Trust me when I say most AP voters don't even watch the games.

Login to view embedded media

Rivals has ILLINI at 3 - 9 thi season. Seems a bit pessimistic to me!

Weigh in!!

I think we could have beaten them.

Any guesses, wagers, insider info on our destination?

Jack will be on the ground in Evanston for Illinois vs. Northwestern.

I'm staying back in Champaign to go watch East St. Louis vs. Prairie Ridge in the Class 6A title game. That game kicks off at 1 pm.

FYI

These are the 10 candidates I still have on my watch list heading into week 11.

In no particular order:

Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
Max Duggan, QB, TCU
Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina
CJ Stroud, QB, Ohio State
Caleb Williams, QB, USC
Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee
Bijan Robinson, RB Texas
Blake Corum, RB, Michigan
Zach Charbonnet, RB, UCLA
Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee

Who you like? Who's missing?

Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media

About 45 minutes to kickoff

Obviously Purdue at Indiana is the one we’re all tracking. 2:30

Michigan at Ohio State just underway

Notre Dame at USC 6:30

Auburn at Alabama 2:30

Please help me. Everything I am looking at suggest that there is conflict on Big Ten Network with our game and the Purdue/IU game. Our local newspaper's TV guide, which is garbage, doesn't
even list the game, but does list the Purdue game. I need to get this addressed because my Illini Squaw thinks she saw another crazy look. in Chief Illiniwek's eye which usually is a harbinger of the rearranging
furniture in the living room. It has taken her a week to replace all of the destruction following the loss to Michigan last Saturday. Any help will be appreciated. Go Illini

Than Illinois in basketball and football? Not big time games, but games with backstories or games that created a story.
Miami basketball that resulting in reviews.
Kentucky basketball that resulted in ban on hosting Regional games.
Michigan football that resulted in reviews.
PSU Peterno's record breaking win that turned out to be his last game.
Bear's last game as a coach in the Liberty Bowl.
2005 Roy Williams time to win a championship.
I am sure others can add to the list.

All negative towards an Illini win.

Thinking about what the networks and B10 would want over the last three weeks and they got it. Illini lose three so the West is up for grabs in the last weekend. UM and OSU undefeated going into the last week. And face it, the whole rivalry week for the last weekend is set just so UM and OSU can meet every year.

So what would they want for the West champs and the B10 Championship games. I don't think they want a 4 way tie for the West, so I think they would want Purdue or Iowa to win out. Nationally, I think Iowa would be the bigger name. I don't think Illinois, coming in losing 3 out of the last 4 would be of interested. If Iowa wins Friday, they will seal the deal. I think it will be hard for Nebraska to stay in that one. If Iowa loses, then Saturday will be important.

State Farm Center is about 1/2 full for his one. The Krush isn't here, obviously.

About 5 minutes to tipoff.

17-0 at halftime

Illinois needs Indiana to bear Purdue tomorrow

IIRC, he was off to a pretty good career at Illinois but ran into some trouble and left, finishing at Ashland. I mention him because I was watching one of the Ohio state semifinal games last night on TV and Massillon has a WR by the name of Ja'Meir Gamble. He fast as in 4.37 fast (at least that's what's quoted). Has anyone heard of him and know if there's a connection to Brian Gamble who played for us?

How bad was he hurt in Arthur's last game?

I plan to go to watch St Rita a few times. Anyone else going? Tomorrow 6 PM game should be interesting with Moline with two Iowa recruits vs Wisconsin Lutheran and 2024 top 50 player in Kon Knueppel. Does anyone know much about him as the program states we are recruiting Kon along with MSU and others?

lose to NW on Saturday.

They are down to a walk on fourth string QB as their starter.

Cole Freeman from Summit (N.J.) Delbarton School (I mention this because BigWlll loves his Jersey players).

Apparently their first string starter, Ryan Hilinski (South Carolina transfer) blew out his knee last week. The second string QB, Brandon Sullivan, seemed concussed last week, but reports rolling around that he has a rib/sternum injury and done for the year. Their third string QB, Carl Richardson has been ineffective, prompting Fitzee to use Freeman as the best option to win yesterday against Purdue.

Freeman completed less than half his passes and threw for just 78 yards and ran for 18 more.

He also turned the ball over twice, on one interception and one fumble, on consecutive possessions in the third quarter. But Northwestern’s defense bailed him out both times with stops that kept Purdue off the scoreboard.

