Your Dream Illini Football Schedule

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#1      

Fighter of the Nightman

Fighter of the Nightman
Chicago, IL
Fighter of the Nightman
Little offseason fun ... what would be your dream Illini football schedule? I will use this year as a sort of template except I LOVE playing in Week Zero, so I added an extra bye week! This represents a sort of dream "near-term" schedule that takes into account where we are today. I included some notes below for what I might want on a "long-term" schedule in a hypothetical future where we are rolling and winning 9+ games regularly ... in other words, "making a bowl" is not exactly a concern, lol.

For reference, Week 14 is the week of Thanksgiving.

W0 - vs. Western Illinois (or another FCS)
W1 - vs. Akron (or another lower-level MAC program in a talent-rich area)
W2 - vs. Missouri (this is the CMU weekend from this past season ... perfect weather for a big rivalry game!)
W3 - at Wisconsin (great to get a Madison trip this time of year!)
W4 - BYE WEEK (perfect time for a rest)
W5 - at Washington (opportunity to "Sailgate" in great weather before returning home for two home games)
W6 - vs. Iowa (I HATE how this game seemed to always be late in the year when the weather was bad...)
W7 - vs. Purdue (had to stick 'em somewhere)
W8 - at Indiana (easy road trip for our fans)
W9 - vs. Michigan (similar spot as last year ... just ideal!)
W10 - BYE WEEK (another bye week before the "home stretch")
W11 - vs. Ohio State (this just feels right as the second to last home game)
W12 - at UCLA (little late November trip to the Rose Bowl?? Yes, please!)
W13 - vs. Northwestern
W14 - BYE WEEK (our third bye week saves us from a lame Thanksgiving Weekend crowd)

Some notes...
1. I am such a supporter of Week Zero. Not only does it allow us to get an Illini game a week earlier while most fans have to wait, it gives us extra recruiting time, a ton of great exposure while most teams are not playing and allows us an extra bye week during the season ... which I would use to fix the problem of the Illini/Northwestern game always being such a dud on Thanksgiving (see below).

2. If we are ever truly at a high enough level, it would be nice to switch out an Akron-level MAC team for a program more like Western Michigan or something. This would also be relevant for SOS if we are regularly in contention for the CFP. However, given there might be a possibility of losing ala Notre Dame this year ... that CANNOT happen vs. NIU, period. Anyone but the Huskies!

3. Regarding the Mizzou game, I think it's best it's a home-and home for now, but... Come at me all you want, but Braggin' Rights with the 50/50 crowd is just such a special and elite atmosphere, and there is a world where Illinois and Missouri can have an event on par or just below Florida/Georgia in Jacksonville or Texas/Oklahoma at the State Fair in Dallas. Those fan bases would not trade those events (i.e., not just games) for anything! While I think the dome in St. Louis was a bit dumpy and I do NOT want this game to be the first of the season, I would love a neutral site event at Busch Stadium in Weeks 1-4. Yes, playing at baseball fields is not logistically perfect and a bit of a gimmick, but the Ballpark Village area would make for an absolutely electric atmosphere before and after the game, and the weather would still be perfect this time of year. Obviously, the Cardinals schedule would dictate which of W1-W4 we could do it.

4. While I would love to play all of the traditional Big Ten schools, you will notice I left off Minnesota, Michigan State and Penn State from the pre-2012 Big Ten. The Minnesota matchup just seems like one of our least "interesting" series, and so does MSU. Penn State was tougher, as they are a big draw and have an iconic stadium for a return away game, but I had to chop off someone.

5. On that note, you will also notice I did include two West Coast schools ... hey, what can I say?! I have always wanted to experience "Sailgating" at Washington, and a trip to Pasadena while it's crappy in Chicago sounds awesome! Plus, I didn't assume the current Big Ten would magically revert back to the good ole days.

6. There is no arguing that the Illini/Northwestern game makes for the lamest home atmosphere EVERY single year when it is on Thanksgiving Weekend ... the last time it was in Champaign, attendance dropped over 20% from the previous home game, and there were obviously even fewer butts in the seats. I've given up on this working as an annual Chicago holiday event due to NU understandably wanting to play in their new stadium, but we can at LEAST shift it up a weekend and just skip "Rivalry Weekend" (of which we are constantly one of the lamest components...) altogether. This would also give us a week of rest before a potential Big Ten Championship Game appearance!
 
