/23 - vs. Iowa ... I want this to turn into our biggest rivalry (like hoops), and I want it played in Memorial Stadium while it's still warm! I absolutely hate that this got pegged for the weekend before Thanksgiving week for so many years.
9/30 - at Washington ... sailgating!
10/7 - vs. Wisconsin ... perfect Fall Saturday vs. a traditional Big Ten team.
10/14 - at Nebraska ... iconic stadium where we seem to just wrack up wins these days!
10/21 - vs. Michigan ... need one of Michigan or OSU on a dream schedule, IMO.
10/28 - Bye Week ... seems like about the best time?
11/4 - at Purdue ... seems as good as any for this slot, plus it's close for our fans.
11/11 - vs. USC ... need a marquee opponent to get our fans to show up in the cold, and who better than a team used to playing in perfect weather?!
11/18 - at UCLA ... no better time of year. :cool:
11/25 - vs. Northwestern (Arlington Heights, IL) ... this game is horribly attended in both Champaign and Evanston, in no small part because it's freezing cold and many Illini students are home - disproportionately in Chicagoland. We might as well turn this into a Thanksgiving Weekend tradition, inside a nice cozy domed stadium where we'll get at least as many fans as Champaign or Evanston. This is, of course, assuming we have to play them the last weekend of the year.

Obviously, I would be a bit bummed not playing traditional Big Ten schools like Minnesota or Indiana ... but if we have to have LA and Seattle schools in the conference, I at least want an excuse for a roadtrip!
 
#4      

aaeismacgychel

A
aaeismacgychel
I'll go with (12 total, 9B10):
2 against former Pac 10, 1H, 1A (no to Oregon and USC in same year)
1 OSU and Michigan in alternating years
1 Northwestern
1 Iowa
1 Wisconsin
1 Purdue
2 of Nebraska, Minnesota, Penn State, Michigan State, Indiana, Rutgers (I omitted Maryland because they rate a 0 for me)
1 Soldier Field Game against a midtier P5 opponent
1 cupcake at home to build confidence
1 state school at home or a high profile game if we're feeling our oats

I can't say I ever cared about playing Mizzou in football hence why they're off the list
 
#6      

mhuml32

mhuml32
Cincinnati, OH
mhuml32
Fighter of the Nightman said:
let's assume 9 Big Ten games for now, and assume the "current" post-expansion Big Ten.
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I Dont Want To Ariana Grande GIF by mtv
 
#7      

redwingillini11

redwingillini11
White and Sixth
North Aurora
redwingillini11
Week 1: Central Michigan
Week 2: Mizzou
Week 3: Colorado
Week 4: at Nebraska
Week 5: Michigan
Week 6: Wisconsin
Week 7: at Michigan State
Week 8: Minnesota
Week 10: Iowa
Week 11: at UCLA
Week 12: Purdue
Week 13: at Northwestern (or in Chicago)
 
#8      

Bucktown

B
Bucktown
Fighter of the Nightman said:
Interpret this how you want (i.e., one single year or posting a "formula" with protected opponents, etc.), but it has to be 12 games and let's assume 9 Big Ten games for now, and assume the "current" post-expansion Big Ten. I get some people wouldn't like my choices, but I tried to make it a bit interesting ... I used this year's Saturday dates for simplicity's sake:

9/2 - vs. Wyoming ... or a similar program. Someone who isn't a total pushover but a team we should beat.
9/9 - vs. Missouri (St. Louis, MO - Busch Stadium) ... hate me all you want! I honestly think Braggin' Rights is one of the coolest setups in the country, and it could absolutely be replicated for football in an outdoor setting for a beautiful September weekend, plus the area around Bush Stadium is made for this type of event. You'd have to work on it logistically with the Cardinals, but I think the city of St. Louis would welcome this, as they embrace Braggin' Rights wholeheartedly. It wouldn't kill me if it is just home-and-home, but Braggin' Rights outside?? Sign me up.
9/16 - vs. Rice ... pretty much ANY (usually) bad opponent that is in a talent hotbed.
9/23 - vs. Iowa ... I want this to turn into our biggest rivalry (like hoops), and I want it played in Memorial Stadium while it's still warm! I absolutely hate that this got pegged for the weekend before Thanksgiving week for so many years.
9/30 - at Washington ... sailgating!
10/7 - vs. Wisconsin ... perfect Fall Saturday vs. a traditional Big Ten team.
10/14 - at Nebraska ... iconic stadium where we seem to just wrack up wins these days!
10/21 - vs. Michigan ... need one of Michigan or OSU on a dream schedule, IMO.
10/28 - Bye Week ... seems like about the best time?
11/4 - at Purdue ... seems as good as any for this slot, plus it's close for our fans.
11/11 - vs. USC ... need a marquee opponent to get our fans to show up in the cold, and who better than a team used to playing in perfect weather?!
11/18 - at UCLA ... no better time of year. :cool:
11/25 - vs. Northwestern (Arlington Heights, IL) ... this game is horribly attended in both Champaign and Evanston, in no small part because it's freezing cold and many Illini students are home - disproportionately in Chicagoland. We might as well turn this into a Thanksgiving Weekend tradition, inside a nice cozy domed stadium where we'll get at least as many fans as Champaign or Evanston. This is, of course, assuming we have to play them the last weekend of the year.

