Tim Beckman will be on the big stage! Illini football vs Washington on September 13th was just announced as a nationally televised game on Fox. Not Fox Sports 1 or Fox Sports 2, or FSN Regional networks, but regular old non-cable Fox.
Yes, Illini football is now going to be a marquee, signature game on that specific college football Saturday. Is Becks ready for this?
Washington isn’t Oregon or Stanford or anything like that, but they are decent. Illini football vs UW kicks at 3pm CST, 1 Pacific, and it leads into Fox’s big boy prime time game, UCLA vs. Texas from Dallas Cowboys Stadium.
Washington leads the all-time series with the Illini football program by a 6-4 margin, including a 34-24 victory over the Illini at Soldier Field in 2013, the first meeting between the two teams in 41 years. It was a close game for a little while. The Illini kept it somewhat competitive for awhile, despite giving up 623 total yards.
Steve Hull dropped a sure TD early on that could have maybe been critical for momentum and keeping the margin close. I can’t say I really like the chances of the 2014 Illini football game in this one.
Washington holds a 3-1 series margin in Seattle. The last time the two teams played at Husky Stadium was on Sept. 30, 1972, a 31-11 Washington victory. Husky Stadium recently finished a $280 million renovation prior to the 2013 season. But hey Illini football on the biggest stage, or what is BY FAR the biggest game Beckman has coached this Illini football team. It will certainly be the first Illini football game on regular non pay TV of the Beckman era.
Paul M. Banks owns The Sports Bank.net, an affiliate of Fox Sports. He’s also a frequent guest on national talk radio. Banks, a former contributor to NBC Chicago and the Washington Times, has been featured in numerous outlets including NFL.com, Forbes and the History Channel. President Barack Obama follows him on Twitter (@paulmbanks)