The mega guide to Week 9: Illinois at Michigan
Illinois coach Ron Zook (center) and the rest of the Illini bench react after a fourth quarter touchdown during a 38-13 win over Michigan last season at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill.
Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com
WHO: Illinois (5-3, 3-2) at Michigan (5-3, 1-3)
WHERE: Michigan Stadium.
WHEN: Noon Saturday.
ODDS: Michigan is favored by 3 points according to sportsbook.com.
SERIES RECORD: Michigan leads, 66-23-2.
LAST MEETING: Illinois won 38-13 on Oct. 31, 2009. (AnnArbor.com coverage)
BROADCAST INFORMATION: TV: ESPN; Radio: Michigan Sports Network (local affiliates), Sirius Ch. 125, XM Ch. 102.
MICHIGAN: Team Stats | Team Rankings | Roster
ILLINOIS: Team Stats | Team Rankings | Roster
RUNDOWN: Michigan attempts to snap a three-game losing streak and Illinois looks to win three straight for the first time since the end of the 2007 season, which ended in a Rose Bowl trip for the Illini.
Both teams would become bowl eligible with a win. That would be a nice accomplishment for an Illinois team that was expected to be in a rebuilding year after a nine-loss season.
"There's no use talking about it until we're eligible and right now we're not eligible," coach Ron Zook said. "I think the most important thing is we can talk about this next game, and nothing else matters."
OK, Ron. Let's talk about the next game.
AnnArbor.com reporters have been previewing it all week. Listed below is a compilation of stories that can currently be found on our site (and that doesn't include the little detour we made on Thursday to cover the NCAA report. Our coverage of that announcement is summarized here):
INTERACT WITH ANNARBOR.COM
Interact with us leading up, during and after Saturday's Michigan vs. Illinois game:
- Facebook: Like our page Michigan Football News & Views for updates as we post new stories and photos about the Wolverines.
- Twitter: Follow us on Twitter — check out our Michigan football list, a roundup of some of the best people to follow on Twitter for the latest about the Wolverines.
- Flickr: Join our Michigan football fan photos group and submit your photos from the tailgating and the game. We'll use as many as we can in a fan photo gallery on AnnArbor.com.
- YouTube: Watch our videos from before and after the game, including Rich Rodriguez's post-game press conference.
- Email: Send us your fan photos via email if you don't want to use Flickr. Email fanphotos@annarbor.com.
- Community Wall: Got a story to share from the game? Post it on our Community Wall at www.annarbor.com/community.
- RSS: Subscribe to our Michigan football RSS feed.
FRIDAY • Pete Bigelow writes our main preview story: Michigan football team readies for key Big Ten test against Illinois.
• And Bigelow and Mike Rothstein further break down the matchup in this video report.
• Rothstein hosted a live chat Friday afternoon that covered both Michigan football and basketball topics.
THURSDAY • Is the 3-3-5 scheme the source of Michigan's defensive woes? Brandon Graham tells Bigelow that he thinks so.
As mentioned, Thursday also included lots of NCAA coverage.
WEDNESDAY • An already-depleted Michigan secondary took another hit when J.T. Floyd was lost for the season with an ankle injury.
• Juice who? Nathan Scheelhaase makes a name for himself as Illinois' new play-making quarterback.
TUESDAY • In his Big Ten Notebook, Bigelow looks at the wide open conference race and more.
• Rothstein examines Michigan's defensive woes, with third-down plays keeping the Wolverines down and unable to get out.
• David Molk doesn't care much for the media. So we sent Jeff Arnold into the lion's den, and he came out with a story about the Michigan center's passion to turn things around.
MONDAY • Rich Rodriguez's reality check: No wave of magic wand will fix Michigan defense.
• Our Monday notebook covers Michigan keeping its scissor lift low because of wind concerns, the latest injury report, Jeremy Gallon's emergence and more.
• Kaleb Roedel provides these video highlights from Michigan's Monday press conference.
