Illini Football 2019

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#1,151      

the national

the Front Range
Yeah, the turn of events re: Dudek, Epstein, and now Roundtree absolutely sucks.

This is why depth is so important. Talented depth. We're okay at RB even with the Epstein injury.

Is Epstein going to be ready for the season? (I may have missed the updates on him)
 
#1,152      

Neidermeyer

Faber College
Is Epstein going to be ready for the season? (I may have missed the updates on him)
There was a video somewhere of him doing pull ups with an anchor chain around his neck. The kid looks great physically - I really hope we can see a full season from him!
 
#1,155      
Just wondering...what % of Illinois football players or D1 players in general are staying on campus, taking classes and working out during the summer these days?
 
#1,158      
Buzzed musings on a Sunday night...If Lovie doesn't end up working out does Rod Smith make sense as a possible HC candidate?
 
#1,161      

Neale Stoner Fan Club

Tailgreat
Chiraq
Buzzed musings on a Sunday night...If Lovie doesn't end up working out does Rod Smith make sense as a possible HC candidate?
if Josh Whitman wants to save money and if the offense has a good season, sure. But I am told that just like his hero Lord Guenther, Whitman doesn't like hiring fat head coaches.
 
#1,164      

ChiefGritty

Chicago, IL
Buzzed musings on a Sunday night...If Lovie doesn't end up working out does Rod Smith make sense as a possible HC candidate?

I find it hard to see an offense good enough to make Rod Smith look like a viable HC candidate on a team bad enough to make us want to fire Lovie.

But frankly not impossible given Lovie taking over DC duties himself. If the defense remains the complete mess it was last year, but Isaiah Williams looks like the second coming of Antwaan Randle-El and the offense is running up and down the field and we lose a bunch of 49-45 games? Maybe it makes sense to tell Smith & Sons to take a hike and hire a real defensive staff to play RichRod ball? I'm willing to hear that out if it comes to it.

HAVING SAID THAT, I just want to be clear that while our offense was much improved last year, it wasn't actually GOOD. 70th in the country per S&P, aided in the eye test by a lot of track meet games where we were playing from behind.

Ole Miss went 5-7 last year with the 6th ranked offense and the 90th ranked defense. That's the kind of scenario I have in mind.
 
#1,165      
I find it hard to see an offense good enough to make Rod Smith look like a viable HC candidate on a team bad enough to make us want to fire Lovie.

But frankly not impossible given Lovie taking over DC duties himself. If the defense remains the complete mess it was last year, but Isaiah Williams looks like the second coming of Antwaan Randle-El and the offense is running up and down the field and we lose a bunch of 49-45 games? Maybe it makes sense to tell Smith & Sons to take a hike and hire a real defensive staff to play RichRod ball? I'm willing to hear that out if it comes to it.

HAVING SAID THAT, I just want to be clear that while our offense was much improved last year, it wasn't actually GOOD. 70th in the country per S&P, aided in the eye test by a lot of track meet games where we were playing from behind.

Ole Miss went 5-7 last year with the 6th ranked offense and the 90th ranked defense. That's the kind of scenario I have in mind.

Man I bet that was an uncomfortable coaches office.
 
#1,167      
I find it hard to see an offense good enough to make Rod Smith look like a viable HC candidate on a team bad enough to make us want to fire Lovie.

But frankly not impossible given Lovie taking over DC duties himself. If the defense remains the complete mess it was last year, but Isaiah Williams looks like the second coming of Antwaan Randle-El and the offense is running up and down the field and we lose a bunch of 49-45 games? Maybe it makes sense to tell Smith & Sons to take a hike and hire a real defensive staff to play RichRod ball? I'm willing to hear that out if it comes to it.

HAVING SAID THAT, I just want to be clear that while our offense was much improved last year, it wasn't actually GOOD. 70th in the country per S&P, aided in the eye test by a lot of track meet games where we were playing from behind.

Ole Miss went 5-7 last year with the 6th ranked offense and the 90th ranked defense. That's the kind of scenario I have in mind.
The offense was top 35 in the nation in total offense last year
 
#1,168      

ChiefGritty

Chicago, IL
The offense was top 35 in the nation in total offense last year

Which is why advanced stats are so useful. A tempo team running a ton of plays in a lot of games where it's way behind is going to rack up a lot of yards. That's not the question. The question is efficiency, situational efficiency particularly.

(And by the way, by the same token, the defense wasn't *quite* as bad as the raw yardage totals looked. 127th in total defense, a stellar 115th per S&P)
 
#1,171      
The offense had some moments where it contributed, negatively, to the defense. Iowa game, Nebraska game. Probably others.
 
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