The schedule that we win every game is my preference.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.
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!
Your Dream Illini Football Schedule
Interesting take. What led you to that line of thought? For me, personally, some of those games were the most memorable and I really look forward to playing them and possibly beating them when I see them on the schedule.
Just put @UCLA on the schedule so I can walk to the game.
mhuml32
- Cincinnati, OH
#1 - love this question, we need more fun threads like this on here.
#2 - dream schedule would include no road games but that isn't fun, so I include a schedule with 5 home - 4 road to make it more realistic
My schedule:
August 25th (Week 0) - New Mexico. Play a buy game against a Mountain West team so you can schedule a Week 0 game, gain a second bye during the season. New Mexico has failed to win more than three games since 2017, only two winning seasons in the last 15 years. Also scheduled this to be on Friday of week 0 to give Illinois an extra day of rest/prep before week 1.
September 2nd (Week 1) - Michigan State. Early season home B1G games have been kind to Illinois, plus I love the SEC model of having one patsy late in the season when your team has injuries mounting and you need a freebie in midst of the toughest portion of your schedule. Michigan State hasn't been an early game in the schedule (ever?).
September 9th (Week 2) - Stanford. Played frequently in the 70's and 80's, haven't played them since 1984. Creates the Pac-10 connection. A team trending downward but still has brand value. Do their fans travel? Seems unlikely. A home-and-home sweep would provide Illinois a chance to even up the series (currently 4-6).
September 16th (Week 3) - BYE. The benefit of having two byes. Allows the team to reset and prep for the upcoming B1G schedule. Plus, Illinois has traditionally struggled for first road game. This would allow everyone to have four weeks of the season to get acclimated before leaving the state.
September 22nd (Week 4) - @Indiana. Put this game on a Friday to maximize your bye benefits over a two week period. Revenge is needed in Bloomington. Would be the shortest road trip possible, optimal for first road game.
September 30th (Week 5) - @Nebraska. Properly aligned with harvest season. Need to make this a corn named rivalry, plenty of sponsorship opportunities. Fun stadium to play in. Would knock out a second road B1G while the weather is still decent.
October 7th (Week 6) - Wisconsin. Both teams in mid-season form. Would love for this game to elevate in importance because of the Bielema connection. Would give Illinois a good look at hosting GameDay because early October is when games start to heat up.
October 14th (Week 7) - Minnesota. Bielema has never lost to Minnesota. Love this being the matchup going into the bye week.
October 21st (Week 8) - BYE. Usually one of the most packed CFB matchup weekends of the year. Illinois football can take a week to rest up and watch the carnage around them.
October 27th (Week 9) - @Purdue. Illinois has a better record against Purdue in West Lafayette than Champaign. Also feels like the perfect time to play for The Cannon. They seem determined to do plenty of passing, so let's make push this game later in the year when their offensive philosophy becomes more difficult to execute. Also putting this game on a Friday after the bye week (explained above) in hopes of giving Purdue a short week and Illinois plenty of prep time.
November 4th (Week 10) - Michigan. Lots of history here. Revenge from last year's game. Should be one of the last weeks where students are fully packed on campus. Measuring stick game. Extra day of rest going into this game (you know Michigan is not willing to play on Fridays).
November 11th (Week 11) - Illinois State. In-state FCS team. Perfect time right after the Michigan game. Opportunity to give lots of guys reps. Happy to swap this one out for EIU, WIU, or Missouri State.
November 18th (Week 12) - Iowa. Opportunity to rest starters the week before. Final home game of the year against a hated rival (right before they play Nebraska). Lots of juice for this one.
November 25th (Week 13) - @Northwestern. Happy to keep this game where it is. NW has a dark road ahead of it, would appreciate ending the season on a high note for the foreseeable future. Not afraid to play in Evanston.
#2 - dream schedule would include no road games but that isn't fun, so I include a schedule with 5 home - 4 road to make it more realistic
My schedule:
August 25th (Week 0) - New Mexico. Play a buy game against a Mountain West team so you can schedule a Week 0 game, gain a second bye during the season. New Mexico has failed to win more than three games since 2017, only two winning seasons in the last 15 years. Also scheduled this to be on Friday of week 0 to give Illinois an extra day of rest/prep before week 1.
