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Michchamp
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This Saturday, October 19, 2024 at 3:30 PM Eastern on CBS, #22 MICHIGAN visits #21 ILLINOIS in Champaign, Illinois.
Line: Michigan -3.5; o/u: 44
Sagarin Predictor: 2 pt. Michigan win
For background on Illinois, check the 2022 thread. This is now the 98th all-time meeting between these programs. The series record is: 72-23-2 in favor of Michigan.
About Illinois' foot ball team:
The Fighting Illini are 5-1 (2-1) . They've beaten two ranked teams, but one of those was Kansas week 1. Kansas started the season ranked, but is now 1-5, and the other was an OT win at then-ranked Nebraska, which is still a solid win. The Illini lost @Penn St. 21-7... that game was close, tied 7-7 at the half, until Penn St's running game ground Illinois into submission. Sagarin ranks their SOS 81st (ours is now 18th).
They are a solid-but-not-great team. Maybe we are too? I don't know. I like to think we're not playing up to our potential. A game like this will help sort that out.
Champaign is not really a tough place to play; the most passionate fans are the locals, who have nothing better to do, and they're not very numerous. We're 11-1 in our last 12 visits there; only RichRod blew it and lost one. Bielema asked them to make sure their stadium is "rocking" on Saturday, LOL.
For what it's worth, Bielema has been making this game out to be a big deal for his team; presumably they'll be better prepared Saturday than they were for Purdue...
Illinois is rolling out kinda weird looking "Throw Back" uniforms for this one to honor the 100th Anniversary of Red Grange's 6 TD performance against UM in 1924, at the Memorial Stadium dedication.
Talk about living in the leather helmet days!
Stats Watch!..............................UM.................UI
Total Defense...............44th (336ypg)....58th(346ypg)
Team PED........................63rd.......................52nd
Rush Def..........................3rd(76ypg)........77th(149ypg)
Total Offense..............119th(306ypg)......76th(382ypg)
Team PEO.........................*PUKES*.............15th
Rush Off........................39th(191ypg)........87th(139ypg)
Penalties/Game.........21st(4.8/g)..........49th(5.8/g)
T/O margin..................107th (-.67)...........25th(+.67)
Jack Tuttle was just named our starting QB. Maybe he'll be great and the two losses we've suffered and the horrendous passing stats this far for us will seem like just a bad dream.
But there's still the issue of our lousy pass defense. With the secondary we have, that's simply a matter of coaching malpractice, not the players. How can you have a corner like Will Johnson who can shut down half the field, and still give up huge chunks of yards like that? Basically teams are doing whatever they want passing wise, in the 2nd half. USC, Minnesota, and Washington all got yards when they needed to.
The blitz calls are obvious, don't get home, and leave guys WIDE open for easy check downs and throws.
Coaches have had 2 weeks to fix that now... let's see what happens.
SO go ahead and make your picks and post some analysis if you choose, but as always leave the woofing and barking for other threads!
Line: Michigan -3.5; o/u: 44
Sagarin Predictor: 2 pt. Michigan win
For background on Illinois, check the 2022 thread. This is now the 98th all-time meeting between these programs. The series record is: 72-23-2 in favor of Michigan.
About Illinois' foot ball team:
The Fighting Illini are 5-1 (2-1) . They've beaten two ranked teams, but one of those was Kansas week 1. Kansas started the season ranked, but is now 1-5, and the other was an OT win at then-ranked Nebraska, which is still a solid win. The Illini lost @Penn St. 21-7... that game was close, tied 7-7 at the half, until Penn St's running game ground Illinois into submission. Sagarin ranks their SOS 81st (ours is now 18th).
They are a solid-but-not-great team. Maybe we are too? I don't know. I like to think we're not playing up to our potential. A game like this will help sort that out.
Champaign is not really a tough place to play; the most passionate fans are the locals, who have nothing better to do, and they're not very numerous. We're 11-1 in our last 12 visits there; only RichRod blew it and lost one. Bielema asked them to make sure their stadium is "rocking" on Saturday, LOL.
For what it's worth, Bielema has been making this game out to be a big deal for his team; presumably they'll be better prepared Saturday than they were for Purdue...
Illinois is rolling out kinda weird looking "Throw Back" uniforms for this one to honor the 100th Anniversary of Red Grange's 6 TD performance against UM in 1924, at the Memorial Stadium dedication.
Talk about living in the leather helmet days!
Stats Watch!..............................UM.................UI
Total Defense...............44th (336ypg)....58th(346ypg)
Team PED........................63rd.......................52nd
Rush Def..........................3rd(76ypg)........77th(149ypg)
Total Offense..............119th(306ypg)......76th(382ypg)
Team PEO.........................*PUKES*.............15th
Rush Off........................39th(191ypg)........87th(139ypg)
Penalties/Game.........21st(4.8/g)..........49th(5.8/g)
T/O margin..................107th (-.67)...........25th(+.67)
Jack Tuttle was just named our starting QB. Maybe he'll be great and the two losses we've suffered and the horrendous passing stats this far for us will seem like just a bad dream.
But there's still the issue of our lousy pass defense. With the secondary we have, that's simply a matter of coaching malpractice, not the players. How can you have a corner like Will Johnson who can shut down half the field, and still give up huge chunks of yards like that? Basically teams are doing whatever they want passing wise, in the 2nd half. USC, Minnesota, and Washington all got yards when they needed to.
The blitz calls are obvious, don't get home, and leave guys WIDE open for easy check downs and throws.
Coaches have had 2 weeks to fix that now... let's see what happens.
SO go ahead and make your picks and post some analysis if you choose, but as always leave the woofing and barking for other threads!
