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Illinois
Know the foe: Five questions on Illinois with IlliniInquirer's Jeremy Werner
Illinois
Michigan vs. Illinois football prediction: What the analytics say
Big Ten football returns to the gridiron this weekend as No. 22 Illinois plays host to No. 24 Michigan in college football’s Week 8 action on Saturday. Let’s take a look at the latest prediction for the game from an expert football model that picks winners.
Illinois (5-1) edged out Purdue by a single point in overtime last week, moving to 2-1 in Big Ten play and hoping to stay in contention for the conference championship.
Michigan lost its second game of the season two weeks ago on the road against Washington, falling to 2-1 in Big Ten games and now with virtually no margin for error in the playoff race.
Looking ahead to this week’s matchup, let’s check out the latest college football predictions from the Football Power Index computer prediction model.
The model simulates every NCAA college football game 20,000 times and uses key analytics from both teams and picks winners based on a projected scoring margin per game.
So far, the models forecast a very close game between these Big Ten rivals.
Michigan is projected to win the game outright in the slight majority 59.6 percent of the computer’s most recent simulations of the matchup.
That leaves Illinois as the expected winner in the remaining 40.4 percent of sims.
In total, Michigan came out ahead in 11,920 of the index’s simulations of the game, while Illinois prevailed in the other 8,080 predictions.
And the index projects a very close game on the scoreboard, too.
Michigan is projected to be 3.8 points better than Illinois on the same field in both teams’ current composition, according to the model’s latest forecast.
If so, that would be just enough for the Wolverines to cover the spread against the Illini.
That’s because Michigan is a 3 point favorite against Illinois, according to the lines at FanDuel Sportsbook.
FanDuel lists the total at 43.5 points for the game.
And it set the moneyline odds for Michigan at -155 and for Illinois at +135 to win outright.
A slight majority of bettors are giving Illinois the benefit of the doubt against Michigan, according to the latest spread consensus picks for the game.
53 percent of bets currently forecast the Illini will either win in an upset or keep the game within the narrow line.
And the other 47 percent of wagers expect the Wolverines will win the game and cover the spread.
Illinois is sixth among Big Ten teams with a 3.8 percent chance to qualify for the College Football Playoff and will win 7.7 games this season, according to the FPI’s metrics.
That model gives Michigan a 2 percent chance at the 12-team playoff and a win total prediction of 6.8 games this season.
Football Power Index (FPI) college football rankings and computer prediction model are a measure of team strength that predicts a team’s future performance.
Rankings and scores predictions are based on 20,000 simulations of a team’s season and games, using a combination of key analytics, including scores to date, quality of opponents, team talent, recruiting, and a team’s schedule.
Teams are ranked not in order of talent like in other rankings, but by a projected point margin per game against an average team on a neutral field.
First-place votes in parentheses
- Texas (56)
- Oregon (6)
- Penn State
- Ohio State
- Georgia
- Miami
- Alabama
- LSU
- Iowa State
- Clemson
- Tennessee
- Notre Dame
- BYU
- Texas A&M
- Boise State
- Indiana
- Kansas State
- Ole Miss
- Missouri
- Pittsburgh
- SMU
- Illinois
- Army
- Michigan
- Navy
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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, please call 1-800-GAMBLER.
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More college football from SI: Top 25 Rankings | Schedule | Teams
Follow College Football HQ: Bookmark | Rankings | Picks
Illinois
There's already an ideal choice for new Illinois state flag
When Illinois formally launched the process of selecting a new state flag, soliciting design submissions from the public, it gave Illinoisans a rare opportunity to shape the visual and symbolic identity of their whole state. We can use that power to choose a flag that reconnects with our rich heritage and embrace a timeless design that embodies unity and history.
Rather than starting from scratch, the Illinois Flag Commission should look no further than Wallace Rice’s 1918 Centennial flag. Rice, best known for designing the iconic Chicago flag, created a masterpiece for Illinois’s centennial celebration that remains as aesthetically excellent and symbolically powerful today as it was a century ago. It deserves serious consideration as our next state flag.
