OT: Illinois|Northern Illinois|Northwestern| Thread

SportsWorld · Post #1 » by **SportsWorld** » Sat Sep 1, 2007 8:26 pm

Packers board has this for the Badgers so let's have one here.
Teams you can discuss here:
Northern Illinois
Illinois
Northwestern

Currently, Illinois is down 7-6 in St. Louis[/list]

Posey H8er · Post #2 » by **Posey H8er** » Sat Sep 1, 2007 11:35 pm

Illinois lost a heart breaker after Juice Williams was forced to leave with an injury.

SportsWorld · Post #3 » by **SportsWorld** » Sun Sep 2, 2007 12:08 am

Yeah a ton of our players went down today.
Hope Juice is alright.
I like our defense

Posey H8er · Post #4 » by **Posey H8er** » Sun Sep 2, 2007 12:29 am

Plus we have a lot of talent for the coming years. Benn seemed to fit in well.

WEFFPIM · Post #5 » by **WEFFPIM** » Sun Sep 2, 2007 4:24 am

NIU is going to sorely miss Garret Wolfe if today's game is any indication

SportsWorld · Post #6 » by **SportsWorld** » Sun Sep 2, 2007 5:03 am

I am not excited at all for Northwestern and NIU.
Illinois is a very exciting team that has potential to make a bowl game.

IlliniNRG · Post #7 » by **IlliniNRG** » Sun Sep 2, 2007 5:15 am

SportsWorld wrote:I am not excited at all for Northwestern and NIU.
Illinois is a very exciting team that has potential to make a bowl game.

I don't like their odds, honestly. Illinois' schedule is very tough this year (they miss MSU and Purdue), and they're still very young. I'm hoping for 5 wins, myself.

Posey H8er · Post #8 » by **Posey H8er** » Sun Sep 2, 2007 1:23 pm

5 wins would be an improvement. They have a nice freshman class that will make the Illini better in the next few years.

Rodanlee · Post #9 » by **Rodanlee** » Mon Sep 3, 2007 2:12 am

go CATS!!!! i'm from evanston so i'm a big NU fan, and they will go to a bowl game this year! their first 4 games are cakewalks so all they have to do is win two big ten games and that is a definite possibility

Sinistar6 · Post #10 » by **Sinistar6** » Thu Sep 6, 2007 9:04 pm

Actually Illinois vs NorthWestern is going to be huge for both teams.

IlliniNRG · Post #11 » by **IlliniNRG** » Sun Sep 9, 2007 2:46 am

It's a win for Illinois, but a pretty underwhelming one. McGee looks like a better passer than Juice right now, hands down.

SportsWorld · Post #12 » by **SportsWorld** » Sun Sep 9, 2007 4:23 am

3-3 for Illinois today.
Northwestern, Illinois, and NIU all win.

WEFFPIM · Post #13 » by **WEFFPIM** » Sun Sep 9, 2007 5:23 am

SportsWorld wrote:3-3 for Illinois today.
Northwestern, Illinois, and NIU all win.

Umm, NIU blew a 21 point lead and lost 34-31

SportsWorld · Post #14 » by **SportsWorld** » Sun Sep 9, 2007 5:28 am

willeatfire4playoffsinmil wrote:-= original quote snipped =-

Umm, NIU blew a 21 point lead and lost 34-31

Are you freaking joking me?
I thought that game was final, at least that is what it said on ESPN when I checked.

Post #15 » by **Icness** » Sun Sep 9, 2007 2:20 pm

Illinois is a much better team without Juice Williams. He's a great scrambler but you don't have to bother covering anyone because Williams will never find them--he's looking to run and can't throw accurately when he's moving. McGee isn't great but at least he keeps the DBs honest. Look at Juice yesterday--two jaw-dropping plays and the rest of the game he was holding the offense back with dumb mistakes, bad throws, and missed reads. I've only seen about 1/2 the game so far so maybe he got better but I doubt it.

J Leman is freaking tough, love that guy. I thought Martez Wilson looked real good too for a true frosh. This defense has great speed and fluidity of motion to it--guys know their assignments and adjust well to what is happening in front of them. Somebody has to get a pass rush going though or else the Missouri game is going to look real familiar all season long...

IlliniNRG · Post #16 » by **IlliniNRG** » Sun Sep 9, 2007 4:00 pm

Icness wrote:Illinois is a much better team without Juice Williams. He's a great scrambler but you don't have to bother covering anyone because Williams will never find them--he's looking to run and can't throw accurately when he's moving. McGee isn't great but at least he keeps the DBs honest. Look at Juice yesterday--two jaw-dropping plays and the rest of the game he was holding the offense back with dumb mistakes, bad throws, and missed reads. I've only seen about 1/2 the game so far so maybe he got better but I doubt it.

J Leman is freaking tough, love that guy. I thought Martez Wilson looked real good too for a true frosh. This defense has great speed and fluidity of motion to it--guys know their assignments and adjust well to what is happening in front of them. Somebody has to get a pass rush going though or else the Missouri game is going to look real familiar all season long...

Yeah, agree 100% with your Juice analysis. I've seen every Illinois game he's played in, and I don't understand the hype at all. He can run and he's got a helluva great arm, but what good is that if you have no touch and no accuracy? Illinois should be running Mendenhall 50% of the time, Dufrene 20% of the time, and McGee should be throwing 30%. McGee made his fair share of mistakes in the Missouri game, but it's not like Juice plays it safe either.

Leman is definitely tough. IIRC, he wasn't much of a recruit coming out of high school. He had some issue with one leg being longer than the other, and a high ankle sprain last year he was fighting. Kid just busts his ass.

I think the pass rush will come around once the freshmen on the line start getting more experience. The rest of the guys do not impress me one iota.

SportsWorld · Post #17 » by **SportsWorld** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 4:41 am

Pathetic day for Illinois college football.
Northern Illinois loses to some Eastern Michigan.
Northwestern loses to Duke.
Good news is Illinois beat Syracuse.

NoSkyy · Post #18 » by **NoSkyy** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 5:27 am

Good news for NIU though, Demetrius Jones just transferred from Norte Dame.

WEFFPIM · Post #19 » by **WEFFPIM** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 6:46 am

NoSkyy wrote:Good news for NIU though, Demetrius Jones just transferred from Norte Dame.

Hooray for some silver lining, because that game today was brutal to watch in the second half.

SportsWorld · Post #20 » by **SportsWorld** » Sat Oct 6, 2007 7:32 pm

Illinois upset Penn State last week and they upset #5 Wisconsin this week!
Illinois should be ranked for the first time in 6 years!