Looking ahead to 2020

[thunderwear]

As a casual Illini football fan, I just want to see this program stack 4-5 years of at least 6 wins and bowl games. I understand those that have higher expectations than that, but I really just want to a consistently competitive program. We have been so far removed from that, this would be great in my mind.

I would like this too, if you look back at history, this is not something Illinois football has done. We should qualify next year, but then the following year could be tough, because our team will be young and be short in depth. Think Purdue this year. But, we will have the talent to potentially pull off 6 wins. If we can do that, then this team will be able to compete for the big west the following year(s). But ultimately, at this point, I’m hoping for back to back bowls

 

[Madco Illini]

I would like this too, if you look back at history, this is not something Illinois football has done. We should qualify next year, but then the following year could be tough, because our team will be young and be short in depth. Think Purdue this year. But, we will have the talent to potentially pull off 6 wins. If we can do that, then this team will be able to compete for the big west the following year(s). But ultimately, at this point, I’m hoping for back to back bowls

A lot of 2021 will hinge on how good One is at playing QB in his redshirt sophomore year. If he’s good enough to carry a transitioning team ,lacking experience, to a bowl game (with a tough schedule) we likely right the lovie ship long term, and end up playing in 5 bowls in a row.

 

[Twangers]

A lot of 2021 will hinge on how good One is at playing QB in his redshirt sophomore year. If he’s good enough to carry a transitioning team ,lacking experience, to a bowl game (with a tough schedule) we likely right the lovie ship long term, and end up playing in 5 bowls in a row.

Assuming he can win the job. Come 2021, he's not fighting Matt Robinson type talent to be our guy.

 

[Madco Illini]

Assuming he can win the job. Come 2021, he's not fighting Matt Robinson type talent to be our guy.

If he doesn’t win the job our program is in trouble/lovie, unless we get a high level transfer. At that point a position change for One is in order for his final 2 years. Our incoming QBs are high on talent and lack polish. It might take them a few years, which is normal. 7-9 wins next year will give lovie enough leeway to sustain 1 down (non bowl) year. That’s why next year is so critical.

 

[Twangers]

If he doesn’t win the job our program is in trouble/lovie, unless we get a high level transfer. At that point a position change for One is in order for his final 2 years. Our incoming QBs are high on talent and lack polish. It might take them a few years, which is normal. 7-9 wins next year will give lovie enough leeway to sustain 1 down (non bowl) year. That’s why next year is so critical.

If he doesn't win our job, we're far from trouble.

 

[Madco Illini]

If he doesn't win our job, we're far from trouble.

I hope I’m wrong but I disagree. It would still be worlds better than the crouch/JGJr years. We do have tools incoming but they seem raw in the passing game. The talent upgrades at all the other positions should lead a nice 5 win floor.

 

[Twangers]

I hope I’m wrong but I disagree. It would still be worlds better than the crouch/JGJr years. We do have tools incoming but they seem raw in the passing game. The talent upgrades at all the other positions should lead a nice 5 win floor.

If possible, you might get around someone who can break down quarterback's mechanically. CJ Dixon could walk in here tomorrow and from a pure passing standpoint out play IW every day of the week. Gregory Spann needs a lot of work but is every bit as athletic as IW, if not moreso.

If IW doesn't win the job, we won't be in trouble. The winner of that gig will have won a knife fight for it.

 

[Madco Illini]

If possible, you might get around someone who can break down quarterback's mechanically. CJ Dixon could walk in here tomorrow and from a pure passing standpoint out play IW every day of the week. Gregory Spann needs a lot of work but is every bit as athletic as IW, if not moreso.

If IW doesn't win the job, we won't be in trouble. The winner of that gig will have won a knife fight for it.

My worry isn’t so much the arm strength/talent of Cj it’s can he go through progressions and make the correct reads? Even talents like Brandon peters struggle with that, though he’s been getting better as the year goes on. That’s what sets average/above average QBs from the good/great ones. It’s hard for me to envision Illinois Qbs being top half of the big 10 unless Williams becomes consistent in the passing game in combination with his wheels.

