Game Predictions: No. 24 Michigan at No. 22 Illinois

Game previews, bold predictions and final score predictions for Michigan football's Week 8 road trip to Illinois!

Matt Lounsberry | 2 Hours Ago

No. 24 Michigan Wolverines vs. No. 22 Illinois Fighting Illini / Matt Lounsberry — Michigan Wolverines On SI

Coming out of a bye week, No. 24 Michigan looks for a season-reset behind a new starting quarterback, seventh-year senior Jack Tuttle, in their final six games of the year.

That begins this weekend when the Wolverines (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten) travel to No. 22 Illinois (5-1, 2-1) for their second road game in three weeks, following Michigan's 27-17 defeat at the hands of Washington on Oct. 5. The Fighting Illini are off to strong start under fourth-year head coach Bret Bielema, and are seeking their first win over the Wolverines since 2009.

Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

It's a game Illinois has likely had circled for some time. The last time these two programs squared off in 2022, the Fighting Illini led for the majority of the second half, until Jake Moody's field goal with nine seconds left gave Michigan a 19-17 victory in Ann Arbor. This year's meeting will be the first in which both teams are ranked since 2001.

After opening as just a slight favorite, Michigan has grown to a 3.5-point favorite over Illinois heading into Saturday. Below, Michigan Wolverines On SI editor Chris Breiler, senior writer Trent Knoop and contributing writer Matt Lounsberry share their thoughts on the game with Two Bold Predictions, Game Previews, and Final Score Predictions.

Chris’ Two Bold Predictions

1. Michigan outscores Illinois in the second half

It's concerning that this is a bold prediction for the Michigan Wolverines, but it's also a sad reality of what the last four weeks have looked like. Michigan has been outscored in the second half of its last four games, including Arkansas State (15-7), USC (21-13), Minnesota (21-6), and Washington (13-7). There's no telling exactly how things will play out on Saturday, but I do think the Wolverines put an end to their streak of poor second half play on Saturday.

2. Jack Tuttle sets all new career highs at Michigan

Seems bold on the surface, but not exactly bold when you take a closer look. Tuttle set all new career highs two weeks ago in the loss to Washington. But those career highs included 18 attempts, 10 completions, 98 yards, 1 touchdown, and a 22 yard completion through the air. With a full two weeks of preparation under his belt, I think we see a highly productive afternoon from Tuttle on Saturday - 20+ attempts, 15+ completions, 125+ yards, 2 touchdowns (or more), and a completion of over 22 yards. All reasonable expectations from a seventh year veteran.

Trent’s Two Bold Predictions

1. Jack Tuttle throws for 175 yards

When Tuttle came in for Alex Orji two weeks ago against Washington, he provided a spark to the Wolverines' offense. Michigan took a 17-14 lead with Tuttle in charge, but two late turnovers cost Michigan that victory. Now that Tuttle had a whole week to prep and practice for Illinois, I think Michigan finally gets what needs from the quarterback spot. He likely won't be elite, but Tuttle is experienced enough to make things happen for the Wolverines.

2. Amorion Walker grabs 3 receptions

Since Walker's return to Ann Arbor, he's gone mostly unused. However, we did see one connection between Tuttle and Walker against Washington, which resulted in a 22-yard reception. Walker played a season-high nine snaps vs. the Huskies, and Sherrone Moore said earlier this week he thinks wide receiver's role will continue to grow. With the belief that Michigan will get better quarterback play with Tuttle at the helm, I think the Wolverines attempt to get their athletic freak more involved as well.

Matt’s Two Bold Predictions

1. Michigan exceeds 300 yards of total offense

This doesn't sound like a bold prediction, and for most college offenses it wouldn't be, but the Wolverines have only gone over 300 total yards twice this season, and just once against a Power 4 opponent (322 vs. USC). With that said, I feel better about Michigan's offense now than I have at any point this season, and that's because I believe they finally have the right guy at quarterback. That's something of a bold statement in and of itself, due to the fact that Jack Tuttle is making his first career start for the Wolverines and we've only seen him lead this offense for three quarters thus far, but I'll stand behind the statement. While I believe Michigan will need to make some plays through the air, this prediction also takes into consideration that Illinois ranks just 77th nationally in rush yards per game allowed. That's good news for Kalel Mullings and Donovan Edwards, and with a passing threat finally in the backfield with them, those two guys could be in for big days.

2. Kalel Mullings, Donovan Edwards both exceed 75 rushing yards

I'm gonna double-down on the last sentence of my previous bold prediction, and make it another right here. Mullings was mostly bottled up against Washington, and I'll bet he's itching to get back on track after two weeks off. Meanwhile, we saw Edwards run with a lot of conviction against the Huskies, and I'm banking on the hope that'll carry over into this game. Edwards is too important and too much of a face of this program to shrink back into obscurity. Michigan needs him to lead and be a focal point of this offense.

Chris’ Preview, Score Prediction

Michigan is such a wildcard team. If they play well, it could be over by halftime. If they play like they've played during the first six weeks, this could be a full four quarter battle. At this point, I'm willing to give the coaching staff the benefit of the doubt and believe that we'll see a better brand of football in the second half of the season. At the same time, Illinois isn't a slouch this year, and Champaign will be rocking with fans looking to see the Fighting Illini hand the Wolverines their third loss of the season.

Score Prediction: Michigan 20, Illinois 17

Trent’s Preview, Score Prediction

I lean toward Michigan this week and while that could be naive -- I thought the Wolverines would win in Washington -- I think a whole week of practice will benefit the maize and blue. Plus, Purdue just about beat Illinois last weekend and the Boilermakers are one of the worst teams in the Big Ten -- with a backup quarterback. Illinois' weakness is Michigan's strength. The Illini struggle to stop the run and struggle to protect Luke Altmyer. Michigan enjoys running the football and getting pressure on the opposition. If the Michigan secondary can step up and make plays, this game could be more than a 10-point win that I'm predicting. But if Jyaire Hill and Zeke Berry continue to struggle then Altmyer could be in store for a big day and Michigan will once again be in store for a long day.

Score Prediction: Michigan 31, Illinois 21

Matt’s Preview, Score Prediction

Let's face it, it's hard to know what to expect in this game. Michigan is coming off a bye week, and that has given Tuttle extra time to get acclimated with the first team offense and prepare for Illinois' defense. That, combined with the Fighting Illini's vulnerability against the run, has me believing we'll see one of Michigan's better offensive outputs of the season this week. With that said, Tuttle doesn't play defense, and the Wolverines' secondary has still a lot to improve before I start trusting that unit. Perhaps the bye also gave time for some of Michigan's banged-up defensive backs to get healthy and return to availability, but that's no guarentee. We've seen good and bad from cornerback Jyaire Hill, but nickelback Zeke Berry has been consistently targeted by opposing quarterbacks, often to great success. I'm afraid of what Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer might do in this game, but I've leaned Michigan in this matchup throughout the entire week.

Score Prediction: Michigan 30, Illinois 24

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