#153 ASA PLAY ON 8* Illinois +2.5 over Indiana, Friday at 8 PM ET - The Illini got off to a great start last week with an easy 38-6 win over Wyoming. We realize the Cowboys aren’t going to be very good this year as they lost a ton of production on both sides of the ball, that being said we were still impressed with Illinois. New starting QB DeVito, transfer from Syracuse, gives the Illini their best starting QB in the last 5+ years. He threw for just under 200 yards, 2 TD’s and completed 73% of his passes. A very nice complement to what looks like a very solid running attack that put up 260 yards last week. New OC Tunney will make Illinois a much better offensive team this year. The defense ranked 31st nationally last season on YPP allowed and held Wyoming to 212 total yards and 4.1 YPP. 11 of Wyoming’s 13 offensive possessions last Saturday were 5 plays or fewer. The Indiana offense will struggle in this one after losing most of their production from last season as they rank 106th in percentage of yards returning. They will be breaking in a new QB after losing Penix who is now the starter for Washington. Either Tuttle or Bazelak (Mizzou transfer) will get the call here as they try and improve an offense that was flat out bad last year scoring 15 points or less in all but one Big 10 game. We think they’ll struggle again this year, especially early in the season. IU was just 2-10 last season and didn’t win a single conference game. They are one of the most inexperienced teams in the league after losing nearly 50% of their letterman (129th nationally). They were an underdog in every Big 10 game but one last year and that was vs Rutgers. The Hoosiers lost that game 38-3. They are now favored here over an Illinois team we feel is better on both sides of the ball. This current spread says these 2 teams would be around even on a neutral field. No way. Illinois is better and we’ll take the points.