skyIdub
Winged Warrior
My father in-law owes me a pie if the Illini win, and I him if the hawkeyes win. He likes pecan. What type of pie should I ask for? (of course we will win)
Illini Football 2018
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JDHalfrack
- Springfield, IL
I'm not gonna lie, I'm pretty negative on the Illini football program... even with the recent exciting news about steps in the right direction with our recruiting and development. I don't usually expect much from them anymore...
That said... if we don't win 4 games this year, I'm gonna be pissed. Four is my expectation. 5 would be awesome. At six I'd say I'd be "EX-FREAKIN-STATIC". But at 3? I'll be pissed. This is the easiest schedule we've had in a while.
With a 3 - 4 win season for the Illini, what is the status of Lovie Smith as HC? Personally, I think the clock is running on this tenure if that's the win total for the season. I really wanted him to succeed but I'm not seeing the progress I expected. I didn't expect a National Championship, but I did expect to be watching the Illini play in a bowl game this year. Another goal I set for the 2018 season was to have the Illini to at least be competitive in all of their games. I wish I could offer a solution other than a coaching change because I really hate a revolving HC door for the Illini. I'll leave it at this, hopefully the Illini overachieve and make it to 6 wins and show signs of improving that for the 2019 season. Its a shame how far Illini football has fallen given the money spent on the stadium renovations and football campus as a whole. I canceled my season tickets long ago, the trip to see the games consumed a full day, and put forth an inferior product. I look forward to the day when I once again consider purchasing season tickets.
The Cubs finished in last place in each of Epstein's first three years. The lack of patience shown by some in this thread would have led to Epstein's termination. Then where would the Cubs be now? No one has a magic wand to turn a program as bad as we were into a winner after a year or two or even three. If Lovie were let go we would be starting all over again, and instead of hope a year or two down the line, we would be looking at another four or five year project. Patience, please.
With the team being so young still that is ridiculous to even think about changing coaches yet. I say he needs to be given time to see this freshman class as seniors. Roundtree and company got the ball rolling and that is Lovies real first class in my eyes. Let him get a full roster full of his recruits and have a couple years to build depth. I agree that 3 games would be a giant disappointment but 4+ with an unexpected big win(Nebraska/Iowa) and another decent class coming in we gotta let him finish the rebuild. I'm hoping for at least 5 wins and if Bush can make some plays and keep the defense off the field just a little bit more we should be good. 6 wins is not unobtainable this year and I'd love that to become reality. I think we see tons of improvement this year but the whole team is still young. So many different aspects that could turn this team from 6-7 wins to 3-4 wins so it all depends on how we get to the record we finish with. McGee ball is finally over so there is hope.
Everyone needs to remember that this is really Lovie's second season. He was hired in the spring of 2016, and the 2016 season was really nothing more than getting a staff together and getting a team on the field. My daughter was in Marching Illini for three years under the Becks regime. Those were three of the most unwatchable years of football in the history of the University. To call our program a dumpster fire would have been an insult to dumpster fires. We can all have "goals" (even though we have no ability to cause them to happen), but to think that ANYONE could come in here, and turn it in two full years is foolish and will lead to unrealistic hopes. I want to see our program back where it was in the "glory days", but it simply is not going to happen over the period of a couple of years.
If the product on the field does not improve by the eye test, I could understand potential concerns. However, even discussing the staff at this time is foolish, and does not help the program in any way. JW gave Lovie a six year deal, and staked his reputation and career on him. I put my trust in JW a lot more than (justifiably) disgruntled fans who think this job can be done in two years.
If the product on the field does not improve by the eye test, I could understand potential concerns. However, even discussing the staff at this time is foolish, and does not help the program in any way. JW gave Lovie a six year deal, and staked his reputation and career on him. I put my trust in JW a lot more than (justifiably) disgruntled fans who think this job can be done in two years.
Correct. Lovie's first class are now just Sophomores. It has been a long time since I have been optimistic. I mean, last year I walked out of the 3rd quarter of the Rutgers game and did not come back the rest of the year. However, hope springs eternal and I am back with my season tickets and will be making the 3 hour one way drive yet again this Labor Day weekend.
Joel Goodson
- respect my decision™
Well, if you squint, real, real hard, there are reasons for a bit of optimism. This rebuild was always going to be a long game. Will make it all the sweeter, once we flip the script.
He's had two recruiting classes after inheriting a program that left the cupboard bare. He played something like 19 freshmen last year (after his first year of recruiting). We're going to play something like 7 seniors and one of those is a place kicker. After only two recruiting seasons were you expecting a turnaround? What do you think is fair going into this season considering the majority of the starters are only sophomores? Will there be a single team starting as many young players in all of college football? If you're starting sophomores where do you think the depth will come from this year? If you've got no juniors or seniors behind the sophomore at a position, where does the replacement come from when the kid needs a break or gets hurt?