Obviously, I would be a bit bummed not playing traditional Big Ten schools like Minnesota or Indiana ... but if we have to have LA and Seattle schools in the conference, I at least want an excuse for a roadtrip!
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I think move the Northwestern game away from Thanksgiving. Only about half of the time over the last 50-60 years it has been played at the end of the season. It has also jumped around on the schedule quite a bit. In the late '70's and early '80's the home games were actually at the beginning of the season. Starting in 1999 it has been the last game in all but 2 or 3 years.
 
#11      

Fighter of the Nightman

Fighter of the Nightman
Chicago, IL
Fighter of the Nightman
STLflyinIllini said:
I really like the idea of playing Northwestern week 1 every year.
Also sign me up for an annual Mizzou game - since I live in St Louis it would be cool to have it here....but home and home is probably more practical.
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I do wonder if our fans would be a bit more open to a St. Louis series with Mizzou if we hadn't lost every single one, lol. While I get that football and basketball are fundamentally different, you won't find many red blooded Illini fans wanting to blow up Braggin' Rights and make it home and home.
 
#12      

STLflyinIllini

S
STLflyinIllini
Fighter of the Nightman said:
I do wonder if our fans would be a bit more open to a St. Louis series with Mizzou if we hadn't lost every single one, lol. While I get that football and basketball are fundamentally different, you won't find many red blooded Illini fans wanting to blow up Braggin' Rights and make it home and home.
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ha yeah, I remember going like 15 years ago when it was in the dome. It was fun, but Mizzou always winning kind of put a damper on things...also just logistically, that dome has seen much better days. The Battlehawks currently use it, but I remember towards the end of Rams tenure here, opposing players would always complain about how easy it was to get hurt playing on that concrete field.
If Busch stadium could accommodate the game that would be awesome...a quick google search shows they hosted an SIU/SEMO game in 2013, but I dont see anything since then. If the money was right I'm sure they could figure it out... but yeah, guessing it would be a home and home.
 
#13      

Fighter of the Nightman

Fighter of the Nightman
Chicago, IL
Fighter of the Nightman
STLflyinIllini said:
ha yeah, I remember going like 15 years ago when it was in the dome. It was fun, but Mizzou always winning kind of put a damper on things...also just logistically, that dome has seen much better days. The Battlehawks currently use it, but I remember towards the end of Rams tenure here, opposing players would always complain about how easy it was to get hurt playing on that concrete field.
If Busch stadium could accommodate the game that would be awesome...a quick google search shows they hosted an SIU/SEMO game in 2013, but I dont see anything since then. If the money was right I'm sure they could figure it out... but yeah, guessing it would be a home and home.
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Yeah, I totally get the argument against playing football in baseball stadiums, but that dome also doesn't seem great. It is very rare you get a situation like Illinois/Mizzou with a major metro RIGHT in the middle, straddling the river/border and with a significant suburban population in both states. That type of neutral site game should not be equated with USC and Alabama randomly playing in Atlanta, GA to start the season ... St. Louis is a logical place for Illinois/Mizzou, and at least on the basketball side it has developed into a special type of event that is much more fun and unique than a normal home and home. I don't know if Busch Stadium is sufficient, but I really do think it would be fun and good publicity for both programs.
 
#15      

TentakilRex

TentakilRex
Land O Insects between Quincy-Macomb-Jacksonville
TentakilRex
ChiefGritty said:
Easiest question ever.

Directional Illinois at home
Mizzou home and home
A Pac 10 school home and home
All 9 other Big Ten teams
Rose Bowl, Jan 1, 4PM CT
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Ransom Stoddard said:
Iowa, Purdue, Mizzou every year
A mid-tier SEC team every year
Based solely on the pre-game thread, Toledo every year
1 B1G game on the west coast, 1 B1G west coast team at MS
5 more B1G games
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I am combining your two schedules plus one of big change

9 conference games (with Purdue, Iowa, and Northwestern as protected rivals)
Mizzou home and home
Home games versus a rotation of WIU, SIU, EIU, ISU, and maybe even NIU
Here is the controversial part (and the team has to be on some firm football)
Home and Home versus Notre Dame as many years as possible
 
#16      

IlliniKat91

IlliniKat91
Chicago, IL
IlliniKat91
kyillinifan said:
What about another Wrigley Field game?
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Yes! I loved that game, mostly because we had more orange there than they had purple and Leshoure ran all over them.