• And Jeff Arnold kept these running notes during the press conference.
AROUND THE BIG TEN A four-way tie for first place has created plenty of important matchups across the Big Ten schedule today. Michigan State is the only team from that group to play at home this weekend, while Iowa and Wisconsin hit the road. Ohio State, the fourth one-loss team, is off.
Be sure to check out complete MSU coverage from our friends at MLive.com. All games are previewed at BigTen.org.
• Minnesota (1-8, 0-5) at Michigan State (8-1, 4-1), noon. • Iowa (6-2, 3-1) at Indiana (4-4, 0-4), noon. • Wisconsin (7-1, 3-1) at Purdue (4-4, 2-2), noon. • Northwestern (6-2, 2-2) at Penn State (5-3, 2-2), 3:30 p.m.
AROUND THE COUNTRY • Check out previews of all games involving top 25 teams.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Comments
joey z
Sat, Nov 6, 2010 : 8:53 p.m.
Johnny. I admire and respect your belief of the NCAA rules and what they are supposed to be. My belief that is simply that the most of the people in college sports do not believe in them like you do. I'm sure there was a point in time that these rules meant more before collage sports became big business. Before making money was more important than the ideals that were supposed to be put into place. Nowadays student athletes are committing crimes, going to jail and then days after they are released,their coaches reinstate them and put them in the big game. Where are the rules here. My comment that the rules are a joke is simply to say that the big game here is how to make your team the best there is by evading the rules as well as possible. I realize that rules are made for a reason....but unfortunately the business of college sports has become bigger than the rules...a sad but honest truth. Sorry. Again I do admire your moralistic view and your right to express it. Also you might look around and see how many athletic directors have a major background in business. Was that always the way it was?
johnnya2
Sat, Nov 6, 2010 : 4:55 p.m.
"The rules that they broke are kind a joke" I guess that is why they call them MAJOR violations? Your belief that 50% of other teams do it makes it ok? So in your eyes Michigan is just like other cheating schools? If UM does not like the rules, leave the NCAA, or start a campaign to change them. Who do you think makes the rules for the NCAA? It is the member institutions. Michigan is a member and agreed to follow those rules. Rich Rod doesn't follow those rules, therefore he should be terminated immediately. I actually would disagree that about which is a bigger deal the basketball program or this. Why shouldn't a player who brings MILLIONS of dollars to a University be allowed to make money? A theater major can hire an agent his freshman year and still perform in plays for the U. That is exactly what Reggie Bush did at USC. I could argue the rule is just as stupid that Bush or Webber do not have equal rights to other students (which is the NCAA rule about added benefits) The only thing I think that would be more serious than the Rich Rod cheating would be academic fraud or the U paying players directly to play.
joey z
Sat, Nov 6, 2010 : 12:50 p.m.
The rules that they broke are kind a joke. Did you notice how quick Tressel supported Michigan on this violation when it was reported. Probably cause Ohio and many other teams practice more than they are supposed to. Unfortunately someone from the Free Press trying to get press decided to do some research and blow the whistle. Odds are with all of the "rules" more than 50% of the teams in college break them in one way or another. Now, rules such as USC broke, or U of M basketball team back in the day...well that is of a more serious nature. I guess everyone is entitled to their opinion though.
johnnya2
Sat, Nov 6, 2010 : 10:45 a.m.
"i am a positive person and live my life like that..whoever is our coach i will support. good or very bad like now" I guess that sums up the difference between you and most people who have a UM education. We were taught to use logic and reason to determine if we should support something. If you found out Rich Rod told his players not to go to class, and that football was the most important thing would you still support him? If he paid recruits 1000's of thousands of dollars would you still support him? If he broke FIVE MAJOR rules of the NCAA would you still support him? I would love the team to go 12-0 and win a BCS championship game. I still would want Rich Rod fired. He has broken the rules. Read the final NCAA report. Here is the verdict on Rich "failed to adequately monitor". He was convicted of this. If he does not appeal in 15 days, it means he AGREES with the verdict. I would bet my home he won't be appealing. I am also a positive person. I am positive the UM should be above reproach when it comes to playing by the rules. If I believed in "cutting corners" or using the lamest excuse of all (it was a misinterpretation) I would go become another UM fan. The University of Miami that is.