Then, on fourth-and-4 at the Purdue 43, he dropped back to pass but couldn’t find anyone open. He tried to run for daylight but was sacked by Jack Sullivan for a four-yard loss

Purdue should have won by another touchdown but LB Jalen Graham who intercepted Freeman's pass started high stepping 20 yards away from the endzone and the TD got called back for excessive celebration. Purdue's drive then faltered (kind of karma for them for refs doing them some favors last week against us.)

I know NW is a mess but save last year, Fitzee always has his team ready for us. 2019 still looms in my mind. I still think Lovie was treating it like an NFL game. We were already in a bowl game and to him, the outcome did not matter.

I hope Bret has us ready to play and the players' spirits aren't two deflated with all that's gone on in the last 3 weeks.

No TV.

Link: Streamed live on BTN+


• No. 16 Illinois plays its first home game in 11 days on Friday night, hosting Lindenwood (8 p.m. CT, B1G+).

• Brad Underwood is closing in on his 100th win at Illinois, two away from becoming the sixth head coach in school history to reach 100 wins.

• Reigning Big Ten Player of the Week Terrence Shannon Jr. leads the Fighting Illini, boasting averages of 21.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists. Shannon ranks 18th in the NCAA in scoring, and second among Big Ten players (Kris Murray, Iowa).

• Shannon is one of only two players in the country averaging at least 20 points, six rebounds and four assists (Elijah Pepper, UC Davis).

• Dain Dainja is one of the nation's most productive players off the bench, averaging 14.0 points and 7.6 rebounds in an average of just 18.7 minutes. He ranks third in the NCAA in field goal percentage at 80%.

• Dainja is the nation's only player averaging at least 12 points and six rebounds in less than 20 minutes per game.

• Illinois has seven newcomers among its current 9-man playing rotation, including four true freshmen.

• Illinois has climbed to No. 16 in this week's AP poll after debuting at No. 23 in the preseason rankings and moving to No. 19 last week. Brad Underwood has Illinois in the Top 25 for a fourth straight season after leading the program to a final AP ranking of No. 21 in 2020, No. 2 in 2021, and No. 19 in 2022.

• Illinois is a dramatically different team this season, welcoming three power-five transfers and a top-10 recruiting class to account for eight newcomers.

• Illinois must replace all five regular starters, its top five leading scorers, and a total of 10 players from last year's Big Ten champions. The Illini have lost 86% of its points, 80% of its rebounds, and 83% of its minutes played from a year ago.

• Illinois is the winningest team in the Big Ten over the last three seasons, registering a 44-16 mark in league play. The Illini won the regular season championship in 2022, led the conference in wins while adding a B1G Tournament crown in 2021, and finished one game back of the title in 2020.

SHANNON JR.'S B1G WEEK​

Terrence Shannon Jr. is the reigning Big Ten Player of the Week. He earned the award after averaging 22.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists while shooting 59.5% from the field and 56.5% from three. He had career and school-record performances while leading the No. 16 Fighting Illini to a 2-1 record on the week, including a top-10 victory.

Shannon began the week by setting a new career scoring high with 30 points in just 23 minutes in the blowout win over Monmouth, adding eight rebounds and four assists.

He then had arguably the signature performance of the early college basketball season, pouring in 29 points while tying the school record with eight 3-pointers in Illinois' comeback win over No. 8 UCLA in Las Vegas.

Shannon was on fire throughout the night, going 8-of-9 from downtown to become the sixth player in Illini history with eight made threes in a game. He also tallied his third career double-double – and first as an Illini – collecting a game-high 10 rebounds vs. UCLA to go with his 29 points.

Shannon finished the week by tying his career high with six assists and scoring nine points in the loss to No. 16 Virginia in the championship game of the Continental Tire Main Event.

Complete Illinois Game Notes (PDF)

Northwestern defensive coordinator Ryan Walters is largely considered the favorite. Walters played safety for the Buffaloes from 2004-08. If he somehow doesn't get the job, there is a long line of worthy contenders. Departed Auburn coach Bryan Harsin is interested, as is former Texas coach Tom Herman, former Virginia coach Bronco Mendenhall and Sacramento State coach Troy Taylor. Texas analyst and former TCU coach Gary Patterson is also interested in getting back in somewhere.