I realize most everyone on this board absolutely hates the Illini, and I personally am obviously not a huge fan, but I just stumbled across their 07 preview and I found it very interesting. They return 9 starters on both sides of the ball, and one would logically think that they will eventually start to produce considering Zook's "great, but completely fair" recruiting classes...also, i lined up at corner against Rashard Mendenhall in a high school 7-on-7 a couple years ago, and I thought I was guarding Terrell Owens in man coverage...he flies and is absolutely enormous. Not saying that makes me think the illini are big ten contenders, but just throwing that out there..mendenhall will probably have a breakout season. if you had a chance to win 1,000 dollars if you predicted U of I's exact 2007 win total, what would you say? Also, putting aside your NIU allegiance, would you honestly believe we would beat them this season if they were our opener instead of Iowa, and what do you think Vegas would have the line at?

I think Illinois will win 4 games this year. But hopefully less :)

clcfball11 Wrote:I realize most everyone on this board absolutely hates the Illini, and I personally am obviously not a huge fan, but I just stumbled across their 07 preview and I found it very interesting. They return 9 starters on both sides of the ball, and one would logically think that they will eventually start to produce considering Zook's "great, but completely fair" recruiting classes...also, i lined up at corner against Rashard Mendenhall in a high school 7-on-7 a couple years ago, and I thought I was guarding Terrell Owens in man coverage...he flies and is absolutely enormous. Not saying that makes me think the illini are big ten contenders, but just throwing that out there..mendenhall will probably have a breakout season. if you had a chance to win 1,000 dollars if you predicted U of I's exact 2007 win total, what would you say? Also, putting aside your NIU allegiance, would you honestly believe we would beat them this season if they were our opener instead of Iowa, and what do you think Vegas would have the line at?

I think Illinois will win 4 games this year. But hopefully less :)

This tread is pointless since they are not in our conference and since they do not play us. Thats my answer.

I have to take a pee.

Spayed and Neutered

Well, they have 3 games that should be automatic wins. Western Illinois, Ball State, and Northwestern all at home should be victories. Then they play Mizzou in STL, @ Syracuse, and @ Indiana. They should get AT LEAST one of those two put them at 4, and possibly 2 to put them at 5. I also wouldn't; be surprised to see them spring the trap on Wisconsin at home (they almost did it in Wisky last year), but I'm not counting on that.

4-8 sounds about right, maybe 5-7 if things go well. Their defense is really strong, and alot of what they do depends how Juice develops and how the young guys play.

Sorry for forgetting about this being off-topic, my fault...

and this thread may be pointless, but so are many other off-topic threads, i just forgot to post it in the right place...so whats the big deal? it wasnt a pro-illinois thread. I thought the question of if we would beat them would develop some good discussion!

6 wins. The defense really matured at the end of the year last season and I look for Juice to have a solid season this year.

It's NOT a pointless thread for others - like me.

It's what many fans do best - BS and offer expert opinions on most every topic sportsrelated under the sun.

I do not in general "hate" the Illini. It's a wasted emotion.

My beef with Illinois is more with it's clout in Springfield and the disparity in funding created with ISBHE and that both have been historically loaded with Illini grads....

Enuff said there.

Vandelay apparently thinks Illini will have six wins for they were forecasted opposite WMU in MCB.

This year will be a true test of Zook's ability to coach not just recruit. I suspect the krushed will flirt with but fall below .500 @ 5-7.

If NIU were to line up against Illini this fall , it would be another competitive game and we would have as much chance beating them as Iowa ......less than fifty/fifty IMO but not an improbability like UMich or OSU......more like the NU game of 2004 when we clutched defeat with victory in our jaws....

I think that the Illini will dominate on defense and shock the Big Tenleven conference.

They might not win the conference but I think that they will be competitive and finish well above .500 pulling several upsets along the way.

This will be fun to scoreboard watch during the season and learn which forecasts were right or wrong.....

I'll own up to mine if incorrect at 5-7.

I would like to see them make the Motor City Bowl, so they can lose to the Huskies.

Theoretically, they SHOULD have a breakout season with how much they have returning and how strong those classes have been the last couple years. Ron Zook is seriously the worst coach in the history of football at any level if he cant do anything with these players either this season or in the next few years. The funny thing is, other Big Ten teams are having good recruiting classes too, and the difference, their coaches know how to use them! I think those of you predicting 4-5 wins are right..i dont know about "shocking" the big ten and having a dominant defense...although its a lot of returning starters, its the same guys who were inconsistent as anyone in the country last season. But i agree with huskiejon, id love to see them face our huskies in a bowl game!

7 Wrote:Spayed and Neutered

Well, they have 3 games that should be automatic wins. Western Illinois, Ball State, and Northwestern all at home should be victories. Then they play Mizzou in STL, @ Syracuse, and @ Indiana. They should get AT LEAST one of those two put them at 4, and possibly 2 to put them at 5. I also wouldn't; be surprised to see them spring the trap on Wisconsin at home (they almost did it in Wisky last year), but I'm not counting on that.

4-8 sounds about right, maybe 5-7 if things go well. Their defense is really strong, and alot of what they do depends how Juice develops and how the young guys play.

Ball State will shock the Illini at home this year. You heard it here first.

1-11 with a late gut-wrenching thrilling come-from-behind home victory vs the BSU Cardinals to save Zook's job for another year in Champaign.

hahaha MD...so u think western is going to go into champaign and steal a win huh?

i know it's silly to say, but I think what they do depends on one guy, which would be RB #5 Rashard Mendenhall. He's got a world of talent, but has been inconsistent so far. The Illinois defense is going to be really good, but their offense depends on their ability to establish the run, and if Mendenhall isn't good than they won't be either, but they could sneak into a low level bowl game is Mendenhall breaks out.

MaddDawgz02 Wrote:1-11 with a late gut-wrenching thrilling come-from-behind home victory vs the BSU Cardinals to save Zook's job for another year in Champaign.

You think Illinois is going to lose to Western Illinois at home?

NIUHuskies86 Wrote:i know it's silly to say, but I think what they do depends on one guy, which would be RB #5 Rashard Mendenhall. He's got a world of talent, but has been inconsistent so far. The Illinois defense is going to be really good, but their offense depends on their ability to establish the run, and if Mendenhall isn't good than they won't be either, but they could sneak into a low level bowl game is Mendenhall breaks out.

i 100% agree...like i mentioned before, ive been matched up on this guy before in a 7-on-7 tournament and it wasnt fun...i actually recall him being like a top 10 national recruit, wasnt he?

I'm thinking they'll get 6 wins and get into a bowl game by beating NW on Senior Day...

But really, I dont care about UofI at all...I hope they only get a few wins and the NCAA finds something fishy about Zook's recruiting and they get on probation...

I dont have any respect for the program until they man up and play NIU.

7 Wrote:

MaddDawgz02 Wrote:1-11 with a late gut-wrenching thrilling come-from-behind home victory vs the BSU Cardinals to save Zook's job for another year in Champaign.

You think Illinois is going to lose to Western Illinois at home?

After all, who loses to WIU at home? Honestly? :muttering:

7 Wrote:

MaddDawgz02 Wrote:1-11 with a late gut-wrenching thrilling come-from-behind home victory vs the BSU Cardinals to save Zook's job for another year in Champaign.

You think Illinois is going to lose to Western Illinois at home?

An oversight on my part, when I scanned your post I saw the Western and filled in WMU in my mind. But I see now you mean Western Illinois. I do think they can beat WIU at home...
UPDATED: 2-10