#2      
phats22
Fighter of the Nightman said:
Little offseason fun ... what would be your dream Illini football schedule? I will use this year as a sort of template except I LOVE playing in Week Zero, so I added an extra bye week! This represents a sort of dream "near-term" schedule that takes into account where we are today. I included some notes below for what I might want on a "long-term" schedule in a hypothetical future where we are rolling and winning 9+ games regularly ... in other words, "making a bowl" is not exactly a concern, lol.

For reference, Week 14 is the week of Thanksgiving.

W0 - vs. Western Illinois (or another FCS)
W1 - vs. Akron (or another lower-level MAC program in a talent-rich area)
W2 - vs. Missouri (this is the CMU weekend from this past season ... perfect weather for a big rivalry game!)
W3 - at Wisconsin (great to get a Madison trip this time of year!)
W4 - BYE WEEK (perfect time for a rest)
W5 - at Washington (opportunity to "Sailgate" in great weather before returning home for two home games)
W6 - vs. Iowa (I HATE how this game seemed to always be late in the year when the weather was bad...)
W7 - vs. Purdue (had to stick 'em somewhere)
W8 - at Indiana (easy road trip for our fans)
W9 - vs. Michigan (similar spot as last year ... just ideal!)
W10 - BYE WEEK (another bye week before the "home stretch")
W11 - vs. Ohio State (this just feels right as the second to last home game)
W12 - at UCLA (little late November trip to the Rose Bowl?? Yes, please!)
W13 - vs. Northwestern
W14 - BYE WEEK (our third bye week saves us from a lame Thanksgiving Weekend crowd)

Some notes...
1. I am such a supporter of Week Zero. Not only does it allow us to get an Illini game a week earlier while most fans have to wait, it gives us extra recruiting time, a ton of great exposure while most teams are not playing and allows us an extra bye week during the season ... which I would use to fix the problem of the Illini/Northwestern game always being such a dud on Thanksgiving (see below).

2. If we are ever truly at a high enough level, it would be nice to switch out an Akron-level MAC team for a program more like Western Michigan or something. This would also be relevant for SOS if we are regularly in contention for the CFP. However, given there might be a possibility of losing ala Notre Dame this year ... that CANNOT happen vs. NIU, period. Anyone but the Huskies!

3. Regarding the Mizzou game, I think it's best it's a home-and home for now, but... Come at me all you want, but Braggin' Rights with the 50/50 crowd is just such a special and elite atmosphere, and there is a world where Illinois and Missouri can have an event on par or just below Florida/Georgia in Jacksonville or Texas/Oklahoma at the State Fair in Dallas. Those fan bases would not trade those events (i.e., not just games) for anything! While I think the dome in St. Louis was a bit dumpy and I do NOT want this game to be the first of the season, I would love a neutral site event at Busch Stadium in Weeks 1-4. Yes, playing at baseball fields is not logistically perfect and a bit of a gimmick, but the Ballpark Village area would make for an absolutely electric atmosphere before and after the game, and the weather would still be perfect this time of year. Obviously, the Cardinals schedule would dictate which of W1-W4 we could do it.

4. While I would love to play all of the traditional Big Ten schools, you will notice I left off Minnesota, Michigan State and Penn State from the pre-2012 Big Ten. The Minnesota matchup just seems like one of our least "interesting" series, and so does MSU. Penn State was tougher, as they are a big draw and have an iconic stadium for a return away game, but I had to chop off someone.

5. On that note, you will also notice I did include two West Coast schools ... hey, what can I say?! I have always wanted to experience "Sailgating" at Washington, and a trip to Pasadena while it's crappy in Chicago sounds awesome! Plus, I didn't assume the current Big Ten would magically revert back to the good ole days.

6. There is no arguing that the Illini/Northwestern game makes for the lamest home atmosphere EVERY single year when it is on Thanksgiving Weekend ... the last time it was in Champaign, attendance dropped over 20% from the previous home game, and there were obviously even fewer butts in the seats. I've given up on this working as an annual Chicago holiday event due to NU understandably wanting to play in their new stadium, but we can at LEAST shift it up a weekend and just skip "Rivalry Weekend" (of which we are constantly one of the lamest components...) altogether. This would also give us a week of rest before a potential Big Ten Championship Game appearance!
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anything 12-0

tumblr_owdgo0jdmI1ur5m8bo6_r1_400.gif
 
#3      
mhuml32
Here's my post from 2023 when we discussed this - still feel about the same:


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.
 
