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Greetings from "Can't Wait For Saturday," your morning morsel of college football, courtesy of longtime Illini beat writer, AP Top 25 voter and Heisman state rep Bob Asmussen. He'll give you his views each day on the game he loves
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As promised, here is my prediction for Saturday night's Illinois-Kansas game at sold-out Memorial Stadium: Kansas 28, Illinois 24.
Before you start writing me clever emails questioning my judgment -- always a reasonable point -- understand that I am wrong on most everything, So, Illinois fans should gain comfort in that.
I'm not predicting a lopsided-feeling game like last year. It will go down to the wire, with Kansas star running back Devin Neal scoring a late touchdown for the win.
While a win would be huge for Illinois, a close loss to a playoff contender counts as an important sign of life for Bret Bielema's team. If you can hang with the CFP contender, you can hang with any team on the schedule.
Even the most optimistic Illinois fan isn't expecting a Big Ten title this year. The key is to take a step and that means getting back to a bowl. Anything more than that is gravy.
If I am correct about the outcome, it makes the Illinois trips to Nebraska and Penn State crucial.
By the way, it is not too late to send me your picks. You have until kickoff to email me at [email protected]. Please include your name and where you live now. You can make my life easier by putting your prediction on the subject line. The winner will be praised in an upcoming CWFS.
Thanks for reading and enjoy Football Day.