Improvements for 2013 Football Team

[BleedOrangeBlue]

Do we really need a thread to talk about improvements to our football team? 2-10...just about everything needs to be fixed or improved.

[Groundhogday]

Originally Posted by Warriors1994

So who do you think wins this LG spot?

Originally Posted by Juice

I know you didn't ask me personally but I'm hoping for Bain. I really hope the Bain to DL rumors are false.

I've read the Bain to NG rumors so many places that I've come to believe there must be some truth to this. So IF Bain is really on the defensive side of the ball, here are some options for LG.
Hill has some natural ability. It would be nice to see an OL coach shape this natural ability into quality play.

• Nowicki was very highly recruited out of high school and could play guard or tackle.
• Spencer could move to guard if Durkin and Feldmeyer can hold down the center position.
• Chris O'Connor is pretty athletic for an OL. Maybe he adds the necessary weight/strength play next year as a RS-soph.
• If Lewis, Simon, Hinkhouse and Flavin can hold down the tackle spot perhaps even McDowell could play LG (though I'd rather see him crack the rotation at tackle.)

It is a bummer that we ran out of scholarships and couldn't add a JC guard, but the key for the OL as a whole will be to get an OL coach capable of developing the guys we have returning.

[Warriors1994]

Originally Posted by Groundhogday

I've read the Bain to NG rumors so many places that I've come to believe there must be some truth to this. So IF Bain is really on the defensive side of the ball, here are some options for LG.
Hill has some natural ability. It would be nice to see an OL coach shape this natural ability into quality play.

• Nowicki was very highly recruited out of high school and could play guard or tackle.
• Spencer could move to guard if Durkin and Feldmeyer can hold down the center position.
• Chris O'Connor is pretty athletic for an OL. Maybe he adds the necessary weight/strength play next year as a RS-soph.
• If Lewis, Simon, Hinkhouse and Flavin can hold down the tackle spot perhaps even McDowell could play LG (though I'd rather see him crack the rotation at tackle.)

It is a bummer that we ran out of scholarships and couldn't add a JC guard, but the key for the OL as a whole will be to get an OL coach capable of developing the guys we have returning.

Ya for all the heat we took for getting Nowicki it would be nice if he actually contributed something while he was here. And i think an experienced OL coach could definitely help. we need to develop these young OL

[Warriors1994]

Another huge key is staying healthy. I honestly think that we would have won more than 2 games had we not had all the injuries we did. I understand we will never go a season without someone getting hurt but we really need to minimize it next year.

Also just seeing the guys playing with heart and giving their all next year will be a huge step in the right direction. Last year i felt that there were alot of moments where we were just going through the motions.

[Calilama]

Originally Posted by Warriors1994

Ya for all the heat we took for getting Nowicki it would be nice if he actually contributed something while he was here. And i think an experienced OL coach could definitely help. we need to develop these young OL

...this is Beckmans team....he decides the technique and schemes for his offensive lineman and who plays where...we are running a spread..the last refuge for coaches who acknowledge they can't win in the trenches...not a style I prefer to watch and not a style that wins a NC or prepares a guy to play on Sundays

We will get better at it as our guys become more familiar with it and I agree that an OL coach who has experience with it will speed that process

[AHSIllini32]

Originally Posted by Calilama

...this is Beckmans team....he decides the technique and schemes for his offensive lineman and who plays where...we are running a spread..the last refuge for coaches who acknowledge they can't win in the trenches...not a style I prefer to watch and not a style that wins a NC or prepares a guy to play on Sundays

We will get better at it as our guys become more familiar with it and I agree that an OL coach who has experience with it will speed that process

If Illinois were in a position to win a NC or just wanted to send guys to the NFL then your point would hold...alas they aren't and they don't.

The spread can be a great equalizer for teams and there are programs all over the country running the spread and having great success with it.

[quhawks12]

Originally Posted by Calilama

...this is Beckmans team....he decides the technique and schemes for his offensive lineman and who plays where.

I agree and disagree with this.

Agree: yes this is how it was with rookie co-oc's and a rookie OL coach this season.

Disagree: I can 110% guarantee it will not be like that with Cubit and Sullivan (assuming that's who the OL coach is). Cubit and Sullivan (again IF he's the OL coach) will have full control of the offense and OL.

[HsvIllini]

Originally Posted by quhawks12

Disagree: I can 110% guarantee it will not be like that with Cubit and Sullivan (assuming that's who the OL coach is). Cubit and Sullivan (again IF he's the OL coach) will have full control of the offense and OL.