#4      
mhuml32
Speaking more broadly, NCAA should move up the entire CFB season by one week and own Thanksgiving as conference championship week. It also would allow bowl games to start earlier and fill more December content, while also aligning the bowl schedule better with transfer portal/semester schedule.
 
#7      
mhuml32
For the P4 game, give me one of the following for the short-term future

Duke (already scheduled)
Wake Forest
Stanford
Cal
Virginia
Houston
Cincinnati
Mississippi State
Arizona
Arkansas
Boston College
 
#8      
DERV64
Olaf Blab said:
please cancel the Missouri series.there is no upside to playing another power conference team in non conference play
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Agree...unless the B1G goes to an 8 game format and if they do, then play mizzou every year.
 
#9      
BZuppke
In the 80s I liked the idea of opening with tOSU. They were our traditional season ending rival in the 1920s and obviously now michigans. Since we can’t have last game how about first? Makes for a high attention season big ten opener. Win or lose, lots of season in front of us.

We played Iowa close to Halloween for many years and it made for an interesting game with students dressing up etc. We would end up on Green Street in costumes that night and win or lose - the chant was always ‘Iowa Sucks!’ it would be fun to do this again. Will we get a trick or a treat?
 
#10      
EyeoftheIllini
phats22 said:
anything 12-0

View attachment 38679
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Exactly how I feel. Give me the 9 worst teams in B1G, a cupcake MAC team and two grossly over ranked preseason top 25 teams for a 12-0 record and a berth in conf championship game and CFP. I would have no issue with people declaring we hadn’t played anyone, if we can declare right back we haven’t lost to anyone.
 
#11      
Shief
I personally would like to see a good mix of regional P4 and non-P4 games in the non-conference and a good mix of B1G locations. This will help support Illinois' country-wide branding and allow different alumni clubs to travel to games

Non-Conference
1. Home - Home & Home Regional P4 - Missouri, Iowa State, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville
2. Home - IL School - NIU, ISU, SIU, EIU, WIU
3. Away - Home & Home National Game - Southeast (FSU, UCF, USF, GT, etc.), Southwest (SMU, TCU, UTSA, OK State)

Conference - not chronological any order
4. Home - Northwestern - Lincolnland Trophy
5. Home - Purdue - Purdue Cannon
6. Away - UCLA - exposure to California recruits every other year or so but likely to win
7. Home - Nebraska - kind of becoming a nice rivalry, should start a trophy?
8. Away - Iowa - beat the Hawkeyes at home
9. Home - Wisconsin - border battle game, trophy game?
10. Away - Ohio State - Illibuck, want to win at the Horseshoe
11. Home - Rutgers - kind of becoming a rivalry
12. Away - Indiana - needs a rivalry trophy, beat them at home
 
#12      
Fighter of the Nightman
Mr. Tibbs said:
agree - not as long as all teams in P4 conferences don't have to play 10 strong games . too many SEC teams playing 3 gimme games
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I'm at least sympathetic to you guys' argument as things now, but that is kind of why I labeled mine as a "dream schedule." In my ideal world, when I am casually discussing a season's upcoming schedule with my Hawkeye friends over a beer, I love the idea of Illini football being good enough and confident enough to play nine conference games and also play a major conference rival. After all, Iowa does the same thing every single year with Iowa State.

I'm also not uniquely afraid of Mizzou, and nobody else should be, either. Did people have a huge problem with this year's schedule?? We played nine Big Ten games plus a game vs. a ranked major conference opponent in Kansas. How would it be different subbing Missouri for KU? I mean, we have played nine conference games and a non-conference game vs. a major conference opponent the last several years:

2025: at Duke
2024: vs. Kansas
2023: at Kansas
2022: vs. Virginia
2021: at Virginia

Again, I understand not ADDING Missouri to the schedule along with another major conference opponent; we currently have that problem for 2026, with Duke giving us a return game in Champaign and us starting the Mizzou series that year. However, why would we not try to get out of Duke?! Or push Mizzou back a year? I totally get not wanting two, but (A) removing a non-conference major opponent from the schedule would be a pretty significant change from a scheduling setup that worked just fine last year and (B) if we ARE playing a major opponent as we almost always have been, it should be Missouri, no question.
 
