Senior DJ Richardson is going to want to finally beat Purdue this year; photo by Cary Frye

Football Saturday, non-conference schedule Wednesday and now the circle is complete with the release of the full B1G basketball schedule.

First thing’s first, the Illini will only play Penn State, Indiana, Iowa and Michigan State once.  Indiana and Penn State will come to the Assembly Hall, while Illinois will only have road games against Iowa and MSU. In a way, it evens out because that’s two tough teams and two easier teams (golly, guess which one is which), instead of only facing four cupcake teams once or the opposite.

It’s a shame to only have Michigan State on the road, because we’ve had some success at home against them the past couple of years, and with Indiana as a preseason No. 1 in some circles, it’ll be a coup to beat them at home or on the road. Penn State has also been challenging on the road for whatever reason, so having them only at home is probably for the best.

However, with John Groce now at the helm and no Meyers Leonard, this is going to be a completely different team than we have seen, so everything is really up in the air.

Illinois will star the season at Purdue on Jan. 2, and a win here would be doubtful but fantastic, because Brandon Paul and DJ Richardson are going into their senior seasons without even one win against the Boilermakers. Ohio State at home and then Minnesota at home will help the team ease into the conference schedule, before heading into Madison on Jan. 12.

Last year, Coach Bruce Weber got the guys off to a great start, but imploded in the end winning just two out of the last 14 games, including that loss to Iowa in the B1G Tournament. The end of the season will be tricky again with a game at Michigan, home against Nebraska, on the road against Iowa for the first meeting of the season and then closing the season on the road for Ohio State’s senior day. Let’s hope Groce is better at finishing out seasons than Weber.

So there you have it. Take a brief break from your football excitement for a moment and take a look of what’s to come on the basketball court this year:

Monday Oct. 22 Orange & Blue Scrimmage 7 p.m.
Saturday Oct. 27 Lewis (Exh.)
Sunday Nov. 4 West Chester (Exh.)

Friday Nov. 9 Colgate
Monday Nov. 12 St. Francis (N.Y.)
Friday Nov. 16 at Hawaii Honolulu, Hawaii
Monday Nov. 19 vs. USC in Lahaina, Hawaii 11 p.m. ESPN2
Tuesday Nov. 20 vs. Texas/Chaminade Lahaina, Hawaii 9:30 p.m./4 p.m. ESPN2
Wednesday Nov. 21 vs. ?? Lahaina, Hawaii
Sunday Nov. 25 Gardner Webb
Wednesday Nov. 28 Georgia Tech 8 p.m. ESPN2
Tuesday Dec. 4 Western Carolina
Saturday Dec. 8 at Gonzaga Spokane, Wash.
Tuesday Dec. 11 Norfolk State
Sunday Dec. 16 Eastern Kentucky
Saturday Dec. 22 vs. Missouri St. Louis (Scottrade Center)
Saturday Dec. 29 vs. Auburn Chicago (United Center)
Wednesday Jan. 2 at Purdue
Saturday Jan. 5 Ohio State
Wednesday Jan. 9 Minnesota
Saturday Jan. 12 at Wiscy
Thursday Jan. 17 Northwestern
Tuesday Jan. 22 at Nebraska
Sunday Jan. 27 Michigan
Thursday Jan. 31 at Michigan State
Sunday Feb. 3 Wisconsin
Thursday Feb. 7 Indiana
Sunday Feb. 10 at Minnesota
Wednesday Feb. 13 Purdue
Sunday Feb. 17 at Northwestern
Thursday Feb. 21 Penn State
Sunday Feb. 24 at Michigan
Saturday March 2 Nebraska
Tuesday March 5 at Iowa
Sunday March 10 at Ohio State
Thu.-Sun. March 14-17 Big Ten Tournament Chicago, Ill. (United Center)
Tue.-Wed. March 19-20 NCAA First Round Dayton, Ohio
Thu.-Sun. March 21-24 NCAA Second & Third Rounds TBA
Thu.-Sun. March 28-31 NCAA Regionals TBA
Sat. & Mon. April 6 & 8 NCAA Final Four Atlanta, Ga. (Georgia Dome)

The wait is over, because Illini football is back this weekend! The Illini will play their first game of the Tim Beckman era on Saturday, Sept. 1 at 11am versus Western Michigan. Win or lose this weekend, I think it’s fair to say that Illini fans should probably get used to this time slot.

For the third year in a row, I’ve got season tickets to Illini football, but this is the first of many games I will not be attending due to someone having the gall to get married during football season. I got married in June for a reason people: no Illini football or basketball to speak of.

