Illinois vs Michigan, Saturday, October 19th, 2:30pm CT, CBS

#151      
Ander1345
RML said:
What do we think... If we somehow win the next two (5% chance?), does Altmeyer become a long-shot Heisman contender based on his numbers and performance in clutch time?
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If we win at Oregon when they could be #1??? Of course he would be, they'd also have to order Bielema a statue.
 
#153      
Fighter of the Nightman
Love Bret's comments RE: home field advantage, and I really hope that can be an actual asset for us on Saturday ... it certainly was vs. Kansas. The KU game was so fun, as it was the first time in the Bielema Era where we legitimately had a homefield advantage/atmosphere that a Big Ten team could be proud of, and I do not want to lose that! We have had some games with large crowds with "meh" enthusiasm (e.g., MSU in 2022) or smaller crowds that cheered their hearts out (e.g., Iowa in 2022), but we have never put it together quite like the KU game.

Even if it's not a night game, I hope we surpass even that on Saturday!
 
#154      
Dan
"Brad Nessler (play-by-play), Gary Danielson (analyst), and Jenny Dell (sideline) have the call on CBS"

fightingillini.com

#22 Illinois Takes On #24 Michigan for Rededication Game at Sold-Out Memorial Stadium - University of Illinois Athletics

The #22 Fighting Illini and #24 Wolverines are scheduled to kickoff at 2:30 p.m. CT on CBS.
fightingillini.com fightingillini.com



"Big Ten Network will broadcast its B1G Tailgate show live from Grange Grove on Saturday morning at 9 a.m. CT prior to the #22 Fighting Illini hosting #24 Michigan..
On-set guests will include Illinois greats Juice Williams and Brandon Lloyd. The set will be located in the southwest corner of Grange Grove."

fightingillini.com

B1G Tailgate To Air Live Saturday from Grange Grove - University of Illinois Athletics

On-set guests will include Illinois greats Juice Williams and Brandon Lloyd.
fightingillini.com fightingillini.com
 
#155      
Battle89
aaeismacgychel said:
Yeahhhhhhhh, about that... It's Michigan this week. Mucking Fichigan. There is no bigger game and no bigger opportunity than this one right in front of us that we play in Champaign in front of our sold out crowd. This is a game where if we win, fans will be talking about forever. You hold nothing back and focus on nothing else outside this game.

Now if you really want my honest assessment on Oregon, I really don't think anyone in our fanbase should think much at all of Oregon or what happens there. Not to be mean or pessimistic, but they're a major class above us. The only real chance we have in that game is if it's that one game in the middle of the season that Oregon sleepwalks through. Other than that we'll lose by more than 20 easy if not more. It's in Autzen and Oregon isn't afraid to run up the score. That is just a show up, say happy to be here, get pounded by touchdowns at will and go home. Most important thing about that game will be getting out of it healthy. I know fans will try to overanalyze or assess our team based on a result like that, but really it's just that Oregon is a national championship caliber team with NFL talent all over the field and we're a decent maybe even good college football team. We shouldn't lose any sleep on that one no matter what happens.
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THIS, and THIS. Last thing I want is a bunch of guys hurt in a 20-30 point Oregon win that we need for the rest of the season run against more evenly-matched opponents.
 
#156      
blackdog
TGB said:
Well, I've been going to games for 60 of those 100 years. Let's be real. For Purdue to score 46 points in the second half is such a let down. My wife mentioned about possibly leaving earl, and I've been to way to many games to think about that. That was a total embarrassing situation on network TV. How we are still ranked is beyond belief, and how do have a total collapse against one of the worst teams in our conference. I bet Michigan is licking their chops watching game film. How could Walters figure us out so easily, and we couldn't figure out how to make adjustments to stop the flood. Plus. It used to be fun reading the different post about games, recruiting and so on. Now, it's the same handful of posters going off on tangents, sometimes not even related to the football team. How many of our posters have season tickets are actually even go to the games?
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🙋‍♂️

You can catch me in 130 standing and yelling on every 3rd down all game long.
 
