Illinois Football: Las Vegas underestimating Illini Nation

The Illinois football team struggled, to say the least, in 2016.

This was a season of question marks, though. It was the first year under new head coach, Lovie Smith, after a great deal of turmoil struck the program right before the 2015 season started. Illinois went through a change at the Athletic Director position, had three different head coaches and a completely new coaching staff between August 28, 2015 and March 7, 2016. For those of you counting at home, that is only a 193-day span.

So the fact this program managed to scrounge up three victories among all that uncertainty isn’t a terrible feat. They should have actually won four games that year but they fell to Purdue in overtime. There is a new season on the horizon, though. The 2017 campaign is right around the corner and Lovie has had a chance to recruit a full class.

The Illini ended up securing a top 50 class of 2017, and there were some key pieces that Lovie end up snagging, including three four-star recruits. Despite what many people are saying about this team, Illinois has a chance to win some ball games in 2017. Illini fans share that same feeling as well.

Las Vegas currently has the Illinois football win total as over-under 3.5 wins for 2017. That number seems a little low, so I put a poll together on Twitter to ask Illini Nation what they thought about the win total. Here is how the poll finished up.

A vast majority of fans have higher hopes than those of Vegas. The poll shows that 85-percent of fans think Illinois will win at least four games in 2017. But, what four games are the Illini most likely to win?

Just looking at the schedule, I automatically go to the home games to see what is on the slate. Ball State is a home game to kick off the season. I have that as an easy victory. The next home game that should be a solid win is against Rutgers. That would be win number two.

The third win for the Illini would be against Indiana at home as well. That gives the Illini three wins on the season. Now let’s look at the away games. Last season, Illinois should have beat Purdue in what was an ugly game. If it wasn’t for a missed field goal, that game would have been sealed up. That would be the fourth win for Illinois in 2017.

But, how high can this team go? Can they hit the six win mark and make a bowl game? I think they can. The rest of the home games consist of Western Kentucky, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Northwestern. There are two wins in there if the Illini play their A-game.

The rest of the away games are South Florida, Iowa, Minnesota and Ohio State. That is a rough away schedule and Illinois would be lucky to get one of those games.

Next: Illini class of 2018 confidence meter

The Vegas over-under total of 3.5 should put a chip on the shoulders of all the Illinois football players. That is an embarrassing number and I think they have it in them to at least hit four wins in 2017. Watch for them to shock the world and, potentially, hit the six win mark, though.