GBMWolverine Staff Predictions: Michigan at Illinois

Posted at 7:00am — 11/12/2011

GBMWolverine Staff Predictions: Michigan at Illinois

After reading our predictions for the Illinois game come to our message board and make your prediction and comment on what you believe will happen Saturday afternoon.

CoachBt:

Mobile QB with our/Michigan’s lack of athetic ability on defense scares me to death.

Still think Michigan holds on for win.

Michigan 28
Illinois 24

Doc4Blu:

The Illinois and Michigan matchup is intriguing. The match-up is even with Illinois enjoying the valued home field edge. The Michigan offense against the Illinois defense may decide the game. The Michigan offense must be better prepared and execute much better than last week. Michigan still needs to kick the door down against a good defense, and Illinois is a good defense. The view here is that the Michigan defense can hang with the Illinois offense, assuming the team can hold down the production of some talented big play guys. Illinois will probably try and hit the edge, the jury is out on how much the Illini can control the edge. Scrambles on third down could kill Michigan and so the defense needs to gain the edge in pressure.

All in all, simple things like turnovers or one big play may make the difference. Illinois is capable of creating mistakes for opposing offenses and Michigan cannot afford the recent legacy of offensive blunders.

To me the Iowa game was not hard to pick. This game is more difficult.

Michigan 21
Illinois 17

ErocWolverine:

Which Michigan team will show up this week?

The one that has struggled on the road and along with having turnovers and the defense not being able to create turnovers or we going to see the Michigan team that the defense has created turnovers, scored off those turnovers and got into a rhythm on offense.

Michigan should win this game, but I said that last weekend as well. Michigan had to many mistakes in the red-zone along with not taking advantage once they got near the goalline either by mistakes on their own or not getting the calls they wanted by the referee.

Playing in the Big Ten on the road is a lot tougher than people think especially when a lot of these teams are equal or close to being equal.

This game could show that Michigan is near the top of the “middle” mess or in the bottom of the “middle” of the Big Ten. Right now by the standings you have Michigan State and Penn State as the leaders of their divisions with a lot of teams jammed in the middle.

Illinois had a bye week last week so they was able to prepare for Michigan a little sooner along with taking some time off and get healthy.

Illinois defense is a pretty good defensive team and they seem to be able to stop what Michigan does the best so we will see who wins that battle.

Illinois offense is decent as well and once again something Michigan has traditionally struggled with in the past and that is a mobile quarterback.

Weather could be an issue again with possible windy conditions. How will that effect both teams we will have to wait and see along with if the winds are consistent or gust today.

Michigan clearly needs to make Illinois a one-dimensional team and not allow them a balance attack.

Michigan clearly need to come out of the gate fast and furious and not get into a slump like they did last weekend with so many 3 and outs early on that will give Illinois confidence, Michigan to start worrying or questioning themselves along with getting their crowd behind them something that happened last week at Iowa.

I think Michigan wins this game in a very close game and Michigan will have a little momentum going into the two biggest games of the year and which will tell us how good this Michigan team is under Coach Hoke in year one.

Michigan 27
Illinois 24

MaizeMan:

No prediction this week.

Mike Fitzpatrick:

One thing has been constant for Illinois this season. DEFENSE! They are big in the front 7, and their secondary is very good in coverage. If it wasn’t for their sputtering offense the last three games this team could be 8-1. The main reason for lack of production on offense has been injuries to the offensive line. They are healing up though. With a week off to prepare for Michigan, and coming of a tough three game skid, I expect the Illini to be well prepared.

For our part, we need to get up early in this game and be consistent and productive on offense. Above all else, NO TURNOVERS. We are not at a point on either side of the ball that we can continually dig a hole with turnovers and play over them. This is a fairly evenly matched game, and should turn on which team stays away from those costly mistakes.

I think Illinois is better than their 6-3 record, but we still have to see if the week off helped their offensive funk. I think we will find a way to eek out a victory on the road.

Michigan 24
Illinois 17

WerlsWolverine:

Michigan 17
Illinois 24

Yostmeister:

It will be hard to tell what Michigan team will come to play the one that executes and competes at Michigan stadium, or the one that stumbles around on the road.

Illinois, much like Iowa, is a beatable foe that won’t rollover. Michigan will have to find a way to limit mistakes and capture the lead in order to secure this game.

Michigan 14
Illinois 20

You can contact us at our e-mail address: GBMWolverine

Please comment on our GBMWolverine Message Board about this article and read what others comment.

Written by GBMWolverine Staff

Go Blue — Wear Maize!