Week 2 – Illinois at Arizona State

Week 2 CFN Fearless Prediction – Illinois at Arizona State

- CFN Fearless Predictions

Illinois (1-0) at Arizona State (1-0) Sept. 8, 10:30, ESPN

Here’s The Deal: Illinois and Arizona State meet for the fourth time in a Big Ten-Pac-12 clash that could provide a nice jolt for one of the rookie head coaches. In Tim Beckman’s first game in Champaign, the Illini suffocated Western Michigan, 24-7, despite not finishing it with injured QB Nathan Scheelhaase on the field. The offensive linchpin hurt his ankle in the win, and is questionable for this week’s trip to Tempe. Sun Devils head coach Todd Graham debuted by easily handling Northern Arizona, 63-6. Was the explosion a mirage in the desert, the result of opening with an overmatched FCS visitor, or are the Devils better than preseason forecasts? A visit from Illinois is going to answer a bunch of questions about the 2012 trajectory and potential of both programs.

Why Illinois Might Win: The offense is a serious question mark, but the Illini D is going to cause problems for the Sun Devils. Beckman inherited some serious talent on defense, such as LB Jonathan Brown, DE Michael Buchanan and DT Akeem Spence. Against a dangerous Western Michigan offense last week, Illinois created four turnovers, yielded negative rushing yards and allowed just one score. Despite last week’s outburst, Arizona State is still questionable on offense. QB Taylor Kelly will not strike fear into the Illini secondary, and the O-line is liable to get whipped all night.

Why Arizona State Might Win: The Sun Devils have concerns on offense, but then again, Illinois does as well. The Illini sputtered badly with the ball against an average MAC defense, a situation that’ll be exacerbated if Scheelhaase is out or gimpy. It was unable to run the ball, an indictment of a young and inconsistent O-line. Arizona State will counter with a D that feels pretty good about itself right now. Strong up the middle with the likes of DT Will Sutton and LB Brandon Magee, the Devils get to the ball quickly, and darn near pitched a shutout in the opener.

What To Watch Out For: This game will hinge on the Arizona State ground game. If the Sun Devils can even approach last week’s production, 305 yards and seven touchdowns, they’ll be well on their way to win No. 2. Graham boasts a deep stable of backs that includes starter Cameron Marshall, high-profile JUCO transfer Marion Grice and blue-chip recruit D.J. Foster. Waiting on the other side of the line, though, will be that stout Illinois front seven, which gives up very little ground to opposing runners. If pressed into too many third-and-long situations, it’ll be a frustrating night for Kelly and his offensive mates.

What Will Happen: In a game that figures to be dictated by the defenses, Illinois will hold the upper hand in a nip-and-tuck, low-scoring game. The Scheelhaase situation is a concern, but if necessary the Illini will just scale back the playbook for backup Reilly O’Toole. The Sun Devils offense, so prolific versus Northern Arizona, will have a tough time navigating an opponent that’ll know what’s coming, and has the right mix of players to stop the running game in its tracks. At some point in the second half, a smattering of calls from the stands for backup ASU QB Michael Eubank cannot be ruled out.

CFN Prediction: Illinois 23 … Arizona State 17
ATS Consultants Line (Click for more lines and picks) Arizona State -3 O/U: 49
Must Watch Rating (5 – Phineas & Ferb, 1 – Steve Harvey): 2.5