Illini Football 2024

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#251      
Illwinsagain
mhuml32 said:
90+% wins:
Eastern Illinois
Central Michigan

90+% loss:
Michigan
@Penn State
@Oregon

Everything Else
Michigan State
Purdue
Northwestern (Wrigley)
Minnesota
@Rutgers
Kansas
@Nebraska


Must win four games in that last group to make a bowl (4-3). Positives? Five of those games are home or neutral field. Two of those games have a bye directly preceding them. Kansas is the ceiling game (beat them and you open the door for 7, maybe 8 wins). Purdue is the floor game (lose to them and you're staring at 2-6 after October). Goal for me? Be 4-4 after the Oregon game. Illinois has only one road game after October with the NW game being at Wrigley. The last four games are winnable, with a 3-1 finish being plausible.
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I am not sure about the percentages. Maybe too much kool-aid here, but I don't think scUM is 90% loss. They lost a lot of talent, new coaching staff and the whole 100 yr anniversary of the drubbing thing has me thinking it is winnable. Not likely, but I would lower to 65% loss.
 
#252      
OrangeBlue98
king dad runnerup said:
Nah. Whatever you do, don't be like Iowa. :)
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This is the one case where I'm good with being like Iowa. It's always pretty easy for Iowa to get to 6-7 wins because of their non-conference schedule. Iowa State is almost always the toughest non-con opponent.
 
#253      
mhuml32
Illwinsagain said:
I am not sure about the percentages. Maybe too much kool-aid here, but I don't think scUM is 90% loss. They lost a lot of talent, new coaching staff and the whole 100 yr anniversary of the drubbing thing has me thinking it is winnable. Not likely, but I would lower to 65% loss.
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Closest comp is 2023 #7 Penn State going into Champaign. The moneyline closed at -650 (-700 in some places). That's an implied odds of ~87%. I'd say it's pretty close.
 
#256      
Chiieeff
lstewart53x3 said:
Surprised people are so down on our defense.

SP+ has our returning production on offense ranked 73 nationally and our returning production on defense ranked 42 nationally.

I expect our defense to take a big step forward.
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Duck Dynasty GIF by A&E
 
#258      
Fly Illini Fly!
lstewart53x3 said:
Surprised people are so down on our defense.

SP+ has our returning production on offense ranked 73 nationally and our returning production on defense ranked 42 nationally.

I expect our defense to take a big step forward.
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IMO, Xavier Scott is the biggest X factor on that side of the ball. He was the best player on that secondary last year...might not even be all that close.

Played the nickel spot last year...this year gonna move him outside. Hope there's a comfort level to that with him. Hope it isn't a "just to make it work" move...like it was with Crisler at RT last year...and then Adams.

If he can hold up, a lot of things to feel good about there. That's a real good tandem on the outside there with him and Brooks.
 
#259      
Fly Illini Fly!
Biggest question mark is the D-line with this team. Would've made it feel a bit better had we gotten the dude from Bama that transferred to Mizzou, or the one that went to USC from Wyoming...but you can only ask for so much...

Like the pieces there but it's a bit of a question mark. Stopping the run would be the biggest deal IMO. If you have issues stopping the run - something that has not been the case for the most part here under BB - that's an issue...especially when you look at some of the high powered rushing attacks we'll face...
 
#261      
FloridaMan
lstewart53x3 said:
Surprised people are so down on our defense.

SP+ has our returning production on offense ranked 73 nationally and our returning production on defense ranked 42 nationally.

I expect our defense to take a big step forward.
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Hoping that bodes well, but coaching to me is still the biggest unknown on that side. We looked confused a lot last year in the secondary, not to mention the lack of discipline. And little to no pressure much of the year up front. Can't let games like Wiscy and NW last year get away. Win those two and this offseason is full of optimism. Cannot have a repeat this year.
 
#262      
lstewart53x3
FloridaMan said:
Hoping that bodes well, but coaching to me is still the biggest unknown on that side. We looked confused a lot last year in the secondary, not to mention the lack of discipline. And little to no pressure much of the year up front. Can't let games like Wiscy and NW last year get away. Win those two and this offseason is full of optimism. Cannot have a repeat this year.
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2021, Virginia 42-14.

