Woodcock: Illini in a must-win situation with Minnesota

BleedGopher

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per Woodcock:

Now we are going up against a Minnesota team we punished in 2018. We travel to the Golden Gophers this season, though. This still should be a win. If we can get to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in the Big Ten, there would still be hope of getting to a bowl game. We would just need three more wins, but where are those wins?

I would say at Purdue and home against Rutgers and Northwestern would be the three games Illinois could win, in addition to Minnesota, that would make us bowl eligible. This would be a huge step forward for the program. The other four games on the schedule are all against ranked opponents. It might be too much to ask for the Illini to knock off one of those teams.

Overall, this weekend is big for the Orange and Blue. A victory would show the Illini fanbase that this program continues to head in the right direction. We are so close to being 4-0 this season. Let’s show the world that the close game against Nebraska wasn’t a fluke. Let’s show people that this team is ready to be a solid contender in the Big Ten.

https://writingillini.com/2019/09/30/illinois-football-illini-must-win-situation-minnesota/

Go Gophers!!
 

The truth is the Illinois, Purdue, and Minnesota's of the B1G West have always had "must win" games vs each other (Northwestern fades in and out of that group too depending on the year).

All those teams look forward to those games to get their most likely B1G wins, show signs of growth, etc.
 

I mean, not saying that we don’t have skeletons in the closet, but this is a fairly bold take coming from a guy whose team lost to a bad EMU team. Can’t just hit replay on last year’s game. I got to say I’m glad they are opting to play a non-running QB, though.
 

"still should be a win" ....... on the road at a Big Ten team's homecoming, for a program that has averaged 3 total wins per season under Lovie the past three years, and is currently 2-2 with wins over Akron and UConn and losses to E Michigan and Nebraska. Hmmmm...


I'll grant you: the Nebraska game was close in score (didn't watch or check it out, so maybe the final score was misleading), and they had a week off to prepare for us and figure out Rossi's defense.


That said, I still think that comment is laughable. And then that said .... this still feels, miserably, like a classic situation in which the Gophers would lose. Please, please, don't.
 

Slab of Bacon said it best...Minnesota is probably one of the only Big Ten games that a team like Illinois can look to for a possible win. If you can't be optimistic about a game what fun is it being a fan. I don't blame them at all for looking at us as a possible win. The boys better be fired up Saturday because Illinois will be looking hard for a victory.
 


per Woodcock:

Now we are going up against a Minnesota team we punished in 2018. We travel to the Golden Gophers this season, though. This still should be a win. If we can get to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in the Big Ten, there would still be hope of getting to a bowl game. We would just need three more wins, but where are those wins?

I would say at Purdue and home against Rutgers and Northwestern would be the three games Illinois could win, in addition to Minnesota, that would make us bowl eligible. This would be a huge step forward for the program. The other four games on the schedule are all against ranked opponents. It might be too much to ask for the Illini to knock off one of those teams.

Overall, this weekend is big for the Orange and Blue. A victory would show the Illini fanbase that this program continues to head in the right direction. We are so close to being 4-0 this season. Let’s show the world that the close game against Nebraska wasn’t a fluke. Let’s show people that this team is ready to be a solid contender in the Big Ten.

https://writingillini.com/2019/09/30/illinois-football-illini-must-win-situation-minnesota/

Go Gophers!!

Holy wowzers. If Illinois wins more than ONE of those four games (at MN, at Purdue, home against Rutgers and Northwestern), I would be absolutely shocked.

This could be about the most delusional take I've seen in a long time.
 

They should beat Rutgers.

That's the only should.
 

seems like people are confusing the definition of "should" and "could" and that includes "Woodcock" - whoever that is.
 





"still should be a win" ....... on the road at a Big Ten team's homecoming, for a program that has averaged 3 total wins per season under Lovie the past three years, and is currently 2-2 with wins over Akron and UConn and losses to E Michigan and Nebraska. Hmmmm...


I'll grant you: the Nebraska game was close in score (didn't watch or check it out, so maybe the final score was misleading), and they had a week off to prepare for us and figure out Rossi's defense.


That said, I still think that comment is laughable. And then that said .... this still feels, miserably, like a classic situation in which the Gophers would lose. Please, please, don't.

Nebraska lost 4 fumbles to Illinois 1 turnover. Neb had almost double the TOP and racked up 673 yards to Illinois' 299.
 

Illinois stampeded us last year. I think we're better than they are, but I thought so last year, too. And the Gopher defense didn't provide much confidence last week. I expect to be nervous in the fourth quarter.
 




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