Illinois blogger predicts they will beat Michigan on 10/12/19
Edit: Sorry if already posted
Robert (@aLionEye), longtime Illini blogger and who Brian once called "the world's most dedicated Illini fan," has been pumping one day that Illinois football will return to glory: October 12, 2019. That's the day he says Illinois will beat Michigan.
Of course, this piqued my interest, and I enjoy reading Big Ten blogs, so I thought I'd find out more about it. Well, turns out this gentlemen is pretty damn obsessed with the 2019 game against Michigan. (Should we really be that surprised?)
From what I can gather, it started from a mailbag post:
@ALionEye How long before College Game Day comes to Illinois.
— Kevin Butcher (@KevinAButcher) March 8, 2016
Pretty sure I have this one already picked out: Saturday, October 12, 2019 vs. Michigan.
Why so long in the future? Well, Gameday only goes to 12 spots every year and we're just not going to be that relevant yet. Perhaps it could happen in the 2018 season, but the home schedule that year (Kent State, WIU, South Florida, Penn State, Purdue, Minnesota, Iowa) doesn't really scream "big matchup that brings Gameday to town".
So get your tickets now for October 12, 2019. Illinois will be 5-0 (beat Akron, UConn, Eastern Michigan, Nebraska, and Minnesota). Michigan will be 5-0 (probably). Night game (I'll demand it). The demons of 2000 swirling around the stadium. And then...
Our Moment.
He has reiterated it again:
Instead, when we take the field on October 12, 2019 against Michigan and exorcise the demons of September 2000, Jamal Milan will take the field as the gigantic anchor in the center of the defense.
And again:
Which means I'm back to October 12, 2019. Our next game against Michigan. At home. At night (it better be at night). When New Illinois takes on Old Michigan.
Between this Michigan game and that Michigan game, we're going to see maybe 75 repairs. A freshman will start at some position next year, and then another new freshman will win that same spot in 2018. Lots of data points, no real turning points.
Until October 12, 2019, of course. Which I've already overhyped. But really, that's the moment.
October 12, 2019.
He repeats it all the time on his twitter feed, and says it every night before he goes to bed.
October 12, 2019. Now a scant 743 days away! https://t.co/kMMUaiaRpK
— Robert (@ALionEye) September 30, 2017
Save the date, I guess.
September 30th, 2017 at 10:55 AM ^
Although Carol Burnette coming down the stairs with a curtain rod on her shoulders is the all time champion. (For you young-uns, google Went with the Wind.)
September 30th, 2017 at 12:30 AM ^
September 30th, 2017 at 12:43 AM ^
Bleed on us?
/Python'd
September 30th, 2017 at 1:00 AM ^
September 30th, 2017 at 1:03 AM ^
Just needs a real life friend.
September 30th, 2017 at 7:39 AM ^
September 30th, 2017 at 1:04 AM ^
September 30th, 2017 at 1:05 AM ^
September 30th, 2017 at 1:32 AM ^
September 30th, 2017 at 2:41 AM ^
They don't really care about that game. But they all own "MUCK FICHIGAN" shirts.
September 30th, 2017 at 6:56 AM ^
September 30th, 2017 at 1:08 AM ^
I can't choose my favorite part about this post. Is it:
A) Someone predicting a win two years in advance
B) A rival fan actively searching out and finding this prediction
C) Posting it like bulletin board material for rival fans two years in advance
D) Starting the post with "Sorry if already posted"
September 30th, 2017 at 1:35 AM ^
If Michigan does not win on that day, Illinois certainly will.
September 30th, 2017 at 3:31 AM ^
everyone will remember what you said.
September 30th, 2017 at 9:05 AM ^
September 30th, 2017 at 1:40 AM ^
September 30th, 2017 at 1:44 AM ^
Don't forget the Kool-Aid.
September 30th, 2017 at 1:51 AM ^
September 30th, 2017 at 1:52 AM ^
September 30th, 2017 at 2:20 AM ^
September 30th, 2017 at 2:39 AM ^
He means basketball?! Right?!
September 30th, 2017 at 2:42 AM ^
September 30th, 2017 at 6:08 AM ^
It does seem to me they should have gotten over it by now
Just reading through this thread people still bring up the 2010 contest against Illinois, a game in which we won, and many people on this blog are clearly still not over it. That was seven years and two regime changes since.
There are just too many games both for good and bad that most fan bases will never get over.
September 30th, 2017 at 2:45 AM ^
September 30th, 2017 at 2:51 AM ^
September 30th, 2017 at 7:47 AM ^
September 30th, 2017 at 3:03 AM ^
It's hard to have any feeling other than pity for a fan of a team that just lost at home by three touchdowns to a Mike Riley coached Nebraska team.
September 30th, 2017 at 3:46 AM ^
September 30th, 2017 at 3:58 AM ^
I noticed that ALionEye predicts an Illinois victory.
It doesn't say anything about him betting a lot of money on an Illinois victory.
Anyway, I don't see the point of kicking Illinois or Rutgers, etc. They are overmatched and outclassed. There's no reason they shouldn't try to generate some optimism and give it the old college try.
Let's win the game of course. But there's nothing to be gained by insulting their honest (though generally futile) effort.
I like coach Harbaugh's approach. He rips into some screwball coaches and incompetent referees, but he doesn't disrespect any university or their team.
September 30th, 2017 at 5:52 AM ^
It goes both ways as demonstrated by Alioneye and the OP. That's what makes college football so great.
Each side has varying degrees of fanaticism, some good some over the top. No harm in either the Illini fan or the OP, IMHO.
September 30th, 2017 at 6:27 AM ^
Good for him to be optimistic but that program is, as Chris Fowler would say..... not good
It would help the B1G if they could do well but it won’t happen with Lovie. Nor do I see them firing him (can’t afford to pay two coaches). It will take a lot longer than two years for them to fix things there.
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
September 30th, 2017 at 7:08 AM ^
September 30th, 2017 at 7:16 AM ^
September 30th, 2017 at 7:43 AM ^
September 30th, 2017 at 7:55 AM ^
September 30th, 2017 at 8:02 AM ^
Lovie is going to need quite a bit of time just to get that program to respectability. Never mind contending for championships. Even just being a regular 7-5 to 8-4 team.
September 30th, 2017 at 8:03 AM ^
September 30th, 2017 at 8:29 AM ^
September 30th, 2017 at 9:08 AM ^
September 30th, 2017 at 8:51 AM ^
September 30th, 2017 at 9:08 AM ^
September 30th, 2017 at 9:19 AM ^
September 30th, 2017 at 9:29 AM ^
September 30th, 2017 at 10:00 AM ^
Was it 2000 the year Illinois got robbed. One of the worse officiated games ever, except for the Nebraska bowl game. How time flies.
September 30th, 2017 at 10:06 AM ^
on Oct 2019.
September 30th, 2017 at 10:17 AM ^
September 30th, 2017 at 10:18 AM ^
Is that all of our freshmen and sophomores right now will be juniors and seniors that year. If that 2019 team doesn't win the Natty, it'll never happen. Illinois and most other teams will be roadkill. Notre Dame, MSU, OSU will all be at home.
September 30th, 2017 at 10:32 AM ^
it must suck to be an illinois person