Illinois secondary:

Sydney Brown
Tony Adams
Kendall Smith
Quan Martin
Devon Witherspoon

2022, Virgina 3-24

With much the same secondary.

I expect a step forward in coaching & skill.
 
#263      
Chukwuwumba
FloridaMan said:
Hoping that bodes well, but coaching to me is still the biggest unknown on that side. We looked confused a lot last year in the secondary, not to mention the lack of discipline. And little to no pressure much of the year up front. Can't let games like Wiscy and NW last year get away. Win those two and this offseason is full of optimism. Cannot have a repeat this year.
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Defense was predictable last year. Need to be unpredictable,
 
#264      
Joel Goodson
pretty optimistic about our O. they should be potent and balanced. if the other guys have no idea what's coming, that's exactly what we want. our D: who knows? the range here is pretty large. if the starters at DL can stay healthy, a case can be made for improvement (talking entire D), despite losing the law firm. really expecting major strides with the secondary
 
#267      
GoDucks349
Epsilon said:
Yep, one of my kids just graduated there and my daughter still goes there, plus my wife (an IU grad), wants to watch us lose. So pulling off the win would be pretty special for me lol.

Edit: and for the record they could have gotten into any other B1G school but you just can’t beat in state tuition (combined with academic scholarships).
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Well congrats to the one who graduated! And good luck to the one still in school. Yea, I understand the in state tuition thing and the scholarships, my granddaughter is starting the MBA program at Willamette Univ later this month. Scholarships brought it down to basically the same price as the U of O.
 
#268      
Illiniguy74
Dan said:




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My ears perked up when Miles Scott said "..,representing the I". What an an awesome phrase with several different positive interpretations. Would be great to build a promotion and/or establish a team/school identity (across multiple sports and academic endeavors).
 
#270      
aaeismacgychel
Joel Goodson said:
pretty optimistic about our O. they should be potent and balanced. if the other guys have no idea what's coming, that's exactly what we want. our D: who knows? the range here is pretty large. if the starters at DL can stay healthy, a case can be made for improvement (talking entire D), despite losing the law firm. really expecting major strides with the D
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This is where I'm at. If we are able to get pressure from our DT position and we're able to avoid the injury bug, I think our defense will make strides this year as we should be improved at CB, S, and LB. That said, that's not a given. And if we can't get any pressure up the middle, or worse, we get knocked 2 yards off the line of scrimmage most snaps, there's a possibility for a really low floor for our defense as we won't be able to stop the power run and we'll likely struggle collapsing the pocket on passing downs.

So overall I see a decent ceiling for our D and a fairly low floor. So fingers crossed it'll be the former.
 
#271      
SoCal Illini
GoDucks349 said:
Well congrats to the one who graduated! And good luck to the one still in school. Yea, I understand the in state tuition thing and the scholarships, my granddaughter is starting the MBA program at Willamette Univ later this month. Scholarships brought it down to basically the same price as the U of O.
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I took a visit to willamette when speckman was still the coach. The guy with no hands. Cool little school, they showed me a great time. Visited Oregon too, which was the only big school to give me the time of day so got to see phil knight’s donations in person. Unfortunately I don’t feel very good about the Illini’s odds vs the ducks, but it’s worth going to see a game there. Great addition for the big 10
 
#273      
Fighter of the Nightman
Reposting this here as it is probably more relevant here than in the EA thread that prompted the discussion. I really wish the DIA would get more creative in establishing some aspects of a gameday experience that you ONLY see at Illinois.

blackdog said:
Seriously our game day experience is overall pretty bland and there is hardly anything that is uniquely Illinois. It's like we lost some of our old traditions and the school gave up trying.
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I also think we are delusionally afraid of offending anyone after the Chief. I have seen posters hear opine/worry that anything tying us to the veteran aspect of “Fighting Illini” might be offensive. Seriously?? Every tradition, no matter how it’s done, is automatically sus if it’s tied to WWI?? There is an ocean of sensible middle ground between bland nothing and enacting a WWI Doughboy logo tomorrow, lol.

