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2009 Illinois College Football Predictions

Written by Jimmy Boyd

illinois 7909 The 2008 season was a major disappointment for Illinois football after making a Rose Bowl appearance following the 2007 season. The Fighting Illini lost their final three games to finish 5-7 on the year, missing out on the postseason. A lot of talent remains on the roster, especially on offense, but the schedule is tough. Find out where I have Illinois finishing in the Big Ten race in this 2009 NCAA football betting preview. Illinois is listed at +7500 to win the 2009 BCS championship.

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Offense – The Juice will be loose again in 2009 as Illinois quarterback Juice Williams returns as one of the most prolific players in University of Illinois history. Williams passed for 3,173 yards and 22 touchdowns and rushed for 719 yards and five touchdowns in 2008. Williams is set to become the school’s career total offense leader this season. There’s really not much you can say that is bad about Williams, except that sometimes his talent gets him in trouble. Williams is like Brett Favre in that he doesn’t know when to throw it out of bounds or take a sack sometimes. The result was 16 interceptions last season. Williams will be throwing the rock in the direction of no. 1 wideout Arrelious Benn religiously. Benn is a game changer. He caught 67 passes for 1,055 yards and is also a major asset in the return game. Big Ten defenses have made it known that he will be a marked man so guys like Florida transfer Jarred Fayson and Jeff Cumberland will be asked to step up. The offensive line should be solid with the return of three starters. While I know Williams creates some of his own sacks when he is scrambling, this unit still needs to do a better job of keeping the heat off of their star QB. They allowed 25 sacks in 2008, which tied them for 71st in the country. Look for Jason Ford or Mikel Leshoure to emerge as an every down running back.

Defense – A defense which already had its fair share of holes loses seven starters. This unit has been hurt the most up front with the loss of three starters. Tackle Josh Brent was the fourth starter last season and he was off the team during spring practice due to a DUI. If he gets his head screwed on straight, he can team up with sophomore Corey Liuget to give the Illini a respectable tackle duo. The team has high hopes for linebacker Martez Wilson following a 73-tackle, three-sack season. Wilson was stabbed in the offseason, but has since recovered, and is expected to be at full strength. Hopefully he can put that emotional trauma behind him and play some football this fall. The cornerback position looks pretty solid with Dere Hicks and Travon Bellamy both coming back. The safety spot still isn’t solidified as the team is unsure how Donsay Hardeman will bounce back from a neck injury.

Prediction: 5th Big Ten – The Illini have an offense capable of putting up 30-plus points every Saturday, but a defense which lost seven starters and a tough schedule figures to keep Illinois from challenging for a Big Ten title. The Illini open up Big Ten play at Ohio State and then return home to take on Penn State and Michigan State. They’ll likely need to win two of those three to have a shot at winning the Big Ten. Illinois is listed at +650 to win the Big Ten.

Start winning more of your football picks by consulting world handicapping champion Jimmy Boyd this season.

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