Yes, the most optimistic are 7 wins if we catch every break. If you listen to the national guys, they always favor the helmet schools. I have questioned how long of a win streak do we need to get votes in the top 25. My guess is we would have to be 4-0 for votes and we would have to beat PSU to get ranked. This is different from fellow (2023, 5-7) Nebraska who I would guess will be earning votes/ranking after week 2 (UTEP and CO).
Illini Football 2024
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Yes, the most optimistic are 7 wins if we catch every break. If you listen to the national guys, they always favor the helmet schools. I have questioned how long of a win streak do we need to get votes in the top 25. My guess is we would have to be 4-0 for votes and we would have to beat PSU to get ranked. This is different from fellow (2023, 5-7) Nebraska who I would guess will be earning votes/ranking after week 2 (UTEP and CO).
Make a bowl. That's a successful season. 5-7 is not. Anything over 6 is a bonus.
I can't start new threads, and I'm not even sure it deserves one, but I thought this was interesting. On it's face, looks like it would be a strong move. But Mike Thomas looked pretty good from the cheap seats as well.
Maybe we can start a coaching carousel thread and put it there. With the way things are going, that usually has activity by week two.
Northwestern is targeting Villanova AD.
Maybe we can start a coaching carousel thread and put it there. With the way things are going, that usually has activity by week two.
Northwestern is targeting Villanova AD.
I feel like the Florida guys are boom or bust. How many of them wait around 3-4 years to play. They either get in the field right away or move on.
The kids the tend to be program players are in state kids or kids within driving distance of campus.
For me the biggest question mark with this team is the run defense. Although this probably won't be the greatest of tests, they got a pretty good back nonetheless. At least should give some signs of where we're at. If we can just be a fine, mid-tier, average run D team...that'd go long ways IMO.
pruman91
- Paducah, Ky
Illinois banks on transfers, experience to erase memories of a frustrating season
Illinois' shot at playing in a bowl game last season evaporated with two-point losses in the final two games. Coach Bret Bielema is confident of a happier ending this fall.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
My final AUGUST FEVER optimistic version of my season prediction:
W vs. Eastern Illinois
W vs. #22 Kansas ... the Illini finally get that big home win under the lights in front of a crowd that surprisingly pushes 57k!
W vs. Central Michigan
L at Nebraska ... even while riding high, our first road test sinks us in a close one.
L at #8 Penn State ... we play them tight for three quarters, but we lose by two TDs in the end.
W vs. Purdue ... after a bye week, we get sweet revenge vs. Walters and Purdue, winning in a blowout.
W vs. #9 Michigan ... the Illini play inspired in front of a sellout crowd in this special game. We go to Eugene ranked #24!
L at #3 Oregon ... we fall back down to Earth and get shellacked, lol. We fall back out of the top 25, but it was fun while it lasted!
W vs. Minnesota ... Bret beating PJ is like a law of the Universe at this point.
W vs. Michigan State ... we surprisingly play like crap coming off of a bye week, but we get lucky and win a close one.
L at Rutgers ... a comedown game where we blow a late lead, similar to the 2022 Indiana loss.
W vs. Northwestern (Wrigley Field) ... In front of a 75%+ Illini crowd, we beat the Kitty Cats by 3 TDs.
8-4 record has us sneaking into the #25 ranking spot due to some other good teams losing in the last week. The program takes a huge step forward!
W vs. Eastern Illinois
W vs. #22 Kansas ... the Illini finally get that big home win under the lights in front of a crowd that surprisingly pushes 57k!
W vs. Central Michigan
L at Nebraska ... even while riding high, our first road test sinks us in a close one.
L at #8 Penn State ... we play them tight for three quarters, but we lose by two TDs in the end.
W vs. Purdue ... after a bye week, we get sweet revenge vs. Walters and Purdue, winning in a blowout.
W vs. #9 Michigan ... the Illini play inspired in front of a sellout crowd in this special game. We go to Eugene ranked #24!
L at #3 Oregon ... we fall back down to Earth and get shellacked, lol. We fall back out of the top 25, but it was fun while it lasted!
W vs. Minnesota ... Bret beating PJ is like a law of the Universe at this point.
W vs. Michigan State ... we surprisingly play like crap coming off of a bye week, but we get lucky and win a close one.
L at Rutgers ... a comedown game where we blow a late lead, similar to the 2022 Indiana loss.
W vs. Northwestern (Wrigley Field) ... In front of a 75%+ Illini crowd, we beat the Kitty Cats by 3 TDs.
8-4 record has us sneaking into the #25 ranking spot due to some other good teams losing in the last week. The program takes a huge step forward!
MustangWally
- Mayfield
I'll have what he's having.
TentakilRex
- Land O Insects between Quincy-Macomb-Jacksonville
Of course Illini fans are being shafted by Nike in the shoe department according to this ad/SI article lol
https://www.si.com/onsi/athlete-lifestyle/2024-ncaa-nike-zoom-pegasus-41-how-to-buy-your-favorite-college-team-s-kicks-today
Heck teams from zombie conferences get their own shoes. Tells you how irrelevant the Illini are on national stage, need to win more anyway.
That is okay, I prefer Adidas anyway.
https://www.si.com/onsi/athlete-lifestyle/2024-ncaa-nike-zoom-pegasus-41-how-to-buy-your-favorite-college-team-s-kicks-today
Heck teams from zombie conferences get their own shoes. Tells you how irrelevant the Illini are on national stage, need to win more anyway.
