Right now Illinois is about as enticing an opponent as the fifth mega-platter of a bottomless appetizer sampler. Sure, it sounded like a good idea once upon a time, but now I'm looking up the nutritional value of the bullet that's about to be blasted through my skull.
Still, we should be thankful — 'tis the season, after all — Illinois comes when it does. Ohio State's QB hasn't played in two weeks, and the schedule is about to get real hectic starting next week.
Urban Meyer said how his team handles this game will be a barometer on its leadership. It's easy to see why; it's an 11 a.m. local kickoff in a non-Chicago part of Illinois. Not exactly utopia for college kids.
As for the rest of the day's slate, well...
| TIME (ET) | GAME | FAVORITE | TELEVISION |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 | No. 11 FLORIDA AT SOUTH CAROLINA | UF (-8) | ESPN |
| 12:00 | KANSAS at No. 15 TEXAS CHRISTIAN | TCU (-45) | FS1 |
| 12:00 | MARYLAND at No. 13 MICHIGAN STATE | MSU (-15½) | ESPN2 |
| 12:00 | PURDUE at No. 18 NORTHWESTERN | NU (-15) | BTN |
| 12:30 | NORTH CAROLINA STATE at No. 16 FLORIDA STATE | FSU (-9½) | ESPN3 |
| 3:30 | MIAMI at No. 24 NORTH CAROLINA | UNC (-13) | ESPNU |
| 3:30 | WAKE FOREST at No. 4 NOTRE DAME | ND (-27½) | NBC |
| 3:30 | No. 1 CLEMSON at SYRACUSE | CLEM (-29½) | ESPN2 |
| 3:30 | No. 2 ALABAMA at No. 17 MISSISSIPPI STATE | BAMA (-8) | CBS |
| 3:30 | No. 8 OKLAHOMA STATE at IOWA STATE | OSU (-14) | ESPN |
| 3:30 | No. 14 MICHIGAN at INDIANA | UM (-13½) | ABC |
| 3:30 | SOUTHERN METHODIST at No. 20 NAVY | NAVY (-21½) | CBSSN |
| 7:00 | No. 22 TEMPLE at SOUTH FLORIDA | TEM (2½) | CBSSN |
| 7:00 | No. 21 MEMPHIS at No. 24 HOUSTON | UH (-7) | ESPN2 |
| 7:15 | ARKANSAS at No. 9 LOUISIANA STATE | LSU (-7½) | ESPN |
| 7:30 | OREGON at No. 7 STANFORD | STAN (-10) | FOX |
| 8:00 | No. 12 OKLAHOMA at No. 6 BAYLOR | BU (-3) | ABC |
| 8:00 | MINNESOTA at No. 5 UNDEFEATED IOWA | IOWA (-9½) | BTN |
| 10:45 | WASHINGTON STATE at No. 19 UCLA | UCLA (-10) | ESPN |
My (4-7) underdog money line pick of the week: Oklahoma.
THE ILLINI DOSSIER. Here's everything you need to know about today's opponent, Illinois:
- Preview.
- Mailbag.
- Roundtable, featuring Birm, Mike and Vico.
- Trailer.
- Film Study: Stopping the receiving threat of Illini RB Josh Ferguson.
- Game poster.
- The Grind: The End of the Beginning. (Ramzy's latest.)
REMEMBER REMEMBER THE SEVENTH OF SEPTEMBER. Senior Illini WR Justin Hardee, like you, watched No. 1 Ohio State vs. Virginia Tech on Labor Day. Unlike you, he looked into the stars and foresaw future results:
We'll be the ones that upset them this year
— Justin Hardee (@jhardee_19) September 8, 2015
Bold prophecy, Rasputin. Let's see how it plays out.
#PERTINENTHEISENBERG. This week's clip features Saul Goodman, who, much like Illinois football, is a joke.
THOSE WMDs. The life and times of Strider Wolf... The life of a West Texas oilfield worker... In a unit stalked by suicide, veterans try to save one another... Asteroid hunters... Lure of luxury.
