Well here we are, another season is upon us!
This is how the TCR team is going for the orange-blues this year:
Ethan Holesha: 6-6, winning Quick Lane Bowl (Detroit Bowl)
Another year of having to stay afloat to stay at .500. But even in a somehow even more competitive Big Ten, the Illini will get their first bowl win in the Bret Bielema era. I believe Altmyer will struggle again, losing his starting spot to Donovan Leary just past the halfway point of the season. On the other hand, Kaden Feagin will have a stellar season and be named to the Big Ten Honorable Mention team. The defensive line will take a big hit, losing Johnny Newton and Keith Randolph Jr., but Seth Coleman and Gabe Jacas will have all-conference seasons. At first glance, it looks like the Illini could win most of these games. But Illinois will find a way to lose a few winnable games down the stretch. However, I think the Illini will get revenge on Ryan Walters with a win over Purdue. I also see the Orange and Blue getting a win over Nebraska this time around. However, I see losses to Michigan State and Rutgers. On the bright side, the Land of Lincoln trophy will return to Champaign if the Wildcats win in the final game of the regular season. And finally, I think Illinois will win a bowl game for the first time since 2011.
Idrees Kudaimi: 8-4, Music City Bowl
I’m going full-on this season. The 8-4 projection implies the Fighting Illini win every game that’s not yet decided, but it’s really not far-fetched that they win every game except against Michigan, @Oregon and @Penn State. I also think they lose to Kansas, but they could beat any team on their schedule that isn’t ranked. I believe Luke Altmyer will make a jump, and he has the weapons to do it. Kaden Feagin has now had a full season as a Big Ten RB. The WR group is strong between Zakhari Franklin, Pat Bryant, Mario Sanders and Malik Elzy. That makes up for the injury to TE Cole Rusk. The OL has a couple of strong transfer additions and should be better. The DL won’t be as good as it was with the Law Firm, but improvements in the back 7 should make up for that. Finally, the edge-rush duo of Seth Coleman and Gabe Jacas are almost as good as any in the Big Ten. If they can pressure opposing quarterbacks and the line can protect Altmyer better than it did last season, Illinois can easily finish in the top half of the new Big Ten, and maybe even sneak into the top third.
Brad Repplinger: 6-6, 3-3 in 1-possession games
At 8-19, Vegas has pegged Illinois’ regular season win total at a sickening 5.5 games. KFord also released a breakdown of one-possession games, with Illinois set to play in 6 according to their metric. With a veteran quarterback, plenty of depth at the running back and wide receiver positions, and a year of experience with Aaron Henry’s defense, I’m hoping for at least 3 double-digit wins and an even split of one-score games expected. See you at Yankee Stadium with 6 wins under our belt. Bring a jacket…
Mihir Chavan: 4-8 (2-7)
I know that’s huge, I usually always drink the Kool-Aid so that’s pretty big for me. There just isn’t an it factor on this team in a league with it factors that you need to win games. We don’t have a single guy on either side of the ball that we can rely on and say “we’ll win games with this guy.” Zakhari Franklin, Seth Coleman, Gabe Jacas, Pat Bryant, Luke Altmyer, Dylan Roziek, Matthew Bailey and Kaden Feagin all have a chance to be great but a lot is uncertain. There’s also no it factor in coaching. Bielema has lost his shine after 3 years, Aaron Henry isn’t the next Ryan Walters, Barry Lunney Jr. has his guy in Franklin but his offenses were anemic at Illinois. I need that it factor on this team to step up and prove me wrong.
Matt Rejc: 4-8 (2-7)
I’m not going to make another bullet list this year, but there are a lot of questions on both sides of the ball: Can Altmyer and Feagin stay healthy? Will Aaron Henry’s defense take a step forward? How will the new-look O-line perform? More questions often (but not always) mean more problems during the season. Combine those questions with one of the most brutal schedules the Illini have faced this decade, and the recipe for a disappointing season is ready. A bowl game isn’t out of the question, but it would require a herculean effort from the team and it would also mean a lot of things going right at the end that we can’t say much about right now. I see potential conference wins against Minnesota and Michigan State, but I wouldn’t be at all shocked if the Illini lose one or both of those games and then knock off at least one opponent they’re not expected to beat (like PSU in 2021).
Please Honeywood: 5-7 (3-6)
So that was a tough game. There are a lot of exciting games on the schedule this season. This team will likely be 3-9, 5-7 or 8-4. Why? Luke Altmyer could be significantly better in year two. A good year from Kaden Feagin and Aidan Laughery could lead to an explosive running game. New additions Zakhari Franklin and JC Davis at key positions give the offense real difference-maker players. The offensive line brings back a ton of talent and potential to give Altmyer, who has often struggled with turnovers due to pressure, better shooting opportunities. This season, however, will be decided on a knife edge. Without Newton and Randolph, who will make the crucial third-down stops in close games? Without Casey Washington, who will be the one to move the sticks in close games? Without John Paddock, who will rally the team and inspire them to excel if that’s the only legitimate path forward? Given this multitude of question marks, I cannot predict anything great or tragic.
Kyle Tausk: 5-7 (3-6 Big Ten)
Unfortunately, a very familiar record. Ultimately, I think this year’s schedule combined with the lack of truly impactful talent on this Illini roster results in them once again narrowly missing out on a bowl spot. While I believe Illinois has plenty of quality Big Ten players, I just don’t see the critical players I believe are necessary to succeed in the new Big Ten. I think the offense will be entertaining led by Luke Altmyer and a solid group of weapons, and I’m buying ALL available Kaden Feagin stock. My main concern is defense, particularly against the run, where I think Illinois will likely get scraped all season against a number of teams with strong running attacks. If there’s one thing Bret Bielema has shown in his first three seasons, it’s that Illinois will more often than not end up in close, contested games, and I think that continues in 2024. But with four ranked teams on the schedule and a few more tough road games, I have a hard time making bowl eligibility with this group.