I agree that our schedule is advantageous. I don't think we lose because our starters are not talented. Our young players ARE talented and well coached. I think we lose because the next men up are mostly true freshmen again. The new redshirt rules will hopefully help. When I see posts like yours I wonder what you expect after two recruiting classes. You have to remember the total failure Beckman was (and really that started to show after the first week of his tenure). Cubit did his best but you couldn't expect him to recruit as a placeholder with a short term contract. After the first season (and before his first recruiting class was finished) I'm pretty sure Lovie and Josh discussed burning it to the ground and how long the turn around would take to do it correctly. Try to stick with them man. Just an opinion.
JDHalfrack
- Springfield, IL
If progress expected was measured in wins, I agree. I also get very frustrated by the win total. However, there is definitely progress being made. It WILL translate into wins, but it's going to be a MUCH longer process than a lot hoped for. I think Whitman sees it that way too, so unless we only win 2 games again this year (and even then), I doubt this is Lovie's last year.
I don't think this is necessarily NOT going to happen. I do think it's likely the ceiling though. If all the pieces go Illinois' way this year, a bowl game is likely the outcome. That said, I also think it's slightly naive to have expected a bowl game by season 3. We were literally at a FCS level of ability when Cubit took over, and it got worse when Lovie took over (transfers, and such). He has us looking like an actual FBS team again, and the team will compete. For a bowl this year? probably not. But in each game? We better see that.
This is absolutely a realistic goal. And I think this will be the main measure of how is the "Lovie plan" working.
You can: patience. I don't have it, and neither do a lot of NCAA football fans. It's dricing me crazy because I want 8+ wins NOW. Not 2 years from now. But... I have to fight that urge.
Most of the stadium/football campus renovations happened simultaneously with or after the collapse of the football program (which I view as pretty much everything after the last Rose Bowl season). Plus, I think the Stadium renovations themselves (not the surrounding football campus) were very short sighted and misguided. Those renovations have ruined the atmosphere at Memorial Stadium just as much as poor team play.
I do hope you reconsider. I get so frustrated at the games, but the day as a whole is always fun. Grange Grove is the best addition to the Illinois football program in almost 3 decades. The campus and all of Champaign/Urbana is just wonderful on fall days. If you forget about the catastrophe of the game (and that is getting better), the rest of the day/weekend is awesome!
Come on, people... be part of the upward trend! Don't hop on when we're already there.
Illini_1979
- Oregon
RS is a funny dude!
You are talking like this year is already played out. We have good enough players to win 4 or 5 games. The key has been our quarterback play or lack thereof. I agree with Lovie that a dual threat quatrterback is the best for college. We have always had a passer or runner, but not a combo. We are not going to attract the top pro passing guys anyway. Give us a chance. I think the key to the season is keeping AJ and some other key players healthy.
Any pie at Rick’s Bakery in UrbanaMy father in-law owes me a pie if the Illini win, and I him if the hawkeyes win. He likes pecan. What type of pie should I ask for? (of course we will win
Deleted member 654622
D
Guest
If I needed to describe this thread with one GIF...
I am to the point of wanting the next two seasons to get over with NOT because of the expected product on the field, but just to stop having this conversation about Lovie getting fired!
I am to the point of wanting the next two seasons to get over with NOT because of the expected product on the field, but just to stop having this conversation about Lovie getting fired!
Illwinsagain
- Cary, IL
If I needed to describe this thread with one GIF...
I am to the point of wanting the next two seasons to get over with NOT because of the expected product on the field, but just to stop having this conversation about Lovie getting fired!
My new favorite
Slight eye roll with the Miles Smith promotion. If its just for this year, I'm 1000% ok with it. I'll be skeptical if he remains in the role next year.
Does that make him the d-back coach? Did he play d-back? I don't know that I could take instructions from somebody who's never played my position.
If you look at coaches' resumes, they bounce around the positions all the time. You pick up X's and O's and techniques by being around football since they get out of diapers. How did Beckman qualify as DBs coach? Even if he did play there ...
FT35
- Naperville
I don't know if someone can be demoted back to a Graduate Assistant. However, that's not the only option here. Nathan Scheelhaase was promoted to Running Backs coach after Tim Beckman was fired. Once Lovie was hired, he was demoted to an Offensive Analyst position. Miles could be demoted to a Defensive Analyst position if Illinois hires another assistant.
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