Have you heard anything else on this?

[GilThorpe]

I think there is a mandatory 1 week "wait" on all hires at UI. We will probably get the official release next week on both positions

[Calilama]

Originally Posted by quhawks12

I agree and disagree with this.

Agree: yes this is how it was with rookie co-oc's and a rookie OL coach this season.

Disagree: I can 110% guarantee it will not be like that with Cubit and Sullivan (assuming that's who the OL coach is). Cubit and Sullivan (again IF he's the OL coach) will have full control of the offense and OL.

I'm not sure what full control means q but I will assume that is what you have heard from a reliable source.....I don't believe that is Becks history, nor would I want it to be, because that is essentially Zook on his way out the door....head coaches coach and I would expect Beck will..especially when the WMU offensive scheme collides with B10 defenses....curious if Banks has full control of the defense...any insight on this?

[Calilama]

Originally Posted by AHSIllini32

If Illinois were in a position to win a NC or just wanted to send guys to the NFL then your point would hold...alas they aren't and they don't.

The spread can be a great equalizer for teams and there are programs all over the country running the spread and having great success with it.

Illinois should be in a position to win a national championship and you won't ever be if you don't attract athletes who want to play at the next level.....how many top 50 prep OL want to play in a system where they are a speedbump for a 3 step dink pass?....to be fair there are run heavy spread systems but if a kid dreams of playing in the NFL then BAMA and WISKY make more sense...and with the right plan we can be Wisconsin, which is infinitely preferable to being Toledo...if we paid some damn players we could be Bama

Same goes on the defensive side....Mercelus and Liuget were in an aggressive
NFL scheme...what DL prospect wants to be a slug to fill a gap while a LB makes the play.....I hope we aren't headed in that direction

[AHSIllini32]

Originally Posted by Calilama

Illinois should be in a position to win a national championship and you won't ever be if you don't attract athletes who want to play at the next level.....how many top 50 prep OL want to play in a system where they are a speedbump for a 3 step dink pass?....to be fair there are run heavy spread systems but if a kid dreams of playing in the NFL then BAMA and WISKY make more sense...and with the right plan we can be Wisconsin, which is infinitely preferable to being Toledo...if we paid some damn players we could be Bama

Same goes on the defensive side....Mercelus and Liuget were in an aggressive
NFL scheme...what DL prospect wants to be a slug to fill a gap while a LB makes the play.....I hope we aren't headed in that direction

What's your basis for saying "should be"? Because we haven't been in like 70 years.

If guys are good enough and coached well enough they will make it in the NFL, PERIOD. It doesn't matter what scheme it is.

The whole argument of "the spread sucks, I want a pro-style offense!" is stupid in my mind.

Any offense works if you have coaches who get the right players and coach them up to be good enough at the collegiate level.

I don't care what d*** scheme it is, just get good enough players and coach them up....THAT'S IT.

[AHSIllini32]

Originally Posted by Calilama

I'm not sure what full control means q but I will assume that is what you have heard from a reliable source.....I don't believe that is Becks history, nor would I want it to be, because that is essentially Zook on his way out the door....head coaches coach and I would expect Beck will..especially when the WMU offensive scheme collides with B10 defenses....curious if Banks has full control of the defense...any insight on this?

Head coaches oversee the entire program. That doesn't mean they interject in the offensive and defensive schemes and playcalling. That's called meddling. You hire an OC and a DC to run an overall idea of what you think the team should look like on each side as a head coach. Then you let those coaches go about molding the players into what's successful.

[IlliniSteve]

First off, I want a passing game.

[Calilama]

Originally Posted by AHSIllini32

Head coaches oversee the entire program. That doesn't mean they interject in the offensive and defensive schemes and playcalling. That's called meddling. You hire an OC and a DC to run an overall idea of what you think the team should look like on each side as a head coach. Then you let those coaches go about molding the players into what's successful.

So head coaches are CEO's who hire but don't manage the people they hire and just fire them after observing them fail? I don't think so.....and if your definition is correct our head coach did quite a bit of "meddling" on the offensive side of the ball last year

[AHSIllini32]

Originally Posted by Calilama

So head coaches are CEO's who hire but don't manage the people they hire and just fire them after observing them fail? I don't think so.....and if that's true our head coach did quite a bit of "meddling" on the offensive side of the ball last year

Good head coaches let their coordinators do their jobs until they feel they have to step in. They have to know when that point is.