That is okay, I prefer Adidas anyway.
We need to establish a New Balance.
I feel like the new playoff deserves its own thread. Anyone? A lot to talk about with the new format, rankings and auto-bids. One minor thing I'm curious about is whether coaches will feel less pressure to run up scores just to pad their team in the analytical models. If I were king, I'd cap margin of victory for purposes of team rankings. I know that can't happen for the Vegas crowd, but I'd prefer it for the seedings, strength of schedule, etc. JMHO
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Emphasis on optimistic version, haha ... this is probably my final "official" pick:
W vs. Eastern Illinois
L vs. #22 Kansas
W vs. Central Michigan
L at Nebraska
L at #8 Penn State
W vs. Purdue
L vs. #9 Michigan (we play super well, but losing a monumentally big game to Michigan is peak Illini)
L at #3 Oregon
W vs. Minnesota
W vs. Michigan State
L at Rutgers
W vs. Northwestern (Wrigley Field)
6-6 and a bowl game, could be a lot worse! I think not making a bowl is just simply a failure. The results I put up there really don't have us scoring any victories we "shouldn't" get. If we can protect our home field vs. KU or Michigan or steal a road game at Nebraska or Rutgers, you are to 7 wins right there. Losing more than 6 requires us to stub our toe at least once and to effectively utterly fail to rise to the challenge of being a serious football program. We used our mulligan of disappointment on last season, haha.
redwingillini11
White and Sixth
- North Aurora
This is my final (pessimistic) prediction. If there is a surprise game on the schedule that I think we can flip I think it may be Nebraska. I think they are being overhyped and are going to reveal themselves to be pretty mediocre. Catching them early on in the season is helpful to us too. However, this team just seems destined to be a very solid 5-7 team. I hate it. I want 6 wins more than anything in the world. Hopefully we can send a message by beating Kansas in Week 2, in which case an ~8 win season feels very much obtainable.
W vs. Eastern Illinois
L vs. #22 Kansas
W vs. Central Michigan
L at Nebraska
L at #8 Penn State
W vs. Purdue
L vs. #9 Michigan (we play super well, but losing a monumentally big game to Michigan is peak Illini)
L at #3 Oregon
W vs. Minnesota
L vs. Michigan State
L at Rutgers
W vs. Northwestern (Wrigley Field)
W vs. Eastern Illinois
L vs. #22 Kansas
W vs. Central Michigan
L at Nebraska
L at #8 Penn State
W vs. Purdue
L vs. #9 Michigan (we play super well, but losing a monumentally big game to Michigan is peak Illini)
L at #3 Oregon
W vs. Minnesota
L vs. Michigan State
L at Rutgers
W vs. Northwestern (Wrigley Field)
Lotta Lovie on that list
To be fair… a lot of BB coaching players to success on that list.
I love your optimism Mr Tibbs, but Fighter's final predictions aligns with what I think is most likely. I hope for 7-5 but that means we have to run the table on PU, MN, MSU and NW, plus pull off an upset against KS, NE, or Mich. That's possible, and it's what I'm rooting for, but man that's tough. It sure would be worth a celebration. Anything is still possible!
We will beat Rutgers
I saw a QB willing to trust his receivers and make the throws. He did miss a wide open Pat Bryant streaking to the end zone in the second quarter, but other than that, he looked confident and ready to play.
I loved seeing the timed comeback routes, which will probably lead to some double moves for deep throws later in the season.
Our RB room looks deep and talented. The defense, outside the two drives we got fumbles, looked solid. I hope for some more pressure, but loved the aggressive blitzes on 3rd.
We looked how we should against an obviously inferior opponent. Kansas will be the real test here, but overall I was pleased with the play on the field.
Also, I liked the first down ILL-INI call instead of the woo. It's louder, more interactive, and engrains the ILL-INI into the fan base. Even my three year old daughter was repeating it halfway through the first quarter.
I loved seeing the timed comeback routes, which will probably lead to some double moves for deep throws later in the season.
Our RB room looks deep and talented. The defense, outside the two drives we got fumbles, looked solid. I hope for some more pressure, but loved the aggressive blitzes on 3rd.
We looked how we should against an obviously inferior opponent. Kansas will be the real test here, but overall I was pleased with the play on the field.
Also, I liked the first down ILL-INI call instead of the woo. It's louder, more interactive, and engrains the ILL-INI into the fan base. Even my three year old daughter was repeating it halfway through the first quarter.
blackdog
- Champaign
I was surprised by the first down call and didn't know if I liked it the first time but it won me over pretty quickly. The band also playing quick gave plenty of opportunities to woo right after.
It will continue from what I've heard. The whole idea is to replicate NFL entrances, hence all the extra fireworks and decorations in the tunnel that are also new this year. If I had to guess, Bielema wants to push how many players we've gotten into the NFL as of late, and giving that NFL treatment to starters for entrances seems to be part of it. On paper, it should look really good to recruits, but the question will be if it makes an impact.
It also looks super cool which just adds to the list of answered complaints from fans that the Gameday Experience people have put major efforts towards improving. I still think we could find a more unique entrance song, but other than that, the entrance looks like one of the cooler ones in the country now from the two times I've seen it.
The game experience production team definitely has taken steps in the right direction. Last night was very enjoyable. Stadium surround sound and the students in the east should be next!
Player entrance was awesome!
Player entrance was awesome!
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