SOC - Western Michigan

It's wild that I'm sitting here writing the SOC. Current time: 11:21 pm. I woke up this morning at 4:58 and have not paused one single second since. My whole week has been like that and I'm going to start this SOC by telling you why.

Tomorrow is the firefighter tailgate that we planned. Our tailgate crew purchased 50 tickets and invited firefighters and their families to tailgate around our fire truck and then go in and enjoy the game. We're really looking forward to it.

Then last week, if you hadn't heard, two Champaign firefighters were attacked on a call. Someone called 911 and when the firefighters and EMTs showed up, he attacked two firefighters and a paramedic with a knife. Two of them were hospitalized (one was stabbed 9 times) but thankfully they recovered and have been released from the hospital.

After that happened, I contacted the Champaign Firefighters Benevolent Association and asked if we could hold a fundraiser. So we have partnered with them to raise money tomorrow for their organization. They help first responders and their families after tragedy strikes, and I can't think of a better organization to raise money for at our firefighter tailgate.

SO, if you're going to be there tomorrow – like, if you're going to be there at all, even if you're not tailgating – please swing by Engine 77 and toss some money in a boot. We'll also have a QR code on the boots that allows you to donate money directly to the organization. I'm likely going to regret going public with our tailgate location (I've already published it on Twitter), but here's where you can find us:

We'll actually have a second fire truck at the tailgate (from the Danville FD), so we should be easy to find. Or you can just listen for the siren. I plan to ring it fifteen hundred dozen times.

It's funny that the Gies Memorial Stadium happened this week because this was already my busiest week of the year and the press conferences were added on Tuesday and Friday. I had a half hour radio spot on Tuesday, and hour radio spot on Wednesday, I spoke at the QB Club last night, and I've been planning the tailgate plus the fundraiser all week. Plus I wrote 2,000 words on the Whitman press conference and then 4,500 words on the NERDstats (plus a newsletter that I haven't sent yet).

That's why it's so surreal to be sitting here with the final thing on my list being the SOC. Besides a walk with my wife Monday morning and Wednesday morning and coffee with a friend Tuesday morning, I've done nothing but website/tailgate/fundraiser from the moment I wake up to the moment I go to sleep every day this week. I don't think I've ever done that in my life. No TV, no read an article, no sit and watch a game. Just this incredibly long list that has things like "print labels for boots" and "get gas for generator." From first thing Monday morning to this moment on Friday night.

But it's all worth it. I'm beyond excited for tomorrow. We've been wanting to do something to honor firefighters ever since we bought the fire truck, and now is the perfect time to do it. But did we have to have three press conferences this week? Oh well, I guess I can handle my team getting $100,000,000.

By the way, if you didn't see my question and the excellent answer from Larry Gies today (I put it out on Twitter), here it is:

What a great answer.

The Western Michigan game? There's a football game tomorrow? I haven't really even thought about the football game tomorrow. This is the least I've thought about a game in years. I know I probably said that about the Western Illinois game, but this week broke the record. I did nothing but look at the list to see what's next.

Sunday, by the way? Sunday I am doing nothing. NO THING. I don't have an NFL team but I'm gonna watch a bunch of games on Sunday. I'm going to sweat out 11 lbs tomorrow so Sunday I'm just going to drink 8 bottles of Powerade Zero Mixed Berry and not move. I'm not getting up until I have to go to the press conference at noon on Monday. NO THING.

Here's what I want from this Western Michigan game: I want... a little test? I'm hoping for something uncomfortable. We will have lots of uncomfortable moments at Indiana and at home against USC. So I want us to be as prepared as possible for those moments.

I told KGJ today that my ideal game is 31-20 tomorrow. We're never at risk of losing, but the whole thing is a bit uncomfortable. And when they score with 33 seconds left to make it 31-20 instead of 31-13, we all look around and say things like "shouldn't the #9 team beat Western Michigan by more than 11?" And then the coaches use that to have the greatest week of practice ever and we beat Indiana by 24 on the road.

That's not what I think will happen. I think we win by a lot. But that's what I'm kinda hoping happens. Why?

We're tied with Memphis and Ohio State for the longest winning streak in the country. We're going to play a bad game at some point in the next three - that's a guarantee. Wouldn't you rather the bad game happen tomorrow than either of the next two weeks? If we're going to have a "slap the tube TV on the side to get it to work" game in September, this is the best one, right?

So I want some discomfort. Just enough to keep us from thinking we're all that when we head to Indiana next week. A "maybe we can't just show up and win." I think I'll just take my scenario above, assume that they don't score with 33 seconds left to make it 31-20, and go with...

Illinois 31, Western Michigan 13