The season kicks off on Thursday, September 2, and all of us college football junkies will have a full weekend of couch time (or Tivo time, but I can't watch games on the recorder, it's hokey, except for the Alamo Bowl, which I watch again and again, hoping the field goal will be good and the Cats win in regulation) to kick off the season. So, where to begin?
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| Opening day...indoors :( |
Illinois and Missouri open their seasons on Saturday, September 4 at Edward Jones Stadium in St. Louis. Kickoff is listed at 11:30 a.m., FSN-TV. The line opened at Missouri -12 and moved to -13 1/2, that's where we got on. The O/U is 54.
The Illini are coming off a 3-9 season and Ron Zook (21-39 after five seasons)is getting the skunk eye from a lot of people, even if the administration says otherwise. The team is bound to be improved by subtraction, specifically the departure of Juice Williams, a fine athlete who was miscast as a QB. Backup QB Eddie McGee has become a receiver, paving the way for Nathan Scheelhaase to take over. Illinois returns 5 starters on offense and 7 on defense. A lesser known change involved the hiring of 6 new assistant coaches...hmmm.
Missouri was 6-6 last year. They will feature 8 returning starters on offense and 8 on defense. QB Blaine Gabbert is back on the O-side and the linebackers are very good on the D-side. The Tigers also have one of the best place kickers around, and that should prove to be the point difference comfort for the opener.
The game is indoors on turf. Illinois has very talented athletes (as they always have), but Missouri is the better team, period, and while this is being touted as a neutral site game, the Tigers fans are going to pack the house. A 2 touchdown margin on opening weekend might have been a bit much, but Missouri should pick up 3 or 4 field goals to make this a 16 point victory.
By the way, this is the State Farm Arch Rivalry Game. Yeah, so what.
One star on Missouri -13 1/2.
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