Anyway, even though this is the second year that Illinois hasn’t had to face Missouri in the season opener, the sting of those four years in a row of season-opening losses is still fresh enough for me to thank the stars that the Tigers aren’t on the schedule on Saturday (or at all this season).

Instead, Illinois will host the Western Michigan Broncos from the MAC Conference. I’m not saying this game is going to be easy by any means, but it’s not a bad choice for the first game of the year. Coach Beckman came from Toledo – another MAC team – so he is familiar with how the team plays. Also, it’s a good team, but maybe not a great team. A win is certainly possible (and expected), but a loss wouldn’t be horribly embarrassing.

Confidence and anticipation will be high, and the Illini have the momentum from winning their second Bowl in a row last year. I do love to point out that going into this season, the Illini are the only B1G team that can brag about winning two Bowls in the past two years. The guys are also getting a fresh start with Beckman. Saturday’s game will give Beckman a chance to see his guys in action, and it will set the tone for the season as a whole.

With 16 returning starters from last year’s Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl-winning team, the talent is there. What we’re worried about is depth, a weakness that is more easily identified once we actually start to play. We’ll get to see Beckman’s new offense, and see if the defense is as strong as it was last year.

The Illini have an all-time record of 75-42-5 in season-openers and luckily we’re starting out at home because the guys are 52-27-4 when opening the season at Memorial Stadium. In fact, the Illini have won their last six season openers at Memorial Stadium dating back to 1997 (if you’re confused as to how that can be with those four Missouri losses stuck in there, it’s because that game was always in St. Louis).

You’re going to want to look out for junior linebacker Jonathan Brown, senior defensive end Michael Buchanan and senior cornerback Terry Hawthorne, who all return this year after earning All-Big Ten honors a season ago. It’s a safe bet that Nathan Scheelhaasse will be our QB in the game, but the question might remain who he’s going to be passing to, though Darius Millines and Spencer Harris are the most likely candidates.

Joining Buchanan and Hawthorne are five more returning starters: DT Akeem Spence, DT Glenn Foster, LB Jonathan Brown and safeties Supo Sanni and Steve Hull. And both punters from 2011 are also coming back: traditional punter Justin DuVernois and rugby-style punter Ryan Lankford, as well as long-snapper Zak Pedersen. Hull and Sanni may not make an appearance on the field this weekend, but they’ll be the veterans on the bench supporting the team either way.

Illinois leads the all-time series with Western Michigan 3-1, and has won all three previous meetings in Champaign in 1947, 2004 and 2011. It is tough to erase the memory of the loss that occurred at Western Michigan in 2008 in Detroit. We went in uber confident, and I remember watching the game at a bar in DC only to lose ugly and horribly to a subpar WMU team. What makes me nervous is that this year’s WMU team may be better, and it’s not really clear where we’re at.

If nothing else, I’m excited to get a glimpse of what this season will be bringing. It’s nice to have a fresh, clean slate and an open mind to pick up whatever Coach Beckman is putting down. Above everything else, these guys need to remember what it’s like to have fun on the football field, because somehow Ron Zook made them forget how to do that.

Final prediction: Illinois with a narrow win.

What a fantastic week for Illini fans! On Saturday we get to witness the first game under the leadership of new HC Tim Beckman when Western Michigan comes to Memorial Stadium (more on that soon), and today we are treated to the 2012-2013 non-conference basketball schedule!

At this point in the year, many fans are already aware of what’s to come this season as far as non-conference games. But, it’s nice to see all the blanks filled in and all the information snuggly fitting together in one place. Start planning your fall accordingly, because here is what we’re looking at under new basketball HC John Groce:

Monday Oct. 22 Orange & Blue  7 p.m.
Saturday Oct. 27 Lewis (Exh.)
Sunday Nov. 4 West Chester (Exh.)
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————–
Friday Nov. 9 Colgate
Monday Nov. 12 St. Francis (N.Y.)
Friday Nov. 16 at Hawaii
Monday Nov. 19 vs. USC  Lahaina, Hawaii 11 p.m. ESPN2
Tuesday Nov. 20 vs. Texas/Chaminade Lahaina, Hawaii 9:30 p.m./4 p.m. ESPN2
Wednesday Nov. 21 vs. TBA Lahaina, Hawaii
Sunday Nov. 25 Gardner-Webb
Wednesday Nov. 28 Georgia Tech 8 p.m. ESPN2
Tuesday Dec. 4 Western Carolina
Saturday Dec. 8 at Gonzaga Spokane, Wash.
Tuesday Dec. 11 Norfolk State
Sunday Dec. 16 Eastern Kentucky
Saturday Dec. 22 vs. Missouri * St. Louis, Mo. (Scottrade Center)
Saturday Dec. 29 vs. Auburn Chicago, Ill. (United Center)

The season will officially kickoff on Nov. 9 at home against Colgate, and if you plan to attend stick around for the Minnesota football game the next day on Nov. 10.