 

[Twangers]

My worry isn’t so much the arm strength/talent of Cj it’s can he go through progressions and make the correct reads? Even talents like Brandon peters struggle with that, though he’s been getting better as the year goes on. That’s what sets average/above average QBs from the good/great ones. It’s hard for me to envision Illinois Qbs being top half of the big 10 unless Williams becomes consistent in the passing game in combination with his wheels.

Bold: Shouldn't be your main concern. This is a primarily one-read offense built off of combination routes.

 

[Madco Illini]

Bold: Shouldn't be your main concern. This is a primarily one-read offense built off of combination routes.

One of the reasons I think span and One are better fits for the offense. Hopefully the offense slows down for One. It’s a lot harder to improvise in highschool than college. Cj reminds me of a mj rivers with a little better arm talent which can also work.

 

[Twangers]

One of the reasons I think span and One are better fits for the offense. Hopefully the offense slows down for One. It’s a lot harder to improvise in highschool than college. Cj reminds me of a mj rivers with a little better arm talent which can also work.

That's actually the primary reason Dixon is the best fit.

 

[Madco Illini]

I am enjoying being able to look further in the future than just 1 year. Normally we are rebuilding or hoping we can win enough to keep the coach. We can’t just roll the ball out and win, but I’m confident we can grab at least 6 (hopefully more) with the returnees. Quite refreshing. Thanks lovie.

 

[frycicle]

This is both accurate and inaccurate at the same time.

Getting Stanley and Sydney healthy and in the lineup was crucial but just as important was our recognition that Tony was a stronger fit outside and that Quan Martin wasn't suited for his role. Getting healthy helped but understanding our personnel and adjusting accordingly made as big of a contribution to our secondary as anything, if not bigger. Our secondary schematically was night and day with Kerby and Quan out of the lineup.

yeah, kerby was awful on play fakes.

 

[Deleted member 533939]

Ron Rivera fired as Panthers Head coach....do we have our new Defensive Coordinator?.....s/kind of.

Lovie and Ron didn't end things on good terms. Lovie basically let him go after the super bowl season.

 

[FiveStar]

If I recall, I think the beef was in the base philosophy.

Rivera, having played for Buddy Ryan, was a big believer in bringing pressure on a regular basis.

Lovie, as you know if you follow his career, only really wants the front 4 to get pressure. He wants to play coverage with 7 guys on the back end to make qbs stay patient and disciplined and be in position to pounce when they don’t.

 

[OskeeWowzer]

Lovie, as you know if you follow his career, only really wants the front 4 to get pressure. He wants to play coverage with 7 guys on the back end to make qbs stay patient and disciplined and be in position to pounce when they don’t.

Or as I see it: give QBs all day to find the soft spots in the zone.

 

[Deleted member 654622]

Or as I see it: give QBs all day to find the soft spots in the zone.

That is why the defensive line is our main concern going into next year. We take away the comfort of the QB with the front four and this defense goes to a whole new level

 

[Deleted member 654622]

Was just doing some further thinking about Peter's career. I expect him to look more like the QB that played in the Mich State game for the majority of next year. If he puts up 22 TD 7 Int esk type of season, he should get invited to the combine. He has the body, the arm, and the athleticism to get some serious looks. An Illini QB in the league, even if on a bench, would be a good boost for the program and that QB room

 

[bombayIllini]

........

Lovie, as you know if you follow his career, only really wants the front 4 to get pressure. He wants to play coverage with 7 guys on the back end to make qbs stay patient and disciplined and be in position to pounce when they don’t.

That is why the defensive line is our main concern going into next year. We take away the comfort of the QB with the front four and this defense goes to a whole new level

IF the front 4 are so crucial to his D, then how did he let the quality of those front 4 slide?

 

[Deleted member 654622]

IF the front 4 are so crucial to his D, then how did he let the quality of those front 4 slide?