Sean T.
Sat, Nov 6, 2010 : 10:10 a.m.
Being a very positive person is good but why even respond to the negativity then? Continue to stay positive and resume drinking your 3 gallons of kool-aid a day until Rainbow's, unicorns and 4 Leprechauns carry RR on their shoulders from the magical 12-0 season. No, seriously though, you can't blame posters or LC for RR's failures. What must it take to show you that RR sucks?
joey z
Sat, Nov 6, 2010 : 8:19 a.m.
Orlando. I support your right to be positive about the team and life. Life is way too short to get so negative and stressed out as many do here. It does offer good entertainment though listening to all the comments. No matter what... goo blue. This season is going down the tubes unfortunately though :( but what the heck...we all keep watching
orlandomichfan
Fri, Nov 5, 2010 : 9:46 p.m.
3 and out they wont post what i wrote originally..thats good i guess, wal mart wolverine, how original, and your family legacy and all that is too funny..i am a positive person and live my life like that..whoever is our coach i will support. good or very bad like now..i choose that like you choose to be negative..the kids that play and wear the wolverine uniform will always get my support. always, and i will be excited and anxious for the game tomorrow and like every week i will hope for the best..been doing that for almost 50yrs..maybe this post will make it through...go blue..i bleed blue and will stand behind them always...go beat illinois...goooo blue
Mike
Fri, Nov 5, 2010 : 9:29 p.m.
wallmart wolvirne haha very original.so what does that make sparty goddwill sparty since sparty likes to reuse there cloths. they threw out a couple years ago when they were having a bad year and not a fluke of a season now. yes it is a fluke wait till you play real teams they to will expose you like iowa. go blue
3 And Out
Fri, Nov 5, 2010 : 8:59 p.m.
orlando blah blah blah.... people like you are the true walmarts. I saw my first game in Michigan Stadium when I was 4 years old... you have no credentials that match mine and my family legacy...so do us all a favor: If you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen. If you can not take criticism of your favourite coach who has a 4-16 record in Big Ten play, then you need to re-examine exactly what your definition of success in the 3rd year of a program after your coach tore down 40 years of excellence. PS: Get worse next year under a new coach....Hah! That is a laugh. This program can not be worse than 4-16 in BT play soon to be 4-20 or maybe if you are lucky 5-19 in the BT after this year. Go Blue!
orlandomichfan
Fri, Nov 5, 2010 : 8:24 p.m.
why dont you all just go buy your green and white shirts and become fans of them, you all are the most negative michigan fans ever...of course its bad, but you all make it worse, i will laugh at all of you after we win tomorrow...have your fun now...god you wal-mart fans are a piece of work.. after richrod is gone i will be here when it gets worse to tell you all you got what you wished for, but until then you will not realize it..but it wont be harbaugh that you al get as you hope for...unbelievable...gooo blue, shut the trolls up for a couple days...p.s.yelmonian, your a hater but your using a bad comparison of how bad our d is..sorry, not that bad..go blue
Ben
Fri, Nov 5, 2010 : 7:19 p.m.
^^ He's practicing for his "celebration" after the Illini stop Denard.
3 And Out
Fri, Nov 5, 2010 : 7:03 p.m.
#18 looks very happy...and his helmet placement very suspicious.
trigg7
Fri, Nov 5, 2010 : 6:15 p.m.
Cant wait to cash in on that joke of a line. ILL by 17
clarklaker
Fri, Nov 5, 2010 : 5:50 p.m.
hard to argue that point.
Yelmonian
Fri, Nov 5, 2010 : 5:40 p.m.
#10 in the picture is already laughing at UM! Ha! That's all you got! My niece's flag football team has a more menacing defense!