Top 3 Most Annoying Opponents to Lose to

Illini fans go through it on Twitter. Myself included, we sometimes make it seem like we should win every game. The truth of the matter is that our passion simply does not allow us to digest a loss in a healthy and rational matter. Whether it is the fiery takes that Brad Underwood lost his locker room or the doom and gloom after a slow half, Illini twitter has it all. There are 3 opponents that I feel like are the most annoying to lose to. A loss to these opponents always seem to suck the life out of the passionate fanbase that we have.

Missouri

The Bragging Rights game is always a source of emotion. Though Missouri has not been great the past decade or so, Illinois fans always expect to pummel the Tigers. Unfortunately for Illinois, they have dropped 4 of the last 5 battles. Most of them have been in rather frustrating fashion.

Remember when Ayo Dosunmu dropped 36 on Mark Smith and the Cuonzo Martin-led Missouri Tigers? We lost that game. I specifically remember how hyped up I was for this game. Ayo Dosunmu was at his peak, and Kofi Cockburn came into his own. We had just beat Duke and expectations were high. Despite this, Missouri rolled us. This was the game where I solemnly vowed to never throw a temper tantrum. 2022 did not fare much better after Dennis Gates was welcomed into the battle with a 20 point drubbing of Illinois

Northwestern

Look, Northwestern has always been the inferior school. Illinois has also dominated this “rivalry” winning 141 of the 185 games played. Personally, Northwestern is always that team that I expect to beat, however do get a little scared when they are remotely competent. I think losing to the Wildcats in any sport always remind Illinois fans that we are not too far too removed from mediocrity, both in Football and Basketball.

Additionally, it just feels weird to lose to such a school with annoying, clueless fans such as Northwestern.

Iowa

That loss a few weeks ago at Carver-Hawkeye really took the wind out of everyone’s sails. Maybe because the subsequent Minnesota game was cancelled for COVID-19 reasons, but after the loss, Illinois content has just kind of reached a dead zone. The week between this game and Rutgers felt like an eternity, and I do believe that loss in Iowa City had a lot to do with it. After a noisy week, Illinois came up insanely close to picking off their main rival. 

Looking back, Illinois vs Iowa in Champaign has always lead to electric atmospheres. Whether it was the last game before COVID hit, or the Big Ten regular season clincher, the Hawkeyes always infuse the fanbase with emotion. However, a loss does the opposite.

In all, Illinois fans hate to lose. However these three schools seem to have a more significant effect on the fanbase than most. I definitely left off a few (IU, Michigan), but which schools would you vow have just as large an effect.