When Villa hangs on and doesn’t let Liverpool score for the next 82 minutes - a thing that’s going to obviously happen - then I’m switching this over to an Aston Villa account. A Lion Eye even works!

https://twitter.com/ademolavictor/status/1312820574318727168

3-1 Villa 36th minute WHAT IS HAPPENING

I'm NOT A HISTORIAN but I've studied this topic a lot and have sources to cite. Here goes:

The term "Illini" was coined in the 1870's. At the time, it was somewhat similar to Hoosiers in Indiana or Sooners in Oklahoma. A word tied to the University and the people of the area. 1/ Because it eventually became Fighting Illini and because Native American imagery was later attached (and especially because the Chief was named "Illiniwek"), most believe the term came from an Illini tribe. This was not the case, at least not specifically. 2/

Purdue head coach Jeff Brohm submitted a plan for the season to start on Feb 27. Ohio State head coach Ryan Day is advocating for the season to start in January so that it's wrapped up well before the NFL Draft. So, a quick thread on weather in Big Ten cities, warmest to coldest: Average high/low on Jan 15th:

College Park 42/22
Piscataway 38/21
Bloomington 37/20
Columbus 36/18
Lincoln 35/14
State College 34/20
Champaign 32/16
W. Lafayette 32/16
Iowa City 31/13
Evanston 31/17
Ann Arbor 30/17
E. Lansing 29/16
Madison 27/10
Minneapolis 23/7

Round of 64 matchup for Michael Feagles at the US Amateur: Hugo Townsend. Feagles is #86 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, Townsend (a Jr at Boise State) is #376. They tee off at 10:45 am PDT.

And yes, I'm milking this "last Illini thing to happen for months" as long as I can. Feagles 1-down through five.

Pretty sure Illinois started their third practice 45 minutes ago in shoulder pads?

https://twitter.com/NicoleAuerbach/status/1292122334510428160

I mean, maybe the Big Ten notified them this morning that this announcement was coming and they scrapped the plans for shoulder pads. But practice #3 is going on right now...

Illini Big Ten wins the last 10 years:

2011: 9
2012: 6
2013: 8
2014: 7
2015: 9
2016: 5
2017: 8
2018: 4
2019: 7
2020: 9 with five games remaining. Updated Illini Big Ten wins:

2011: 9
2012: 6
2013: 8
2014: 7
2015: 9
2016: 5
2017: 8
2018: 4
2019: 7
2020: 10

Four games remaining.

Gonna be a really tight finish. As of right now, Florida State and Louisville are tied for the lead at -26 and Illinois + Texas State are tied for third at -23. Louisville is finished, the other four are on their final three holes. ADDC eagles and the Illini are now one shot back.

Also, get your tickets to see ACDC and the Eagles this summer at a stadium near you OK I made that up.

Fouls are 11-5 (against Illinois). What does a home team have to do to get some of that good ol' Big Ten home cookin'? Fouls are 13 to 6 now and I seriously don't know what Illinois needs to do to draw a foul (unless there's a slapping sound).

Just to prep you, this Twitter account might get embarrassingly XFL-y in February and March. If it gets to the point where I ask Tyler to cover the Indiana game because I want to attend BattleHawks/Dragons then someone might need to hold an intervention. Like, I'm sitting here going through all of the XFL rules and I'm all about it.

+ No extra points (instead you choose a 1-point play from the 2, a 2-point play from the 5, or a 3-point play from the 10).
+ Touchbacks on kickoffs advance the ball 65 yards.

Let's get weird.

Do you want to hear the ACT story? So I'm a junior in high school and I'm going to take the April ACT. This is very important because my grades aren't very good. I need a great score to get into Illinois. I HAVE to pull this off. I've taken the pre-ACT and even did one of those big "how to take the ACT" books. 1/7

Christmas is 10 days away, so I'm gonna do my own little advent calendar where you open up a window each day to find an Illini football gif. Call 'em the 10 biggest plays of the season. #10: Dre Brown's run to open up the Purdue game. This was my "we might actually bowl" moment. A game that shouldn't be close is close, UConn is driving down 8 with 2:15 left, and Dele Harding ends the game. #9 on this list of the biggest plays of the season is Harding's Hartford Hijack. Yes, I named an interception from a game where we were favored by 20 yet won by 8.

Thinking through the Big Ten teams that were eligible and the selection process: I’m certain we would have gone to the Redbox at 7-5 (would have still been between us and MSU for Pinstripe and MSU went Redbox last year). And perhaps still Redbox at 8-4? If we were 8-4, Iowa was 8-4 (having lost to us), and Indiana was 8-4, Holiday still takes Iowa. So then it’s between us and Indiana for Gator and Indiana has been to the Redbox recently, likely sending IU to Gator and Illinois to Redbox.

Long twitter thread because @MartinOD64 and I just figured it all out on the phone. First off, the fact that I didn’t record our conversation and post it at a podcast is criminal. But I’m dumb.

We figured out that we figured it all out back in August during training camp. 1/5 We have a tradition when I’m at camp where I go to his house and we solve all team issues. In that conversation this year, we discussed how this would be the season right on the edge of the knife blade. There would be a few close games and a few plays would decide everything. 2/5

Mizzou NCAA infractions timeline, my take:

Mizzou gives a tutor a raise to complete assignments for athletes.
They get caught.
They admit to it.
They get punished.
They don't like the punishment.
They appeal.
Now they're pointing to how unfair it is to drag out the process. 1/4 They've started a full campaign. There are billboards around St. Louis that say "Make It Right". Their football coach is quoted saying the following:

“Mizzou did it by the book, did exactly what you are supposed to do,” Barry Odom said. “We are going to go fight it.” 2/4

I forgot that this week was Preferential Treatment Saturday. The 6 teams given a bye week by the Big 10 which happens fit perfectly right in the middle of the Big 10 season? Ohio St, Wisconsin, Michigan St, Penn St, Minnesota, and Iowa. The only shocker is Minny over Michigan. Weird thing - Illini bye weeks are never right in the middle of the Big Ten season. It's almost like they plan it this way.

2019: Sept 28, Nov 16 (14 weeks between Labor Day weekend and Thanksgiving weekend, everyone gets 2 byes)
2018: Sept 29th
2017: Sept 22nd
2016: Sept 24th

Finally watched the game. Some thoughts. You probably had these/read these thoughts already, but hey, I was in the mountains

1. This was a physical, physical game. Violent game. 2. I found myself more frustrated with the offense than the defense. Maybe it’s because I knew Nebraska had 674 yards and I went in expecting awfulness, but the defense was put in so many bad spots by the offense.

Waiting in TSA line at Hartford airport. Flight is on time so I’m feeling good about making it there by mid first quarter. Hi to all insane tailgaters up at 4:50 CDT. Hitting the road... now. I can do this in 2 1/2 hours, right?

It's only Akron.
It's only Akron.
It's only Akron.
(x50 and I might calm myself down) But if we force a turnover here I will refuse to calm myself down.

I was interested yesterday in knowing the path the the field from the new locker room. Looks like it will go like this. The team will come out of the locker room, down this hallway, and out those doors at the end: (1/5) Then the crowds entering the stadium will be held back on either side as the team walks from those doors across this sidewalk to the northeast stair tower (where I'm standing while taking this photo). (2/5)

The thing I'm not sure people understand: how bad the old facilities were. So, a thread... starting with the old squad room and the new squad room. The old locker room and the new locker room.