Illini Football 2024

Status
Not open for further replies.
#56      
Fighter of the Nightman
Fly Illini Fly! said:
The first road game of the season thing...it's just became impossible for me to not buy into it at this point. Maybe I'll shift my views if proven otherwise at NEB this coming year but that game year after year after year has just been...

just inexplicably unwinnable in so many different ways - blowouts, chokes, etc...seems like a curse at this point.

Prediction wise right now - I'll go 3-1 - I think KU is a W.
Click to expand...
If anyone wants a torturous trip down memory lane, this is our first road game of each season, lol ... skipping 2020.

2023: Kansas 34, Illinois 23
2022: Indiana 23, Illinois 20
2021: Virginia 42, Illinois 14
2019: Illinois 31, UConn 23
2018: Illinois 38, Rutgers 17*
2017: #22 South Florida 47, Illinois 23
2016: #15 Nebraska 31, Illinois 16
2015: North Carolina 48, Illinois 14
2014: Washington 44, Illinois 19
2013: Nebraska 39, Illinois 19**
2012: Arizona State 45, Illinois 14
2011: Illinois 41, Indiana 20
2010: Illinois 33, Penn State 13***
2009: #13 Ohio State 30, Illinois 0***
2008: #12 Penn State 38, #22 Illinois 24***
2007: Illinois 41, Syracuse 20***
2006: Illinois 23, Michigan State 20
2005: #15 Cal 35, Illinois 20
2004: #20 Wisconsin 24, Illinois 7
2003: UCLA 6, Illinois 3***
2002: Southern Miss 23, Illinois 20***
2001: Illinois 44, Cal 17
2000: #21 Illinois 49, San Diego State 13
1999: Illinois 41, Louisville 36

* While this was our first road game, our first game away from home in 2018 was an infuriating 25-19 loss to USF at Soldier Field.
** Similar deal to 2018 - our first game away from home was a 34-24 loss to #19 Washington at Soldier Field.
*** The first loss away from home in 2002, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 was to Missouri in St. Louis.

This VERY much jives with my perceived experience, of course, but it is crazy that we have not won one of these Power Five non-conference road games in 23 years, lol.
 
#57      
redwingillini11
Fighter of the Nightman said:
If anyone wants a torturous trip down memory lane, this is our first road game of each season, lol ... skipping 2020.

2023: Kansas 34, Illinois 23
2022: Indiana 23, Illinois 20
2021: Virginia 42, Illinois 14
2019: Illinois 31, UConn 23
2018: Illinois 38, Rutgers 17*
2017: #22 South Florida 47, Illinois 23
2016: #15 Nebraska 31, Illinois 16
2015: North Carolina 48, Illinois 14
2014: Washington 44, Illinois 19
2013: Nebraska 39, Illinois 19**
2012: Arizona State 45, Illinois 14
2011: Illinois 41, Indiana 20
2010: Illinois 33, Penn State 13***
2009: #13 Ohio State 30, Illinois 0***
2008: #12 Penn State 38, #22 Illinois 24***
2007: Illinois 41, Syracuse 20***
2006: Illinois 23, Michigan State 20
2005: #15 Cal 35, Illinois 20
2004: #20 Wisconsin 24, Illinois 7
2003: UCLA 6, Illinois 3***
2002: Southern Miss 23, Illinois 20***
2001: Illinois 44, Cal 17
2000: #21 Illinois 49, San Diego State 13
1999: Illinois 41, Louisville 36

* While this was our first road game, our first game away from home in 2018 was an infuriating 25-19 loss to USF at Soldier Field.
** Similar deal to 2018 - our first game away from home was a 34-24 loss to #19 Washington at Soldier Field.
*** The first loss away from home in 2002, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 was to Missouri in St. Louis.

This VERY much jives with my perceived experience, of course, but it is crazy that we have not won one of these Power Five non-conference road games in 23 years, lol.
Click to expand...
Non-conference home and home series are not our friends.
 
#60      
Chiieeff
Fighter of the Nightman said:
If anyone wants a torturous trip down memory lane, this is our first road game of each season, lol ... skipping 2020.

2023: Kansas 34, Illinois 23
2022: Indiana 23, Illinois 20
2021: Virginia 42, Illinois 14
2019: Illinois 31, UConn 23
2018: Illinois 38, Rutgers 17*
2017: #22 South Florida 47, Illinois 23
2016: #15 Nebraska 31, Illinois 16
2015: North Carolina 48, Illinois 14
2014: Washington 44, Illinois 19
2013: Nebraska 39, Illinois 19**
2012: Arizona State 45, Illinois 14
2011: Illinois 41, Indiana 20
2010: Illinois 33, Penn State 13***
2009: #13 Ohio State 30, Illinois 0***
2008: #12 Penn State 38, #22 Illinois 24***
2007: Illinois 41, Syracuse 20***
2006: Illinois 23, Michigan State 20
2005: #15 Cal 35, Illinois 20
2004: #20 Wisconsin 24, Illinois 7
2003: UCLA 6, Illinois 3***
2002: Southern Miss 23, Illinois 20***
2001: Illinois 44, Cal 17
2000: #21 Illinois 49, San Diego State 13
1999: Illinois 41, Louisville 36

* While this was our first road game, our first game away from home in 2018 was an infuriating 25-19 loss to USF at Soldier Field.
** Similar deal to 2018 - our first game away from home was a 34-24 loss to #19 Washington at Soldier Field.
*** The first loss away from home in 2002, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 was to Missouri in St. Louis.