If you think successful head coaches are in the ears of their coordinators telling them what to do and what plays to call you're crazy.

[quhawks12]

Originally Posted by Calilama

So head coaches are CEO's who hire but don't manage the people they hire and just fire them after observing them fail? I don't think so.....and if your definition is correct our head coach did quite a bit of "meddling" on the offensive side of the ball last year

He meddled a lot last year. See my reasons above.

This is a pointless back and forth. I've spelled it out above.

[I Hate Lemonier]

Originally Posted by AHSIllini32

What's your basis for saying "should be"? Because we haven't been in like 70 years.

We certainly couldn't be further away at this point in time but it is not unheard of at Illinois. 1983 most notably and 1989 was a little further off

[AHSIllini32]

Originally Posted by I Hate Lemonier

We certainly couldn't be further away at this point in time but it is not unheard of at Illinois. 1983 most notably and 1989 was a little further off

I'm not saying that but to say we "should be" in a spot for national championships is just non-sensical based on both our recent and past history.

[ILLINISTU]

Originally Posted by IlliniSteve

First off, I want a passing game.

That would be great! Until we bring a downfield passing threat to the game, teams will continue to overload the box and bring extreme heat on QB.

[Calilama]

Originally Posted by AHSIllini32

I'm not saying that but to say we "should be" in a spot for national championships is just non-sensical based on both our recent and past history.

Let me slow it down for you....you shouldn't have a BCS football program if your goal isn't to win a national championship..and everything you do in your program should be built with that goal in mind...soon there will be statues of Halas and Butkus joining Grange honoring Illinois football and Memorial Stadium....Illinois is the cradle of football...it is perfectly sensible that the illini should contend for the NC..glad you ain't running the program

[AHSIllini32]

Originally Posted by Calilama

Let me slow it down for you....you shouldn't have a BCS football program if your goal isn't to win a national championship..and everything you do in your program should be built with that goal in mind...soon there will be statues of Halas and Butkus joining Grange honoring Illinois football and Memorial Stadium....Illinois is the cradle of football...it is perfectly sensible that the illini should contend for the NC..glad you ain't running the program

Time out pal...you don't need to slow anything down for me.

Obviously every team and fan wants to win a national championship. That doesn't mean you enter into fantasy land and say your team "should be" in the national championship when they've been inconsistent at best over the last 50-60 years.

Illinois is the cradle of football? What does that even mean? The south is the cradle of football.

Think about the statues you named...how long ago did those players play for the program? That's my point.

You're happy I ain't running the program? Why because I have a realistic sense of where we are as a program right now and where we have been in the last half century?

Hope for a national championship all you want, I want one too, but that doesn't change what your program is.

[Calilama]

Originally Posted by AHSIllini32

Time out pal...you don't need to slow anything down for me.

Obviously every team and fan wants to win a national championship. That doesn't mean you enter into fantasy land and say your team "should be" in the national championship when they've been inconsistent at best over the last 50-60 years.

Illinois is the cradle of football? What does that even mean? The south is the cradle of football.

Think about the statues you named...how long ago did those players play for the program? That's my point.

You're happy I ain't running the program? Why because I have a realistic sense of where we are as a program right now and where we have been in the last half century?

Hope for a national championship all you want, I want one too, but that doesn't change what your program is.

Now I am even happier you are not running our program....

[ncoillini]

Originally Posted by AHSIllini32

Time out pal...you don't need to slow anything down for me.

Obviously every team and fan wants to win a national championship. That doesn't mean you enter into fantasy land and say your team "should be" in the national championship when they've been inconsistent at best over the last 50-60 years.

Illinois is the cradle of football? What does that even mean? The south is the cradle of football.

Think about the statues you named...how long ago did those players play for the program? That's my point.

You're happy I ain't running the program? Why because I have a realistic sense of where we are as a program right now and where we have been in the last half century?

Hope for a national championship all you want, I want one too, but that doesn't change what your program is.

If there is not any expectations of winning a NC, then why would any recruits want to come and play at Illinois? Kids, fans and alumni want to win B1G and win a NC, plain and simple.
The Illini need to find their sugar daddy like Oregon did. Expectations should be set high.

[Calilama]

Originally Posted by ncoillini

If there is not any expectations of winning a NC, then why would any recruits want to come and play at Illinois? Kids, fans and alumni want to win B1G and win a NC, plain and simple.
The Illini need to find their sugar daddy like Oregon did. Expectations should be set high.

There you go!