One very simple idea would be this. Every game, Illinois welcomes a new/different group of Illinoisans who have served or are currently serving. Before each game, the group is walked out to the same spot at midfield with the same formula each week (and unlike with the Chief, we take direction on how to do this exclusively and enthusiastically from the people whom we are trying to honor). While they walk out, the PA announcer explains the history of Memorial Stadium and gives our eternal appreciation and gratitude for “the Fighting Illini of past, present and future.” Have it end with a military salute/rifle firing or something and thunderous applause from the crowd. Over time, it would become a must-see aspect for fans, something older fans love and parents want their young kids to see. You know how Illinois was unique because no one left during halftime due to the Chief?? Well now, it will be that Illini fans are never not in their seats in time for the Fighting Illini Salute.

This is NOT hard. Go look at a list of the best traditions nationwide. Some are literally just the songs that the team always enters to, and the fans LEARN to consider it epic (like Virginia Tech and Enter Sandman). Others work with what they obviously have in front of them, like Iowa waving at the children’s hospital.

We. Are. Not. Trying.

It’s the ONE form of incompetent negligence on behalf of the current DIA administration, which is otherwise amazing.
 
#274      
BWBW
IMHO, if there were an ocean of sensible middle ground, we'd have a modified version of the Chief that carried on the GameDay experience we only saw at Illinois.

Cue Matt Colonoscopy and his favorite insult.
 
#275      
aaeismacgychel
Fighter of the Nightman said:
Reposting this here as it is probably more relevant here than in the EA thread that prompted the discussion. I really wish the DIA would get more creative in establishing some aspects of a gameday experience that you ONLY see at Illinois.


I also think we are delusionally afraid of offending anyone after the Chief. I have seen posters hear opine/worry that anything tying us to the veteran aspect of “Fighting Illini” might be offensive. Seriously?? Every tradition, no matter how it’s done, is automatically sus if it’s tied to WWI?? There is an ocean of sensible middle ground between bland nothing and enacting a WWI Doughboy logo tomorrow, lol.

One very simple idea would be this. Every game, Illinois welcomes a new/different group of Illinoisans who have served or are currently serving. Before each game, the group is walked out to the same spot at midfield with the same formula each week (and unlike with the Chief, we take direction on how to do this exclusively and enthusiastically from the people whom we are trying to honor). While they walk out, the PA announcer explains the history of Memorial Stadium and gives our eternal appreciation and gratitude for “the Fighting Illini of past, present and future.” Have it end with a military salute/rifle firing or something and thunderous applause from the crowd. Over time, it would become a must-see aspect for fans, something older fans love and parents want their young kids to see. You know how Illinois was unique because no one left during halftime due to the Chief?? Well now, it will be that Illini fans are never not in their seats in time for the Fighting Illini Salute.

This is NOT hard. Go look at a list of the best traditions nationwide. Some are literally just the songs that the team always enters to, and the fans LEARN to consider it epic (like Virginia Tech and Enter Sandman). Others work with what they obviously have in front of them, like Iowa waving at the children’s hospital.

We. Are. Not. Trying.

It’s the ONE form of incompetent negligence on behalf of the current DIA administration, which is otherwise amazing.
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The problem is that not only did the *cough* moral authority known as the NCAA originally call our nicknames of 'Illini' and 'Fighting Illini' offensive in 2005, and even if you think that was a mistake by the NCAA as they later retracted that under threat of significant lawsuit, as recently as 2019, Illinois faculty made a significant push to ban the nicknames Illini and Fighting Illini as well as racist and offensive despite those nicknames preceeding any Native American imagery and entirely meant to honor our aillinois veterans and fallen soldiers.

Based on this, as sad as it is, I just see no real possibility that anything done to honor veterans as Illini or Fighting Illini won't be seen as offensive by protestors.

Really our best option at this point is probably a completely nondescript bird doing silly mascot stuff because that's what the majority of students, administrators, and protestors want at this point.
 
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