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#13      
illinistephen
Fighter of the Nightman said:
I'm at least sympathetic to you guys' argument as things now, but that is kind of why I labeled mine as a "dream schedule." In my ideal world, when I am casually discussing a season's upcoming schedule with my Hawkeye friends over a beer, I love the idea of Illini football being good enough and confident enough to play nine conference games and also play a major conference rival. After all, Iowa does the same thing every single year with Iowa State.

I'm also not uniquely afraid of Mizzou, and nobody else should be, either. Did people have a huge problem with this year's schedule?? We played nine Big Ten games plus a game vs. a ranked major conference opponent in Kansas. How would it be different subbing Missouri for KU? I mean, we have played nine conference games and a non-conference game vs. a major conference opponent the last several years:

2025: at Duke
2024: vs. Kansas
2023: at Kansas
2022: vs. Virginia
2021: at Virginia

Again, I understand not ADDING Missouri to the schedule along with another major conference opponent; we currently have that problem for 2026, with Duke giving us a return game in Champaign and us starting the Mizzou series that year. However, why would we not try to get out of Duke?! Or push Mizzou back a year? I totally get not wanting two, but (A) removing a non-conference major opponent from the schedule would be a pretty significant change from a scheduling setup that worked just fine last year and (B) if we ARE playing a major opponent as we almost always have been, it should be Missouri, no question.
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My dream schedule is the one that gets Illinois into the college football playoff. For all practical purposes that means a 10-2 record. Scheduling anyone other than a doormat at home just increases the odds of losing one to many games. As indiana helped to prove, non-conf SOS for a Big Ten team doesn't matter, what matters is limiting your number of losses.

The last time that Illinois had 2 or less losses in conference play, the 2007 team, they lost to Missouri and finished 9-3. If there was a college football playoff that year, replacing Missouri with a crappy team is probably the difference between going 10-2 and 9-3 and making vs not making the playoff.
What would the 2008 season have looked like without that momentum killing Missouri game coming out of the 2007 season?

Scheduling P4 non-conf road games in 2023 and 2021, and losing those games, cost illinois bowl games and all the advantages that come with it. So yes, there is a problem with how this team schedules and has scheduled.

I would like to cancel the Duke series, but there are practicalities of altering next years schedule versus canceling Missouri games planned for the 2032-2035 seasons.
 
#14      
Battle89
Fighter of the Nightman said:
I'm at least sympathetic to you guys' argument as things now, but that is kind of why I labeled mine as a "dream schedule." In my ideal world, when I am casually discussing a season's upcoming schedule with my Hawkeye friends over a beer, I love the idea of Illini football being good enough and confident enough to play nine conference games and also play a major conference rival. After all, Iowa does the same thing every single year with Iowa State.

I'm also not uniquely afraid of Mizzou, and nobody else should be, either. Did people have a huge problem with this year's schedule?? We played nine Big Ten games plus a game vs. a ranked major conference opponent in Kansas. How would it be different subbing Missouri for KU? I mean, we have played nine conference games and a non-conference game vs. a major conference opponent the last several years:

2025: at Duke
2024: vs. Kansas
2023: at Kansas
2022: vs. Virginia
2021: at Virginia

Again, I understand not ADDING Missouri to the schedule along with another major conference opponent; we currently have that problem for 2026, with Duke giving us a return game in Champaign and us starting the Mizzou series that year. However, why would we not try to get out of Duke?! Or push Mizzou back a year? I totally get not wanting two, but (A) removing a non-conference major opponent from the schedule would be a pretty significant change from a scheduling setup that worked just fine last year and (B) if we ARE playing a major opponent as we almost always have been, it should be Missouri, no question.
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A. Iowa State being a legitimate threat is a relatively recent thing in that rivalry.
B. The 'we can play anybody' thing (while more true today than in decades) is one of the things that led us down the arrogant path of losing seasons past. The BIG is plenty tough on its own, especially with the cream of the Pac-12 added. Let the non-con serve its purpose of learning and win-padding.
 
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