Brandon Paul; Photo by Cary Frye

Nov. 16 at Hawaii will mark the first possible test, but it probably won’t be until Nov. 21 vs. Texas that we see what the team is really made of. On Nov. 21 we could finish off the Maui Invitational as champs, but that might be tough with names like Marquette and UNC also on the list.

Back home on Nov. 25 Gardner-Webb will be a nice break before the Illini welcome Georgia Tech on Nov. 28 as a part of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.

Mark your calendars for Dec. 8 vs. Gonzaga in Spokane, because that’s going to be a tough one. Coach Groce is going to fight hard to get the Illini back on track on Dec. 22 in St. Louis after three years in a row losing to Missouri in the Braggin’ Rights game.

Same is true on Dec. 29 as the Illini head to my backyard in the Chi to host Auburn, as the Illini have had some bad luck there as of late as well. Let’s face it, they’ve had bad luck everywhere the past few years, which is why we’ve got a new head coach.

I must say it seems strange to have the United Center game so late in the year, and I hope it won’t be screwing up any vacation plans. Although perhaps if I don’t attend they’ll finally get their UC Mojo back.

If you want to get in on the action,student season tickets are on sale now at FightingIllini.com. Single-game tickets will go on sale on Oct. 23 at 9 a.m., online, by phone or in person.

The Ron Zook “Reign of Terror” is over, and a new era Beck-ons in Champaign. We are just a little over a week away from the opening of the Illinois football season, so let’s talk about what to expect.

We are all very excited to have a new head coach in charge, and Tim Beckman certainly has the energy and devotion to make it work. However, there is still a coaching transition, so let’s keep these expectation in check, shall we?

Things to Smile About

On the plus side, this is the first time we’ve gone into a season after back-to-back winning seasons in 1989 and 1990. Also, we are the only Big Ten team to have won two bowl games in a row.

Yes, I know those bowl games were the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl and the Texas Bowl – but bowls are bowls and wins are wins, right? This means we have talent, and now perhaps we’ve got someone to harness that talent.

Some key guys coming back are QB Nathan Scheelhaase, LB Jonathan Brown and CB Terry Hawthorne. Scheelhaase had a bit of a tough year last year (well, most players did aside from Whitney Mercilus), but a junior quarterback is always a nice thing to have. Brown also had a strong year, and now he’s going to have to work even harder to step into those Mercilus shoes. In all 16 starters are coming back (7 offense, 8 defense).

Miles Osei is going to be doing everything except tossing cheerleaders on the sidelines, and sources are saying that our most improved area is on the special teams. There is even a competition for kicker.

Coach Tim Beckman; Photo by Cary Frye

In addition to Becks at the helm, we’ve got a great supporting cast in guys like Billy Gonzalez and football royalty Luke Butkus. Not to mention that there is no one around to call bad plays or forget how much time is on the clock (ahem Zook). There has always been a lot of hush hush talk about the way the players really feel about Zook, but now that he’s gone more people have been opening up.

A former Illini with a Super Bowl ring who shall remain nameless (hint: last name starts with weather and ends with a type of car made in the U.S. that rhymes with Lord) pretty much openly called Zook an asshole on the radio.

Perhaps Beckman and his staff can keep the talent calm and in check so they can do what they are supposed to do.

Things to Worry About

On the negative side, we lost the last six games of the season last year. The fact that they rallied to win the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl against UCLA might’ve been an indication that Coach Ron Zook was the problem (he was fired weeks before the game), but then again the interim coach that led them to the win – Vic Koenning – has also jumped ship when he wasn’t given any credit or a real offer to stay.

Also, we’ve lost Mercilus, and top receiver A.J. Jenkins. You know who we’re not going to miss? Mr. Jason run-down-the-center-two-inches-at-a-time-Ford.

Last year it was offense that was the problem, with the defense carrying the team most of the time.

Our biggest issue this season might be depth, especially on offense. There isn’t a lot of depth at WR, but there is some talent, starting with Jon Davis. Donovonn Young should be fine at RB, but not sure who else will be there. The new system is supposed to take care of the depth issues, but guys are going to get tired, and injured.

One of the keys to the transition is that the returning guys need to buy into Coach Beckman’s new system, and according to the rumors this is what’s happening. However, we’re not really going to see if this is happening until they get onto the field starting Sept. 1.