#158      
Fly Illini Fly!
fklein said:
We need to start thinking about Oregon the week after. That is the big game for us. We need to make sure everyone is healthy for that game. I hope the coaches and players are thinking about it.
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Steve Harvey Reaction GIF
 
#159      
mhuml32
fklein said:
We need to start thinking about Oregon the week after. That is the big game for us. We need to make sure everyone is healthy for that game. I hope the coaches and players are thinking about it.
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You're a fan. Think about any game you want.


I'm still thinking about the 2026 non-conference schedule but maybe that's because I can't let things go.
 
#161      
Illinivek23
mhuml32 said:
Not a great sign that an injury is unique enough that the specialist can only see you via Zoom instead of being locally available.
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Could we see Jordan Anderson making a bigger contribution this week? He is a half a season past the 1 year anniversary of his injury. Seen limited action thus far with low YPC, but would be great to see that change.
 
#165      
RabidDawgClassic
fklein said:
We need to start thinking about Oregon the week after. That is the big game for us. We need to make sure everyone is healthy for that game. I hope the coaches and players are thinking about it.
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Never in my life have I ever heard any Illinois football fan even suggest that we might look past Michigan to the following game. This is a first.
 
#168      
fuddrules
I haven't seen anything about this, maybe I missed it, but something was wrong with Zakhari Franklin against Purdue. He walked a number of times btw plays and also took himself out, I think maybe twice?? He didn't have his usual pep.

Also, I just looked at FI.com, was looking at the schedule, and the very first flash I saw was that IL had a 6-1 record. I thought that can't be right, looked again and it was 5-1. 👻👀👻
 
#171      
The Galloping Ghost
Dan said:
https://twitter.com/x/status/1845973067043852428
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"So Michigan having an eckel rate of 26.6% means the offense is getting a first down inside the opponents 40-yard line on only 26.6% of drives. That’s near the bottom of the FBS.

Inversely, Illinois’ defense lets opponents get a first down inside Illinois’ 40-yard line on 53.8% of drives. Which is near the bottom of all FBS football teams.

So essentially Eckel Rate is telling is Michigan can’t sustain drives while Illinois can’t stop drives. So what’s going to happen on Saturday?"

The stoppable force vs. the moveable object.
 
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#172      
Ramrod2010
Dan said:
"Brad Nessler (play-by-play), Gary Danielson (analyst), and Jenny Dell (sideline) have the call on CBS"

fightingillini.com

#22 Illinois Takes On #24 Michigan for Rededication Game at Sold-Out Memorial Stadium - University of Illinois Athletics

The #22 Fighting Illini and #24 Wolverines are scheduled to kickoff at 2:30 p.m. CT on CBS.
fightingillini.com fightingillini.com



"Big Ten Network will broadcast its B1G Tailgate show live from Grange Grove on Saturday morning at 9 a.m. CT prior to the #22 Fighting Illini hosting #24 Michigan..
On-set guests will include Illinois greats Juice Williams and Brandon Lloyd. The set will be located in the southwest corner of Grange Grove."

fightingillini.com

B1G Tailgate To Air Live Saturday from Grange Grove - University of Illinois Athletics

On-set guests will include Illinois greats Juice Williams and Brandon Lloyd.
fightingillini.com fightingillini.com
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Pretty rhetorical (though I'm sure there are some that can probably sleuth it out) but... With the SEC on CBS all those years, how many times was the same team featured in back-to-back weeks with Nessler and Danielson?
 
#173      
thehass
ChiefGritty said:
Not only that, but it's Michigan on the 100th anniversary of the legendary Red Grange game that is the most important moment in the history of the program.

Throwback leather helmets. 2:30 CBS game. A one-point spread.

This is a big friggin' deal.

It'll be cool if Oregon is #1 and all, but we're playing the ghosts of all that has come before on Saturday, this is epochal stuff.
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Defense has to show up big time. No ifs, ands, or buts. This can be a huge program builder.
 
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