Episodes
4 days ago
Bye Week Babble (11/07/24)
4 days ago
4 days ago
Illinois football is 6-3 during their second bye week, yet a bit of momentum feels lost after two straight losses. Mike Carpenter hits the reset button and looks ahead to the last three games of the year, and discusses where Bret Bielema's team stands entering the home stretch. Later, he opens the listener mailbag and reads how fans are feeling ahead of the Michigan State, Rutgers, and Northwestern games.
6 days ago
Oh, Oh, Oh, Will Riley! (11/05/24)
6 days ago
6 days ago
Illinois basketball starts off the 2024-25 season with a 112-67 blowout win over Eastern Illinois. Mike Carpenter discusses the debut of many new faces, including 5-star freshman Will Riley's record-setting 31-point performance, Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn's 21 off the bench, and Tomislav Ivisic and Kasparas Jakucionis' impressive debuts. Meanwhile, Ty Rodgers will redshirt this season, surprising news that broke just before tip-off.
Tuesday Oct 29, 2024
Au Revoir, Gopher (10/29/24)
Tuesday Oct 29, 2024
Tuesday Oct 29, 2024
Humbled after a blowout loss at Oregon, Illinois football returns home to face PJ Fleck's Minnesota team. Mike Carpenter discusses the takeaways from Saturday's loss (including a few positives), and what it means for Bret Bielema's team as they enter a winnable home stretch of the season. Later, he opens up the listener mailbag to see how fans think the team will fare in their final four games.
Wednesday Oct 23, 2024
Duck Hunt (10/23/24)
Wednesday Oct 23, 2024
Wednesday Oct 23, 2024
Fresh off a memorable home win against Michigan, #20 Illinois hits the road to take on top-ranked Oregon. Mike Carpenter discusses the tall task ahead of Bret Bielema's squad, currently 21.5-point underdogs, as they head to the West Coast. He also talks about how the 6-1 start eases the nerves heading into the marquee matchup, and opens the listener mailbag to see how other fans think Illinois will fare.
Sunday Oct 20, 2024
The Game of the Century (10/20/24)
Sunday Oct 20, 2024
Sunday Oct 20, 2024
Illinois football celebrates the 100th Anniversary of Memorial Stadium in style, beating 24th-ranked Michigan 21-7 on a perfect Saturday afternoon in Champaign. Mike Carpenter reflects on the momentous win for Bret Bielema's squad, from the Red Grange-inspired throwback uniforms to the electric sold out crowd. He opens up the listener mailbag to discuss what the victory means not just for the football program, but for a loyal fan base longing for sustained success.
AVAILABLE NOW! The 200 Level: An Illinois Fighting Illini Basketball Fan's Journey, by Mike Carpenter Hardcover, paperback, e-book and audiobook available through Amazon. LINK: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DDLFY7Y9
Monday Oct 14, 2024
Ann Arbor is a What Now? (10/14/24)
Monday Oct 14, 2024
Monday Oct 14, 2024
It's a big week for Illini football as Michigan comes to town for the 100th anniversary of Memorial Stadium. Mike Carpenter is chomping at the bit for Saturday and reflects on the journey through the Bret Bielema era to get to this point. He dives into reasons why both teams can come away with a win, but ultimately believes one has a few more advantages than the other.
Tuesday Oct 08, 2024
Boiler Ugh! (10/08/24)
Tuesday Oct 08, 2024
Tuesday Oct 08, 2024
Mike Carpenter returns after the bye week to preview Illinois football's matchup against Ryan Walters' struggling Purdue Boilermakers. He opens up the listener mailbag to see how Illini fans think their team will fare over the next four games, and discusses the different paths available for Bret Bielema's team to have a very good-to-great season.
AVAILABLE NOW! The 200 Level: An Illinois Fighting Illini Basketball Fan's Journey, by Mike Carpenter Hardcover, paperback, e-book and audiobook available through Amazon.
LINK: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DDLFY7Y9
Thursday Oct 03, 2024
Book Release Event w/ Lon Tay . . . and Dee Brown! (10/03/24)
Thursday Oct 03, 2024
Thursday Oct 03, 2024
Mike Carpenter welcomes old friend Lon Tay to help celebrate the release of The 200 Level book! They discuss the writing process, the last 30+ years of Illini basketball, and share memories and experiences along the way. Then, they are joined by an unplanned surprise guest - Dee Brown! - who helps to close things out.
AVAILABLE NOW! The 200 Level: An Illinois Fighting Illini Basketball Fan's Journey, by Mike Carpenter Hardcover, paperback, e-book and audiobook available through Amazon.
LINK: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DDLFY7Y9