Illinois at Penn State, Saturday, September 28th, 6:30pm CT, NBC

#101      
TheChief4Life
ChiefGritty said:
I am deeply unconvinced that PSU is as good as the line suggests.

That said, if they are, taking a reality-check beating going into the bye might not be the worst thing for this team psychologically.

We absolutely must beat Purdue.
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While I agree on sentiment, I would take beating #19, #22, and #9 and then losing to Purdue.

Well... actually, now that I've typed it and am looking at it, I'm not sure anymore...
 
#102      
Illinir1
Dan said:
https://twitter.com/x/status/1838210052995387635
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Just as long as that doesn't include throwing snowballs at our players as they attempt the game tying field goal at the end of regulation (ala our
10 - 7 loss Oct. 29, 2011 at State College in what turned out to be Joe Pa's last game).
I was there. What a crock. It had snowed 4" the night before. Students were throwing snowballs on the field anytime the Illinois team was in range. Public Address announcer made two announcements during the game that if any more objects were thrown on the field the referees would penalize the home team. Yet on the final kick attempt, with time expiring, snowballs were flying, one even landing about 5 yards from the sideline judge. Kick hit the upright and doinked away. No flag.
 
#103      
EyeoftheIllini
TheGMan said:
I don't think OP meant that the only reason they would be motivated is because of the point spread, but it can't hurt to add some additional motivation on top of everything else.
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You’re right, likely OP didn’t mean the only motivation, but my real point is that way too much is made of the point spread and its impact (except for betting purposes) by fans. Team knows this is a huge game for this season and the program. Really don’t think a slim point spread versus the current one makes a damn bit of difference. Now when the Illini are up by a couple of touchdowns late in the game and a PSU player celebrates too much after an inconsequential play, I expect an Illini player or three will remind said player of the score and point spread. But the point spread will not be what got the Illini to that point.
 
#104      
EyeoftheIllini
Krombopulos_Michael said:
Wholeheartedly agree a team shouldn’t need any outside chatter to influence their effort and intensity BUT there’s a reason the classic idea of bulletin board material exists. Different people have different methods of getting them motivated and ticked off.
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I think of bulletin board material as a coach or player from other team disrespecting a player or the team. Now if a PSU player says something like, “18 point spread, that sounds about right” — that is bulletin board material. But just the point spread alone? Maybe @illini0440 can chime in and give his thoughts on if/how much BB will use the point spread as a talking point during week.I’d really be interested in knowing. Maybe I’m way off base and it is a big thing for the team.
 
#105      
robertgoulet
You put Raiola and Allar next to each other and I'll tell you which one concerns me and which one reminds me of Brandon Peters (doesn't scare me).

After seeing Kansas and Nebraska the PSU offense doesn't worry me much. The D has some NFL talent though.
 
#106      
lstewart53x3
robertgoulet said:
You put Raiola and Allar next to each other and I'll tell you which one concerns me and which one reminds me of Brandon Peters (doesn't scare me).

After seeing Kansas and Nebraska the PSU offense doesn't worry me much. The D has some NFL talent though.
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KFord has the PSU defense at 10 and offense at 13. Their special teams is 87 though so might be some opportunity there.

IMG_1608.jpeg
 
#111      
lstewart53x3
robertgoulet said:
Also has UI worse than Nebraska and Kansas, so...grain of salt and all that.
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I believe 50% of the formula is still made up of preseason expectations, so yeah, not perfect. We’re probably a little better than the formula shows.

Penn St is a very good team though. They beat West Virginia, a comparable team to us, by 22 on the road.
 
#113      
Illini2010-11
ChiefGritty said:
I am deeply unconvinced that PSU is as good as the line suggests.

That said, if they are, taking a reality-check beating going into the bye might not be the worst thing for this team psychologically.

We absolutely must beat Purdue.
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This is absolutely correct (regardless of what happens on Saturday). Purdue is the one game on the schedule that remains an almost must win for various reasons.

That is the game that is nestled in the middle of the roughest 5-game stretch I can remember (@Nebraska, @Penn State, Purdue, Mich, @Oregon). Most of us would have expected a 1-4 stretch going into the season. Getting to 2-3 was going to be a likely major win. Now 3-2 looks highly possible. To do that Illinois has to beat Purdue. Illinois at worst, needs to go 2-3 in this 5 game stretch, given the big win on Friday. The Purdue game remains the easiest path to that.

If everything holds to what we expect, Illinois will have played 5 ranked teams in the first 8 games of the season. To go 5-3 at worst is such a great statement for this program; so that Purdue game is extremely important.

However, let's give Penn State a great game going into the bye week. If the team is able to play a real clean game, Illinois has a shot to get to 5-0 going into the bye week. And if that happens, Purdue CANNOT be the letdown game.
 
#115      
Krombopulos_Michael
EyeoftheIllini said:
I think of bulletin board material as a coach or player from other team disrespecting a player or the team. Now if a PSU player says something like, “18 point spread, that sounds about right” — that is bulletin board material. But just the point spread alone? Maybe @illini0440 can chime in and give his thoughts on if/how much BB will use the point spread as a talking point during week.I’d really be interested in knowing. Maybe I’m way off base and it is a big thing for the team.
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Fair point and I don’t think you’re off base. I’ve always looked at it as “everyone counts us out” etc. so while not the same as a PSU player talking smack it reinforces an “us against the world” mentality which can 100% be used as motivation. If Bret is posting the lines in the locker room I’d be shocked. If anything it’s just riling us up which by judging how this board operates doesn’t take a ton.
 
#116      
Chukwuwumba
ChiefGritty said:
I am deeply unconvinced that PSU is as good as the line suggests.

That said, if they are, taking a reality-check beating going into the bye might not be the worst thing for this team psychologically.

We absolutely must beat Purdue.
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I’m assuming the team will not have any trouble getting motivated for the Purdue game, no matter the result this weekend.
 
#119      
Genesis
lstewart53x3 said:
KFord has the PSU defense at 10 and offense at 13. Their special teams is 87 though so might be some opportunity there.

The field position aspect of the game is under-appreciated. With our kickers and punter and Hank Freakin' Beatty, we definitely have an edge on special teams.
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#120      
Fighter of the Nightman
In stark contrast to the Husker board before last Friday's game, I am seeing quite a lot of respect on the PSU message board I checked out. Sure, a lot of them think they will win (if our #9 Illini basketball team were hosting #19 Penn State in the House of 'Paign, would we not expect to win??), but they are giving us our due and then some.
 
#121      
1970 John
RoundBalcs said:
Thank you! I’ve never created an official list of favorite Illini memories, but this is would be very very near the top!

Here’s the link in case anyone needs some hyping up this Monday AM.

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One of my best is the nine overtimes at, where else, Penn State. This picture isn't the best I've seen, but alas I can't find it, is of Casey Washington up in the air making the catch, with Penn State students behind him with all kinds of expressions, right out of a Norman Rockwell painting. This one is close, however.

FOOTBALL-NCAA_.jpg
 
#122      
ChiefGritty
Fighter of the Nightman said:
In stark contrast to the Husker board before last Friday's game, I am seeing quite a lot of respect on the PSU message board I checked out. Sure, a lot of them think they will win (if our #9 Illini basketball team were hosting #19 Penn State in the House of 'Paign, would we not expect to win??), but they are giving us our due and then some.
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Two fanbases at very different stages of their relationship with their head coach.
 
#124      
cookie86
illini0440 said:
Why would they rest a top 2 wide out against a top 10 team?
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He was limping badly after the game even though he went back in-I would just rest him for the next couple weeks so he can heal- I’d play a 100% elzy over a 70% Franklin
 
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