My Look at the Season... Beatles Style!

Week 1- Missouri- "Hold Me Tight": This one left us all feeling a little bit discouraged and, let's face it, needing a nice big hug. I can't stress this enough though, don't give up on this team. I watched them practice and know that they can do much better.

Week 2- Illinois State- "Fixing a Hole": The timing of this game is good. We need to go out against the Redbirds and work on the little things that make a team run. Angles taken by the safeties when covering a man, the existence of the long pass, and a boost in effort are all things Illini fans want to see improved against ISU.

Week 3- Off- "Come Together": The amount of preparation and unity displayed by the team this week is key. The Illini have a long haul ahead of themselves, and coming into it from a bye week can be a positive or a negative. If we study film, work together, and build a sense of pride; the Illini will be ready to take on their rough start to the Big Ten schedule.

Week 4- at Ohio State- "Carry That Weight": And so it begins... The three game stretch of Ohio State, Penn State, and Michigan State seems like a bad way to start the Big Ten... and maybe it is. If we lose the first two by a lot, how much confidence will this team have going into Michigan State? On the other hand, if we win even one of the first two games, we then come into a sold out home game against MSU with some momentum; well, that might just be the launch to a 2-1 start and a favorable remaining conference schedule. Can the Illini contain Terelle Pryor? There are a lot of new faces on this Buckeye team, but we all know that coach Jim Tressel recruits with the best.

Week 5- Penn State- "With a Little Help from my Friends": This will not be the type of game where one guy has a great day, and it is enough to get us a win. Juice and Benn are going to need every piece of the offense to work in order to conquer the mighty Nittany Lions' defense. Linebacker Sean Lee is back after missing last season with a leg injury and is ready to show the country that he is another elite talent for the PSU defense. Once again, this is a home game, in front of a sold out crowd, versus a Big Ten title contender... anything can happen when you play to your full potential.

Week 6- Michigan State- "Here Comes the Sun": Depending on what has transpired in the weeks before, this might be the biggest game of the season. Let's say the Illini beat two out of the first three Big Ten opponents... not many people will be complaining about the Missouri game. MSU has two of the best freshman running backs in the country in Larry Caper and Caulton Ray. Neither of them reach 6 feet, but both pack a punch with the former at 215 lbs., and the later at 198 lbs. MSU is going with Kirk Cousins at quarterback, and we will have to see if he lasts long enough over Keith Nichol to start against Illinois. Cousins looked solid against Montana State... but I mean it was Montana State...

Week 7- at Indiana- "You Can't Do That": This is a must win for the Illini. I remember losing to these guys on a last second Austin Starr field goal a couple of years back, and since that day I have decided that beating Indiana is a MUST every year. The Hoosiers are playing the schedule game, and it just may pay off. With all four non-conference games being played in the first six weeks against the likes of Eastern Kentucky, Western Michigan, Akron, and Virginia (who lost this week to the College of William and Mary), Indiana may be riding some confidence. I assume they will lose to OSU, and the Michigan game will be a tough win... but really they could be any where from 5-1 to 2-4. No matter what their record is, the team needs to not overlook this game.

Week 8- at Purdue- "Happiness is a Warm Gun": This one could be a shoot-out. A 234-yard game against Toledo has people asking themselves, "Just how good is (Purdue running back) Ralph Bolden?" The sophomore had only a 1.8 yards per carry average last year before exploding with 21 carries and an incredible 11.1 yards per carry the opening week. Both teams should score in this game. If the Illini are going to win in West Lafayette, the fireworks need to be going off.

Week 9- Michigan- "Rocky Raccoon": Rich Rodriguez has plenty of Michigan fans and donors questioning the state of the program. A maize and blue fan will be quick to remind you that they are the all-time winningest program... And you will be quick to remind them, not so much lately. After losing the most games in a season, ever, for the Wolverines, UM fans are looking for a noticeable improvement. True freshman quarterback Tate Forcier looked poised against Western Michigan. His counterpart Tim Hillier went into the match up as the more touted quarterback. Michigan did a great job of shutting down the running game though, holding the Broncos to only 38 yards on the ground. Illinois can win this game again, this time at home. I would guess that at some point this season things stop seeming so easy for Forcier, and at that point we will see what we have with this Michigan team.

Week 10- Minnesota- "Getting Better": Tim Brewster has improved this Minnesota team by leaps and bounds in a very short amount of time. However, I think Gopher fans were expecting a little bit more from their guys against Syracuse in week one. If I had had to guess, I would have said Minnesota was going to walk on doormat Syracuse. Junior quarterback Adam Weber has worked his way up into the discussion for top signal caller in the Big Ten. Looking at his stats in week one would fool you though. Only 19-42, Weber put up 248 yards and 183 (or 74%) of them went to star wide receiver Eric Decker. Air Force put up 72 unanswered points in their opener, so let's see who wins this week two match up. I think that Illinois is the better team, and I think we are upset that we lost at home to the Gophers last year. Playing in Minnesota's brand new outdoor stadium, I think the Illini get the win.

Week 11- Northwestern- "I Me Mine": The game with Northwestern really needs to be about pride. This is a state rivalry, and any team should be fired up to play in one of those. The staff has spoken about shutting down the borders when it comes to recruiting. The mentality here needs to be that this is our state, this is our game to win. If you truly want to convince recruits that you are the top program in the state, then you need to show it on the field. The Northwestern offense was very balanced in a Week 1 blow out of Towson. Again, it's hard to take a whole lot from a game against such an inferior foe, so it will be a while until we know what the Wildcats are all about. They win my award, by the way, for the best cupcake schedule... Towson, Eastern Michigan, Syracuse, and Miami (OH)... yawn.

Week 12- Off- "Golden Slumbers": This will be a much needed rest for the Illini. By this point, we will be done competing for the Big Ten title. The remainder of the season may just be an annoying after thought, or it could be a fight for bowl position. I would like to think that the team I watched in practice all of those times will emerge, and we will be playing our way to a warm climate.

Week 13- Cincinnati- "It's All Too Much": Brian Kelly has done amazing things in Cincy, and I would consider the Bearcats one of the most improved teams in the country over the last few years. Not too many fans love the idea of playing both Mizzou and Cincinnati in the same non-conference schedule. I think we can win this game, but in reality I'm not counting on it. I think Tony Pike is a hell of a quarterback and that he has the weapons around him to lead his team to a great offensive season. They absolutely destroyed Rutgers in the first week. I predict Cincinnati to win the Big East and play in another BCS bowl.

Week 14- Fresno State- "Hey Bulldog": Fresno State may play in the WAC, but they will be plenty battle tested for this match up. Right off the bat, the Bulldogs play Wisconsin, Boise State, and Cincinnati in the first four weeks. We all know that this team has played the role of giant killer in the past. No more are the days that this team will sneak up on you. If the season is still rocky by this point, the guys from California will beat an non-unified Illini team. If we are fighting hard for a good bowl spot, I expect this to be a good win. It will be Juice Williams', Doug Pilcher's, Jeff Cumberland's, Danial Dufrene's, and probably Rejus Benn's last games at Memorial Stadium... If that doesn't pump the guys up, not much will.