September 2nd (Week 1) - Michigan State. Early season home B1G games have been kind to Illinois, plus I love the SEC model of having one patsy late in the season when your team has injuries mounting and you need a freebie in midst of the toughest portion of your schedule. Michigan State hasn't been an early game in the schedule (ever?).
September 9th (Week 2) - Stanford. Played frequently in the 70's and 80's, haven't played them since 1984. Creates the Pac-10 connection. A team trending downward but still has brand value. Do their fans travel? Seems unlikely. A home-and-home sweep would provide Illinois a chance to even up the series (currently 4-6).
September 16th (Week 3) - BYE. The benefit of having two byes. Allows the team to reset and prep for the upcoming B1G schedule. Plus, Illinois has traditionally struggled for first road game. This would allow everyone to have four weeks of the season to get acclimated before leaving the state.
September 22nd (Week 4) - @Indiana. Put this game on a Friday to maximize your bye benefits over a two week period. Revenge is needed in Bloomington. Would be the shortest road trip possible, optimal for first road game.
September 30th (Week 5) - @Nebraska. Properly aligned with harvest season. Need to make this a corn named rivalry, plenty of sponsorship opportunities. Fun stadium to play in. Would knock out a second road B1G while the weather is still decent.
October 7th (Week 6) - Wisconsin. Both teams in mid-season form. Would love for this game to elevate in importance because of the Bielema connection. Would give Illinois a good look at hosting GameDay because early October is when games start to heat up.
October 14th (Week 7) - Minnesota. Bielema has never lost to Minnesota. Love this being the matchup going into the bye week.
October 21st (Week 8) - BYE. Usually one of the most packed CFB matchup weekends of the year. Illinois football can take a week to rest up and watch the carnage around them.
October 27th (Week 9) - @Purdue. Illinois has a better record against Purdue in West Lafayette than Champaign. Also feels like the perfect time to play for The Cannon. They seem determined to do plenty of passing, so let's make push this game later in the year when their offensive philosophy becomes more difficult to execute. Also putting this game on a Friday after the bye week (explained above) in hopes of giving Purdue a short week and Illinois plenty of prep time.
November 4th (Week 10) - Michigan. Lots of history here. Revenge from last year's game. Should be one of the last weeks where students are fully packed on campus. Measuring stick game. Extra day of rest going into this game (you know Michigan is not willing to play on Fridays).
November 11th (Week 11) - Illinois State. In-state FCS team. Perfect time right after the Michigan game. Opportunity to give lots of guys reps. Happy to swap this one out for EIU, WIU, or Missouri State.
November 18th (Week 12) - Iowa. Opportunity to rest starters the week before. Final home game of the year against a hated rival (right before they play Nebraska). Lots of juice for this one.
November 25th (Week 13) - @Northwestern. Happy to keep this game where it is. NW has a dark road ahead of it, would appreciate ending the season on a high note for the foreseeable future. Not afraid to play in Evanston.
Ha! I came here to post basically the same thing. NIU or SIU; a middling P5 school (ASU, WSU, Mizzou for added spice); a traditional power like USC; and then all 9 traditional Big Ten teams.
MoCoMdIllini
- Montgomery County, Maryland
Definite SEC vibes here.
Toledo
Toledo
Toledo
Toledo
Toledo
Toledo
Toledo
Toledo
Toledo
Toledo
@ Toledo
Toledo
band camp
- STL City
I've been hoping for this post. Well done.
Sad that we'd need to let go of Rutgers to get there, but we all know this is the future of the sport.
Ransom Stoddard
Ordained Dudeist Priest
- Bloomington, IL
We're likely to overlook Toledo on that schedule. They do have Bret's number, by the way.
Holy Toledo!
I Heard Urban Meyer talking about schedules, and his opinion was you should play an easy team, a mid-tier, and a premier team (think he meant top-25) in the non-conf. Not sure that's what's best for Illinois, but I can see the reasoning. A team like Michigan might not make the playoff with one loss given how weak their schedule is.
It will be interesting to see what kinds of team make the playoff next year in those 10-12 slots. I expect some 2 loss teams to make it, and maybe some 3 loss to be considered if their schedule was brutal.
It will be interesting to see what kinds of team make the playoff next year in those 10-12 slots. I expect some 2 loss teams to make it, and maybe some 3 loss to be considered if their schedule was brutal.