Can't Wait For Saturday | Other than the money (I assume) did McCray improve his situation?

Sign up for our daily Illini football newsletter here Greetings from "Can't Wait For Saturday," your morning morsel of college football, courtesy of longtime Illini beat writer, AP Top 25 voter and Heisman state rep Bob Asmussen. He'll give you his views each day on the game he loves. *** I said this is on our WDWS radio show Monday night and believe it the more I think about it: Josh McCray had a better chance for success at his old place than the new school.

At best, he made a sideways step from Illinois to Georgia. He went from possible backup at Illinois to almost certain backup with the Bulldogs. Nate Frazier, Georgia's leading rusher in 2024, returns for his sophomore season.



He has three years of eligibility as opposed to the one McCray brings with him from Illinois. If there is a question for the Georgia coaches about which guy should get more carries, doesn't logic tell you it will be the guy with more time left on his clock? Now, if Georgia wants to use a two-man running game, McCray is a good fit. He has been part of a platoon at knows the drill.

I question if McCray has improved his chance for team success. Folks in the SEC will scream at me, but I like to look at the facts before I shout. Illinois won 10 games in 2024 and has a favorable '25 schedule.

The only game you know Illinois will be the underdog going into the season is the October home matchup with defending national champion Ohio State. But for every other game -- before the season starts -- Illinois will be at worst on a level field. Georgia, on the other hand, travels to Tennessee and hosts Alabama in September.

It's got the annual neutral-site game against Florida and hosts Mississippi and Texas later. The Longhorns bring back a loaded team and oodles of motivation against Georgia after losing to the Bulldogs twice in 2024. Using any reasonable analysis, Georgia's schedule is more difficult than the one Illinois faces.

With all of this in mind, understand that I won't be a bit surprised if McCray shines in the SEC. He is a good guy and an excellent player. He gave Illinois four years and helped it win 10 games in a season.

Fans here are in his corner, unless the teams meet in the first round of the College Football Playoff. That would be fun to watch..