A Look at the Season

That first game against Western Michigan is going to tell us a whole lot. It’s a much different start than we’re used to of late, as our contract with Missouri has FINALLY run out. That means no more guaranteed loss in game one anymore! While Western Michigan is a much easier opponent, it is by no means a cake walk. It is a team that a talented Illini should beat, but we are an unsure football squad that has a lot to prove. If they win against Western Michigan, then that will set the tone for the season, which could be another winner.

Up next is Arizona State on Sept. 8, which could also go either way. They’re giant QB Brock Osweiler has gone to the NFL, and scary bully Vontaze Burfict is also out of the picture. However, it’s a road game against a Pac Ten opponent, so it could be a rough stretch. A win against WMU could give the Illini the confidence to beat the Sun Devils as well.

After that, we’ve got two easy wins at home with Charleston Southern (Sept. 15) and Louisiana Tech (Sept. 22). It is impossible to believe Penn State (Sept. 29) will have a chance at doing anything this year, but Bill O’Brien has coached a Super Bowl team and Tom Brady, which he reminds us often. This could be another, giving us the potential to start off 5-0. But then things take a bit of a turn.

Out with the Zook and in with the Beckman.

Go ahead and check the next two games at Wisconsin (Oct. 6) then at Michigan (Oct. 13) as losses, and then the Illini return home, rest for a week, and then beat up and embarrass Indiana (Oct. 27) and Kevin Wilson at home. We’ll get another loss at Ohio State (Nov. 3), and then things get interesting again.

Minnesota at home (Nov. 10) is certainly winable, which could secure the team’s 7th win. Then Purdue the next weekend on Nov. 17 could also give the Illini another W no the board. Rounding out the season is Northwestern in Evanston (Nov. 24), which is another big question mark that could go either way.

The way I see it, Illinois should have another winning season. If they win the games that will take effort but can be done (Western Michigan, ASU, Penn State) and then get those question marks taken care of (Purdue, Minnesota) then we should have some satisfied fans. However, is merely a winning going to be enough? I think AD Mike Thomas would say “not a chance.” So no pressure Tim Beckman, but Mike Thomas doesn’ t like to lose.

Beckman may not be a favorite in the league due to his unabashed admission that he has no problem pinching Penn State transfers (welcome Ryan Nowicki!) but he is on the up-and-up and that’s all I care about. The key is how the players respond, and that’s what we have to wait and see.

Illinois head coach Tim Beckman announced that offensive lineman Ryan Klachko (Sacred Heart-Griffin HS/Springfield, Ill.) has transferred to Illinois after spending last season at the University of Nebraska. Klachko has started practicing with  the Illini, but will not be able to play in 2012 due to NCAA transfer rules. He will have three years of eligibility remaining starting in 2013.

“Ryan was one of the top players in the state coming out of high school,” Beckman said of Klachko. “We’re happy to welcome Ryan back to Illinois, where he’ll be closer to his family and friends. After practicing with us this season, I look forward to him competing for playing time and providing depth on the offensive line starting in 2013.”

Klachko redshirted last year at Nebraska during his freshman season. Coming out of high school, Klachko was a four-star recruit and was ranked among the top 15 offensive guards in the country by both Rivals.com and Scout.com. Rivals.com listed him among the top 10 players in the state of Illinois and among the top 250 overall prospects in the nation.

Klachko joins former Northern Illinois defensive back Tommy Davis and former Penn State offensive lineman Ryan Nowicki as incoming transfers for this season. Both Davis and Nowicki are immediately eligible to play in 2012, Davis as a fifth-year graduate student and Nowicki due to a special exception, while Klachko must sit out 2012 due to normal NCAA transfer rules.

For Illini fans in Chicago, yesterday’s announcement was a dream come true: On Sept. 14, 2013, Illinois will host the Washington Huskies at Soldier Field.

It doesn’t matter who the opponent is really, all that’s important is that the Orange & Blue will be heading to Soldier Field!

“This is a great opportunity for our football team to play in one of the most historic football venues in the nation,” Director of Athletics Mike Thomas said. “Soldier Field is in an incredible location that will allow our fans in the Chicagoland area and from around the state an opportunity to watch the Fighting Illini take on an outstanding Pac-12 opponent in Washington.”

The Fighting Illini hosted current Pac-12 member Washington State at Soldier Field on Sept. 1, 1994, with what seems to be a typical Illinois/Pac 12 score of  10-9 in favor of the Cougars.

I’ve been hearing that some fans down south are a little upset that the Illini have given up a home game to play in Chicago, but they seem to be missing the point! Soldier Field is a historic venue, and with such a large conglomerate of fans in the Chicago area it’s great to have the opportunity to see them play close to our home. I can’t even count how many trips I’ve taken to Champaign over the years; I could get there on I57 in my sleep.

