Happy Friday everyone,

Here are some of my final thoughts going into the game tomorrow. Sadly the offensive line is still on the list but at least I put an amusing twist on it... Maybe.

Final Thoughts Before Oregon v Illinois

Another week and another game.

Good thoughts David. Seeing the O line settle in and be productive is on everybody's wish list. Hope we do see it Saturday. I also want to see Mehringer earn the title of OC this week. A steady diet of up the middle for no gain on first and second down followed by a five yard pass on third and nine has got to stop. Mixing in screen passes that get blown up in the backfield time and time again don't count as variety.

There are plenty of teams with far less skilled O lines that figure out how to move the ball and with far less skilled playmakers. If the offense can just become mid, the D can take over the game. Is that too much to ask?

1 hour ago, The Kamikaze Kid said:

There are plenty of teams with far less skilled O lines that figure out how to move the ball and with far less skilled playmakers. If the offense can just become mid, the D can take over the game. Is that too much to ask?

This is at the crux of why I believe there need to be some major changes come the end of the season. There are teams with less talent that are doing more with it than we are and that needs to change. Not trying to get into ANOTHER conversion about coaching changes but it feels like that has become the dominate theme this season.

Thank you, David.

This is the first road trip outside the Pacific time zone since Dante went down.

The journey to Champaign is one of the trips on the schedule that has OBD traveling East every other week before playing UW at home in Week 13. To the Central time zone this week, and then to the Eastern time zone in Week 10 and Week 12.

Defense travels, right? Hopefully, as you noted, David, the Defense that showed up against UCLA and Nebraska, is the D we'll see on Saturday, absent a raucous Autzen crowd.

In the other road game played in the Central time zone this season, with a 9 AM Pacific kickoff, the defense was MIA. Saturday's game kicks off at 11 AM Pacific.

Illinois starting QB Katin Houser, who was having an excellent season in the midst of his team's struggles, is one of many B1G starting QBs injured and out. True freshman QB Michael Clayton gets the start.

Clayton played well in relief of Houser on the road against Michigan State, leading the Illini to a victory in OT. Clayton and the team have had an extra week to prepare for this game. A scheduling quirk that should not happen to a team traveling two time zones to play a game.

Saturday is Military Appreciation Day in Champaign. 3-3 Illinois is hoping for the eighth sellout in the last eleven games.

It is difficult to win a conference game without a run game, especially a road game. Which version of Dylan Raiola will we see? If it's UCLA Dylan ... Gulp!

I think Oregon wins but does not cover the 9.5 points.

Thanks for your pregame thoughts.

All time, Oregon is 1-1 at home vs. Illinois, 0-2 on the road. Oregon is 2-0 vs. Bielema, including the 2012 Rose Bowl win against Wisconsin.

Can't catch him! Him being DAT. And Kiko Alonso played a great game.

BEAT BIELEMA!