The issue is that the Cubs' PR team at the time were all NU grads. That's the reason the game happened. Not sure if there have been enough changes for us to be able to pull that off, but I'd love it
 
#17      

Ander1345

A
Ander1345
STLflyinIllini said:
I really like the idea of playing Northwestern week 1 every year.
Also sign me up for an annual Mizzou game - since I live in St Louis it would be cool to have it here....but home and home is probably more practical.
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I would legitimately love just alternating home and home with Mizzou and have the game vs Northwestern open up conference play instead of constantly being in the miserable Novembers of Illinois. Also November is my anniversary so I would never run into conflict ever.
 
#18      

DeeAndDWill

DeeAndDWill
DeeAndDWill
2 cupcakes at home (Something like Chattanooga or Texas State and Directional Illinois)
1 lower end team from a mid major conference at home (Colorado State, Tulsa)
9 Big Ten games

If/when we go to Bowl games for 3-4 years in a row, maybe you upgrade 1 cupcake to a P5 team like Boston College or Cal.

I want to go in to the B10 schedule 3-0 every year and I don't care who the wins are over. I like wins against anyone vs watching a bowl season lost because we needed to play @Virginia, or @UNC or a "neutral site game" to Mizzou in STL for "good games". And, honestly, I couldn't care less about Missouri or playing them. I have no desire to see Illinois go to St Louis and pretend its a neutral site game. Been there, done that.

SOS is irrelevant in CFB unless you're in the conversation for the playoffs, and there is absolutely no need to schedule like we're trying to win style points for the playoff anytime in the foreseeable future.
 
#19      

IlliniKrush

I
IlliniKrush
DeeAndDWill said:
2 cupcakes at home (Something like Chattanooga or Texas State and Directional Illinois)
1 lower end team from a mid major conference at home (Colorado State, Tulsa)
9 Big Ten games

If/when we go to Bowl games for 3-4 years in a row, maybe you upgrade 1 cupcake to a P5 team like Boston College or Cal.

I want to go in to the B10 schedule 3-0 every year and I don't care who the wins are over. I like wins against anyone vs watching a bowl season lost because we needed to play @Virginia, or @UNC or a "neutral site game" to Mizzou in STL for "good games". And, honestly, I couldn't care less about Missouri or playing them. I have no desire to see Illinois go to St Louis and pretend its a neutral site game. Been there, done that.

SOS is irrelevant in CFB unless you're in the conversation for the playoffs, and there is absolutely no need to schedule like we're trying to win style points for the playoff anytime in the foreseeable future.
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Happy Social Media GIF by Yevbel
 
#20      

Fighter of the Nightman

Fighter of the Nightman
Chicago, IL
Fighter of the Nightman
DeeAndDWill said:
2 cupcakes at home (Something like Chattanooga or Texas State and Directional Illinois)
1 lower end team from a mid major conference at home (Colorado State, Tulsa)
9 Big Ten games

If/when we go to Bowl games for 3-4 years in a row, maybe you upgrade 1 cupcake to a P5 team like Boston College or Cal.

I want to go in to the B10 schedule 3-0 every year and I don't care who the wins are over. I like wins against anyone vs watching a bowl season lost because we needed to play @Virginia, or @UNC or a "neutral site game" to Mizzou in STL for "good games". And, honestly, I couldn't care less about Missouri or playing them. I have no desire to see Illinois go to St Louis and pretend its a neutral site game. Been there, done that.

SOS is irrelevant in CFB unless you're in the conversation for the playoffs, and there is absolutely no need to schedule like we're trying to win style points for the playoff anytime in the foreseeable future.
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I appreciate your POV, but I don’t think you’re giving St. Louis a fair shake for a neutral site. If anything, we have more fans than Mizzou every single year at Braggin’ Rights. 🤷🏼‍♂️
 
#21      

Navy_illini

N
Navy_illini
Mizzou should be played in football and basketball. I would argue it is more important for football because it gives u exposure in a good football recruiting area

Also it gets u to play an SEC opponent. With TV rights this would be a highly publicized game if both programs are in the top half of their conference

Playing a rival first week gives extra motivation for both sides in the summer practices. We should be able to win this match up about 50% of the time

I understand the bowl game argument u need 6 wins and it’s tough if you play 10 games against the Big Ten and SEC. However it is not like we are playing LSU in New Orleans or Georgia in Atlanta.
 
#24      

band camp

band camp
STL City
band camp
As STL mentioned above. The Dome sucks. Lighting is horrible, it is disgusting inside, and the turf blows. I've worked in the building since 2005.
Busch would be cool, but they are in the concert business now. Scheduling doesn't really line up, unless the game is OCT or later. Would be cool to play them last weekend of the season as the rivalry game. But, I'm dreaming.
Miznoz is playing a game there this season, 9/23 v Memphis. It is a great move for their presence in the metro area. Especially in IL. ESL HS in 5.9 miles from the dome is one example.