The Centennial flag’s field consists of three horizontal bands of white, blue, and white. Emblazoned on the flag is a large white star, flanked on each side by 10 smaller blue stars. The 21 stars signify Illinois’s entry into the Union as the 21st state, with Illinois itself represented by the largest star. The other 20 stars, split evenly on either side, represent the 10 Northern and 10 Southern states at the time of Illinois’s admission. The result is a visually striking balance of simplicity and symmetry tailor-made for use across multiple formats.
The case for the Centennial flag is about more than aesthetics, however. When it became the newest state of an increasingly divided country, Illinois represented a symbolic bridge across the sectional divide, as well as a prayer for a more united future. A century later, the Centennial flag was unveiled as a visual encapsulation of that same dream. The arrangement of the stars, with Illinois as the central bridge between the Northern and Southern states, speaks to the state’s historic role as a unifier in a divided nation. In today’s polarized political environment, this symbolism carries new meaning. Adopting such a flag as our state’s symbol would send a message of unity and shared purpose — not just for Illinois, but for all Americans.
I humbly submit that the Centennial flag, with its elegant simplicity and unifying message, is the ideal candidate, and would ensure that Illinois is represented by a universally recognizable symbol that captures its unique place in the nation’s history.
John C. Engle, Logan Square
SEND LETTERS TO: letters@suntimes.com. To be considered for publication, letters must include your full name, your neighborhood or hometown and a phone number for verification purposes. Letters should be a maximum of approximately 375 words.
Showcase all of Chicago in next marathon
On Sunday, the Chicago Marathon was held and in the next morning’s papers, I read nothing but kudos for our town for the great handling of such a world-renowned annual event.
But I do find myself pondering: Why is the route always the same, with very little variance? City leaders are always looking for ways to bring more attention and activities to the neighborhoods. Why not route the course through them — Beverly (actual hills — oh my gosh!), Englewood/Washington Park (past the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, up and down elegant Garfield Boulevard), through Logan Boulevard and environs northwest, etc.
What a magnificent travelogue for Chicago the televised marathon would present! I sincerely wish those in charge would look beyond the lakefront to all the beauty the city offers.
Dennis Allen, Wilmette
Blame cyclists, not drivers
Why are we having deaths and accidents with cars vs. cyclists and what can we do to help prevent some of them?
Here’s part of the problem: As we have all seen, most cyclists think they can do whatever they want when riding on the streets of Chicago.
Those of us who drive have seen very few cyclists stopping at stop signs and red lights. They ride between cars and don’t stop when crossing alleys. When something terrible happens, they look at the person driving the car.
When was the last time you saw a cyclist getting a ticket?
We have rules of the road. If cyclists were issued tickets for not obeying these rules, I’m sure we would have fewer deaths and accidents.
Dan Goodwin, Humbolt Park
Chicago Teachers Union should release audits
The Chicago Teachers Union House of Delegates recently voted “no confidence” in Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez, which triggered the resignation of the entire CPS board and the naming of new board members by Mayor Brandon Johnson. Now the stage is set to green-light CTU’s contract demands for higher salaries and staffing increases that will force Chicago’s taxpayers to take the resulting financial hit.
Yet the CTU has brazenly refused to share with its own members its financial audits from 2020 to 2024, and has been sued by some of these members to release these audits. CTU members are entitled to know how their dues are being spent and who is on the CTU’s payroll. I would go further and claim that taxpayers, who are the ultimate funding source for teacher salaries and the union dues deducted from them, also have a similar right to know what the CTU is doing with its money. Until CTU comes clean, its members and Chicago’s taxpayers alike should declare “no confidence” in CTU.
John H. Flannigan, Albany Park
Don’t depend on Social Security
I can fully understand the angst many individuals feel about inadequate Social Security cost of living increases.
However, Social Security has some problems which the public does not fully understand. The payroll tax is regressive and benefits are not intended to fully fund an individual’s retirement. The original purpose was to alleviate poverty.
My advice to young people: Do not depend on Social Security. View it as supplementary income. Buy a piece of property and build some equity instead of paying rent. Get a good job that has a defined benefit pension plan. Notice how Boeing union workers are insisting on a defined benefit pension plan that, unlike a 401(k), will pay benefits for the rest of your life. Later, invest in bonds, stocks and diversified portfolios, which have proved to be financially lucrative.
Such decisions will enhance your financial future with little dependence on Social Security.
Larry Vigon, Jefferson Park
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