What I’m upset about is that Sept. 14, 2013 is Yom Kippur, which means unless the game is after sundown, I can’t go. I missed the game at Wrigley Field two years ago because I was watching the basketball team play in Madison Square Garden. I don’t regret that decision, but I will say I had those basketball plans made way before the Wrigley announcement was even made, so-.

Point is, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE schedule this game for the evening! It’s still going to be a stretch to make it work, but if they play during the day I’ll miss yet another exciting Illini visit in the Chi, and I’m not going to be happy.

That team upstate can have Chicago, because we represent the entire state.

That’s right, the University of Illinois Athletic Department has unveiled a new theme and logo, and we’ve got the whole state covered: “ILLINOIS. OUR STATE. OUR TEAM.”

 “As the flagship public institution in the state, this theme describes the statewide following and support of Fighting Illini athletics from our millions of fans and alumni in the state of Illinois,” Director of Athletics Mike Thomas said. “This theme becomes a way for all of our fans to rally behind one central concept – that the University of Illinois is our state’s school. As the Fighting Illini, our student-athletes, coaches and staff are proud to represent the people of Illinois and we are proud to wear the state’s name on the front of our jerseys.”

The theme will be used in a variety of ways including advertising, street banners, team posters, schedule cards, stadium signage and video board graphics. The early stages of the campaign began during the 2011-12 basketball season with the addition of the Block I outlined by the state of Illinois at center court of the Assembly Hall. The new field at Memorial Stadium has the same Block I with the outline of Illinois at midfield. New football uniforms are on the way for 2014.

Thomas started his tenure at Illinois by cleaning house and adding new coaches to take over football, as well as the men’s and women’s basketball teams. Now he’s creating a new identity for the program. Just like new football HC Tim Beckman, Thomas is aggressive -  and I love it.

Less than a month to go before the new era of the Illini begins!

Nothing wrong with being aggressive Coach Beckman!; Photo by Cary Frye

All anyone could talk about at the Big Ten Media Day was the ethical dilemma (or lack there of) that exists when recruiting players from sanction-riddled Penn State. Everyone had something to say on the matter, and with rumors swirling that eight Illini coaches made an appearance in Happy Valley just days after the ruling came down, head coach Tim Beckman became a target of ridicule.

No matter what the naysayers had to say, what Beckman did was perfectly legal under NCAA rules, and now it looks like it paid off. According to reports from Arizona high school sports reporter Richard Obert Ryan Nowicki, a 6-foot-5, 285-pound redshirt freshman, has told Illinois coaches that he will be leaving PSU and heading to Champaign for the fall. Though a 3-star player who might not have played at Penn State, he fills a much-needed hole for the Illini. Under the NCAA rules for PSU transfers, Nowicki will have immediate eligibility with the Illini.

Nowicki is from Illinois but grew up in Arizona. He was an all-state player at Cactus High School in Glendale and was ranked the No. 31 prep tackle by Rivals.com last year.

While many Big Ten coaches claimed they would have nothing to do with recruiting Penn State players, Beckman was one of the few who admitted to speaking with players about transferring to Illinois. Before taking any questions at the Media Day he let everyone know he had been to Happy Valley, but he hadn’t been on campus. Some have commented that the number of coaches was excessive, but there were two players on the Illini radar, both offensive and defensive. When addressing two completely different players, different coaches would have to be involved. No one seemed to care that USC brought a similar amount to campus when talking to Silas Redd, who has already agreed to transfer.

Regardless, Beckman’s aggressive approach pissed people off. Dick Vitale even stuck his basketball nose in the mix and said on Twitter: “The Way ILLINI went after PSU players -did not break any rules – but TOTALLY CLASSLESS – on campus = VULTURES – same conf = WOW NO RESPECT.”

Clearly Dickie V was rather pissed, even though it had nothing to do with his beloved Blue Devils or a sport he knows anything about. I see how it is a touchy subject, but many of these players are going to want to leave Penn State now that they have the option. If I played football for the Nittany Lions, I can see how jumping ship would be appealing. Are B1G coaches supposed to sit idly by and let other conferences swoop in and get these players that want to leave anyway?

I know that I always view these situations with Orange & Blue lenses, but I like that Beckman was aggressive – especially now that it has paid off. He followed the rules and according to him he did NOT go on campus. He let some players know that he was happy to listen if they wanted to talk, and guess what they wanted to talk. And now we’ve landed a great player who would’ve simply gone somewhere else. Better that Nowicki decides to come to the Illini rather than to a competitor.

Welcome Ryan Nowicki!