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Can't Wait For Saturday | And the winner is ... Geneva's Rob Barnes

The News-Gazette · BOB ASMUSSEN asmussen-gazette com · 2026-09-10T16:28:35+00:00 · nguồn gốc

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. *** Tip of the cap to Barnes, this week's star prognosticator. He nailed the Illinois score on the button, 42. And he missed UAB's total 23 by two points. Barnes went with 21. So close to a perfect score and the Papa Del's gift card that goes with it. Barnes, a Class of 1985 Illinois graduate is a repeat winner and clearly good at this. I'm hoping he will send me his picks for the Powerball. Barnes was a member of the Marching Illini and met his wife in the band. How cool. They sit in the West Balcony in Row 11 at the 50. They have attended the games with a group of friends from the Marching Illini for 46 years. Rob has missed just five home games in all that time. Excellent. I'm sure Rob will turn in a pick for Saturday's Illinois-Duke game. And you can too. It's easy. Email your score prediction for both teams to asmussen@news-gazette.com. Include your name, where you live now and if you are an alum. Feel free to include anything else about your Illinois fandom. If you want to make my life easier, please put your score prediction on the subject line. My prediction will appear in this space Friday or Saturday. I almost forgot the best part. If you hit the score on the button, like Rob almost did, you receive a $50 Papa Del's gift card. Good luck and have a great rest of the week.