Your Predictions for Michigan v. Illinois

I have to say that Illinois has struggled in the games against the same teams that we put away.  I think Michigan is the stronger team.  Michigan's offense is the difference in this one.  30-17 FTW.

over them.  38-17.

Mich 28-24

This will be a close, lower-scoring game than pointgasm last year.  I'm thinking 24-17, probably UM.  It will definitely be a rock fight, though.  

This game is going to be much different than any other game this year.  Michigan is going to come out hot and score 14 quick points on the Illini, taking their fans momentarily out of the game.  Neither team will do much in the second quarter, with M going in with a halftime lead of 14-3.

The Illini come out and punch Michigan in the mouth on their opening drive and Michigan continues to struggle having consistent drives.  The Illini eventually take the lead 17-14 in the early 4th quarter.  Michigan puts together a drive that makes every one of us scream "Y U NO DO THAT THE WHOLE GAME" and we score the game winning TD, winning 21-17.

We don't miss a beat this week. 35-14 M

Michigan 28 - - -Illinois 24

M-41

ILL-6

Nothing concrete to base this off of other than good old hope and optimism. 

Our mind-blowingly terrible turnovers plus this game being on the road in bad conditions tells me this game is going to play out identically to MSU and Iowa until they can prove different.

UM 17 - Illinois 31

Yesterday I said Michigan wins 35-14 but that was before I heard anything about weather factors.  I am changing my prediction Michigan winning the game 24-16

Sloppy on offense early for us, but we pull it out. 31-27 M.

Our edge problems continue and allow at least two big runs to their option attack.  Denard continues to struggle, especially with the wind and throws at least 2 more picks.  We put in NASCAR again in the fourth quarter to get back in it, but fall short aganist the Fighting Zooks 20-14. 

and Michigan uses 3+ Illinois turnovers and beats the Fighting Zooks, 31-20.

Pain?

Wolverines: 31

Illinois: 28

Gibbons with the last second FG to win the game on the road.

Michigan wins, 25-24.

Houses a return. That's the difference.

M 17, Ill 16

Michigan-17
Illinois-27

Illinois gets Wisc at home next and then goes to Minn. so this kind of feels like a "last ditch effort at a home win" game, so iLL will have big effort, whereas UM is on the road playing the game before the game before THE GAME.

Illinois 27 UM 23

So, my predictions for the Purdue game ("would be low scoring defensive struggle coming down to which team makes the least mistakes") and Iowa game ("we'll get up by big lead forcing them to abandon the run, and we win 45-17") both proved that I have exact knowledge of what will happen because I can forsee the exact opposite of what will happen.

Thus, my official prediction for the Illinois game is:  They crush us by like 30 points, we suck, Denard shouldn't be a QB, Martin and RVB both shake in fear of the Illini run game and will be replaced full-time by walkons, and our frosh CB should stop tweeting Diggs b/c he has no future in this program as the Illini will expose him to be the fraud he is.  That's my official prediction.  Yup.

Y'all can thank me after the game.

UM 19 Illinois 14

Michigan 20 Illiniois 16.  

We actually know how to play defense now! The Illini struggle against good defenses.

O$U: #14 scoring D, held them to 7 points

Paterno State Univ: #3 scoring D, held them to 7 points

We have the #10 scoring defense. I think we have a turnover or two that gives them a short field and they score more against us than they have against other top defenses. Our offense is probably most similar to the Northwestern one the Illini faced earlier this year. The Cats put up 35 points on the Illini.

Michigan 30, Illinois 17

M 31 - Illini 17

4-3, mike Martin ftw

This is going to be another defensive struggle that will probably be decided on a break. I give Ill a slight edge but only because they're at home. I would not be surprised at all if we win, but I would be surprised if the final margin either way is more than 8 points or if the total points exceed 40.

35-21 Illini. Our road woes continue

... Illinois 24 Michigan 14.  We get down early, show hopes of coming back, fall short...  This sounds familiar.  

M sluggish to start game.  Late rally insufficient.  M struggles on 3rd down and long at least 3 times to keep long scoring drives alive.  Sheelhaase and Jenkins will have two big plays each.  Ford will look good off tackle early (will have 70-plus yards rushing in first half) and will be ineffective in second half with Illinois up 17, but will still average over 4.5 yards per carry and will top 100 yards.   Offensively, same script.  Move ball at times.  Denard refuses to scramble.  Two key drops and one key turnover in redzone keeps M down at least two scores until near the end of 3rd quarter. 

I felt much better about Iowa last week and in decent weather conditions, that didnt work out so well.  Feel much worse going in about this game.  This team really struggles on the road.

Michigan 67, Illinois 65.

1st Quarter:

• Illinois scores on their first drive thanks to blown contain on the edge inside the redzone.
• Michigan comes out flat, per usual, but manages a field goal late

2nd Quarter

• Illini score a touchdown early thanks to a 20 yrd catch by jenkins (and more than a little help from Floyd's inability to cover not Cunningham/Floyd/McNutt.
• Critical stop by the defense on 3rd and short at the Michigan 30, Zook punts despite having a great kicker, several fans heads explode.
• Michigan's offense, bolstered by the defensive stop starts to find a rhythm behind Denard and Fitz - Scores touchdown with ~ 3 minutes left in the half
• Defense bends but doesn't break - score at half 14-10 Illinois

3rd Quarter

• Michigan comes out swinging on offense, scores touchdown on Denard's legs thanks to a broken play that goes for 35 yards.
• Illinois answers with a methodical drive, taking ~6 minutes off the clock.
• Martin and RVB BEASTMODE ENGAGE! Illini lose 2 TO's thanks to aforementioned BEASTMODE! but Michigan doesn't convert and Denard throws a mindblowing interception to tacopants.

4th Quarter

• Gallon Clocking Device Activation results in a Michigan touchdown.
• Wheels fall off of Illini offense and Scheelhaase is sacked 3 more times.
• Gardner arm punts with ~4 minutes left, but Illinois can't capitalize.

Final Score: 24-21 Michigan

One more overtime than last year which is 13 if my math is correct.

As much as I want to say we will lose this game, Illinois is prone to turn the ball over. They have athletes, yes, but they are not disciplined in any aspect of the game. Kovacs gets an INT, big sack. Gordon forces a fumble. Countess gets a pick too. I pray they let Denard loose on the ground and run a lot of misdirection with Smith and Toussaint. 38-31 Michigan

Michigan 67-Illinois -63

will be a big one in this game....I want to see Odoms bust one, everytime I see him he is sooo close. 

No predicting any score.    Worried about this one though.

Michigan 31

Illinois 14

Michigan wins, 35-10.

holds AJ to zero catches. 
Meanwhile JT Floyd gives up 7 catches for 110 yards and two td's while attempting to cover AJ.  Michigan lets Scheelhasse run wild in the first half and containing him in the second half.  Michigan wins a close one 17-16