This VERY much jives with my perceived experience, of course, but it is crazy that we have not won one of these Power Five non-conference road games in 23 years, lol.
Click to expand...
Ugh, this is ugly.

Side note, I am very surprised by the final score of the Kansas game last year. My memory has us getting our butts whooped much worse than that.
 
#62      
Konnie
I am not sure if this comment goes here but-- I was looking over the ERA documents and noticed that Memorial Stadium will be re-seated in the spring of 2025. I wonder if this is when the students are moved from the end zone to seats in the east main stands behind the opponent's benches.
 
#64      
Fighter of the Nightman
Chiieeff said:
Ugh, this is ugly.

Side note, I am very surprised by the final score of the Kansas game last year. My memory has us getting our butts whooped much worse than that.
Click to expand...
FWIW, we were down 28-7 at halftime and 34-7 near the end of the third quarter. We scored 16 unanswered, but it was too little too late.

Another funny/depressing tidbit, I find this sequence SO Illinois from last year, lol:

FOURTH QUARTER
8:08 - TD Illini to make it 34-23 ... winnable game!
3:33 - Illini stop Kansas on fourth down and get the ball back
2:16 - Illini convert a 22-yard pass on 4th and 16 to keep the game alive
1:59 - Immediate interception right after miracle 4th down conversion
 
#65      
Fighter of the Nightman
Dan said:
https://twitter.com/x/status/1815384486802010437
Click to expand...
In terms of our Big Ten schedule:

#13 Illinois at #8 Nebraska
#13 Illinois at #3 Penn State
#18 Purdue at #13 Illinois
#4 Michigan at #13 Illinois
#13 Illinois at #2 Oregon
#12 Minnesota at #13 Illinois
#16 Michigan State at #13 Illinois
#13 Illinois at #9 Rutgers
#13 Illinois vs. #14 Northwestern (Wrigley Field)

Assuming we can beat Eastern Illinois and Central Michigan at home, bowl eligibility is successfully attained by beating Purdue at home, Minnesota at home, MSU at home and Northwestern at Wrigley. When you put it that way ... man, missing a bowl this year actually seems like a pretty big failure. We HAVE to start protecting Champaign.
 
#66      
SoCal Illini
Ander1345 said:
No. The order doesnt really matter after the usual suspects plus Nebraska being forced into the top half despite being garbage for almost 10 years now. Honestly spots 5-18 might as well just be listed as a tie.
Click to expand...
Ya I agree. Osu and Oregon are the obvious preseason top two, but after that I really have no idea how it’ll play out. Some really good coaches on the lower ranked teams too. Jonathan smith could have msu rolling pretty soon, and I think what fisch did at Arizona was a miracle, and think he is actually better than deboer. Michigan could fall off pretty far.

Should be an interesting season, and plenty of opportunity for the illini, we’ll have to see
 
#67      
Battle89
Bbuck21 said:
Is Purdue that bad?
Click to expand...
Jeremy Renner Endgame GIF
 
#71      
mhuml32
Fighter of the Nightman said:
In terms of our Big Ten schedule:
Click to expand...

Fighter of the Nightman said:
#4 (Big XII) Kansas at #13 (B1G) Illinois
Click to expand...

Fighter of the Nightman said:
#13 Illinois at #8 Nebraska
#13 Illinois at #3 Penn State
#18 Purdue at #13 Illinois
#12 Minnesota at #13 Illinois
#16 Michigan State at #13 Illinois
#13 Illinois at #9 Rutgers
#13 Illinois vs. #14 Northwestern (Wrigley Field)

Assuming we can beat Eastern Illinois and Central Michigan at home, bowl eligibility is successfully attained by beating Purdue at home, Minnesota at home, MSU at home and Northwestern at Wrigley. When you put it that way ... man, missing a bowl this year actually seems like a pretty big failure. We HAVE to start protecting Champaign.
Click to expand...

The schedule is very sympathetic to the drive for 6 (wins). There is an incredibly tough stretch in the middle with back-to-back games against Michigan and Oregon. Taking those two games out and the schedule looks like the above (edited). Like you said, assuming you have wins against Eastern Illinois and Central Michigan (must win games and Illinois should be heavily favored), you have to find four more wins in the above games in a sea of toss-ups.

The goal is to be 4-2 going into the Michigan homecoming game.
 
#72      
Genesis
mhuml32 said:
The schedule is very sympathetic to the drive for 6 (wins). There is an incredibly tough stretch in the middle with back-to-back games against Michigan and Oregon. Taking those two games out and the schedule looks like the above (edited). Like you said, assuming you have wins against Eastern Illinois and Central Michigan (must win games and Illinois should be heavily favored), you have to find four more wins in the above games in a sea of toss-ups.

The goal is to be 4-2 going into the Michigan homecoming game.
Click to expand...
4-2 going into Michigan would be great, but that means having to upset KS or Nebby. We'll take either one. Running the table at home (excluding the Mich game) gets us to a bowl, or taking 3 out of 4 of those B1G home games along with one upset also gets us there. The odds aren't in our favor, but certainly doable. If the OL can move up from bottom of the barrel, we could have some high scoring shootouts that are fun to watch.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back