2016 Illinois Fighting Illini Football Predictions and Season Win Total Picks

by Robert Ferringo - 8/2/2016

2015 Record: 5-7

2016 Las Vegas Season Win Total: 4.5*

2016 Season Win Total Picks NCAA Football: 'Under'

Well, Lovie is coming to Champagne. Lovie Smith, former coach of the Chicago Bears, has left the NFL and made his return to Illinois as the Illini's new coach. There's no doubt Smith's bona fides will give Illinois football a little jolt of credibility, something that's been desperately lacking while the program has wallowed in the Big Ten basement for most of the past decade.

Lovie might sell tickets and buck up boosters. But can Smith win games at the college level? It's a fair question considering the massive differences between the college and pro games. And, frankly, given Lovie's Cover-2 philosophy I feel like there will be a healthy learning curve for the highly-decorated coach.

There's also the small matter of talent. And Illinois doesn't have much of it. Maybe Smith will be able to stock the cupboard, and once he does I'm sure he'll parlay that into some bowl games and competitive teams. But in the here and now he's got a bit of an empty deck. Illinois has 11 returning starters, and everyone will be learning new systems on both sides of the ball.

The good news is Lovie has a solid quarterback. Oklahoma State transfer Wes Lundt is in his second year and he can play a bit. A trio of other three-year starters will help make up an offense that should be much more effective than last year's group. Transfer linebacker Hardy Nickerson (whose father is the new defensive coordinator) will help bolster a defense in desperate need of an identity. But that's not enough in a stocked Big Ten this year.

It will take time to rebuild Illinois. And Smith will certainly do it. But expectations have to be pretty low. They'll grab a gimme against FBS foe Murray State in the opener, but there aren't many sure things after that. I can see them springing a couple upsets and they will likely be favored against Purdue. I think they should get to four wins, but I don't see five. I'll play this one 'under'.

2016 Illinois Fighting Illini Schedule

DATE	OPPONENT	TIME (ET)	Location	Result
Sat, Sep 3rd, 2016	Murray State	03:30 PM	Memorial Stadium
Sat, Sep 10th, 2016	North Carolina	07:30 PM	Memorial Stadium
Sat, Sep 17th, 2016	Western Michigan	04:00 PM	Memorial Stadium
Sat, Oct 1st, 2016	at Nebraska	03:30 PM	Tom Osborne Field
Sat, Oct 8th, 2016	Purdue	01:00 PM	Memorial Stadium
Sat, Oct 15th, 2016	at Rutgers	12:00 PM	High Point Stadium
Sat, Oct 22nd, 2016	at Michigan	03:30 PM	Michigan Stadium
Sat, Oct 29th, 2016	Minnesota	12:00 PM	Memorial Stadium
Sat, Nov 5th, 2016	Michigan State	01:00 PM	Memorial Stadium
Sat, Nov 12th, 2016	at Wisconsin	03:30 PM	Camp Randall Stadium
Sat, Nov 19th, 2016	Iowa	01:00 PM	Memorial Stadium
Sat, Nov 26th, 2016	at Northwestern	01:00 PM	Ryan Field

All Times EST

Robert Ferringo has been the top football handicapper in the country the past five years, earning nearly $13,000 in total football profit with four of six winning seasons. Robert tallied over $20,000 in football profit between 2011 and 2016, including his amazing 2013 NFL season in which he hit 62.1 percent (95-58). Robert has produced 14 of 22 winning football months and an amazing 37 of 57 winning football months over the past decade. Robert has eight of nine winning NFL preseasons and he is at nearly 60 percent winners over his last 750 totals picks. Also, Robert's proprietary KING College Football Betting System has posted three of four winning seasons and is 122-92 over the last three years (57.0 percent).

We are offering new clients $60 in free college football picks for Robert's picks or any Advisory Board handicapper of your choosing. Get your free college football picks now!

Start:	November 23, 2024 @ 3:30 PM
Expert:	Scott Spreitzer
Free $60 Account Sign Up

Most Recent College Football Handicapping