Has he let it slide? They have had some pretty significant concentration on recruiting the D Line. Now they have missed on some of their top targets this year, but they are still always going after top talented players
Some of the D lineman they brought in had to be switched over to the Oline (Julian Pearl and Verdis Brown)
Some with a lot of talent haven't put it together yet (Calvin Avery), been kicked off the team (Lere Oladipo) or cant stay healthy (Jamal Woods)
The older players on the DE have not stepped up and reached their potential (Gay, Carney)
They brought in a DE from the transfer market and supposedly are looking to do that again.
He lost his NFL caliber D line coach to the NFL
Our best player happened to be the pass rush we need, got paralyzed

Not really sure that is letting it slide as much as it is having some really sheety luck.

 

[Arizona Bob]

Has he let it slide? They have had some pretty significant concentration on recruiting the D Line. Now they have missed on some of their top targets this year, but they are still always going after top talented players
Some of the D lineman they brought in had to be switched over to the Oline (Julian Pearl and Verdis Brown)
Some with a lot of talent haven't put it together yet (Calvin Avery), been kicked off the team (Lere Oladipo) or cant stay healthy (Jamal Woods)
The older players on the DE have not stepped up and reached their potential (Gay, Carney)
They brought in a DE from the transfer market and supposedly are looking to do that again.
He lost his NFL caliber D line coach to the NFL
Our best player happened to be the pass rush we need, got paralyzed

Not really sure that is letting it slide as much as it is having some really sheety luck.

Dude, it's not that they're not trying to get great DLs, it's just that our recruiting and position coaches are just so much weaker than the competition for top players.

Think about it....a DL coach comes in who'd been a successful P5 DL coach for a decade and teaches you more about playing the position than you learned from all your playing time, and he's an excellent, experienced salesman for the program. I remember hearing quotes from recruits like that when we had Ed Warriner and Harry Hiestand as OL coaches. Our last DL coach also had those bonafides, but Lovie downgraded rather than upgraded the staff at that position.

So a top recruit visits with an outstanding coach who's developed talent to NFL and AA levels and gives a clinic in playing the position, and then an Illinois coach comes in who looks like a grad assistant and clearly a novice at developing players. Where do you think the top recruit goes?

I really don't know what Lovie's goals for the program are. He was supposed to have tremendous contacts with assistants to attract the top coaches with both P5 college and pro experience. I don't know if it hasn't happened because they don't want to work for Lovie or he thinks he doesn't need top staff to make the program championship competitive.

I hate to say this, but it looks like Lovie just wants a mediocre team and just keep collecting that $5 million per year until he's milked all he can get out of the job. If he was serious as are PJ Fleck and coach Allen at Indiana, we'd have a much better staff and recruiting results....

 

[Halloweenie]

Dude, it's not that they're not trying to get great DLs, it's just that our recruiting and position coaches are just so much weaker than the competition for top players.

Think about it....a DL coach comes in who'd been a successful P5 DL coach for a decade and teaches you more about playing the position than you learned from all your playing time, and he's an excellent, experienced salesman for the program. I remember hearing quotes from recruits like that when we had Ed Warriner and Harry Hiestand as OL coaches. Our last DL coach also had those bonafides, but Lovie downgraded rather than upgraded the staff at that position.

So a top recruit visits with an outstanding coach who's developed talent to NFL and AA levels and gives a clinic in playing the position, and then an Illinois coach comes in who looks like a grad assistant and clearly a novice at developing players. Where do you think the top recruit goes?

I really don't know what Lovie's goals for the program are. He was supposed to have tremendous contacts with assistants to attract the top coaches with both P5 college and pro experience. I don't know if it hasn't happened because they don't want to work for Lovie or he thinks he doesn't need top staff to make the program championship competitive.

I hate to say this, but it looks like Lovie just wants a mediocre team and just keep collecting that $5 million per year until he's milked all he can get out of the job. If he was serious as are PJ Fleck and coach Allen at Indiana, we'd have a much better staff and recruiting results....

More of the same

 

[Deleted member 654622]

Dude, it's not that they're not trying to get great DLs, it's just that our recruiting and position coaches are just so much weaker than the competition for top players.

Think about it....a DL coach comes in who'd been a successful P5 DL coach for a decade and teaches you more about playing the position than you learned from all your playing time, and he's an excellent, experienced salesman for the program. I remember hearing quotes from recruits like that when we had Ed Warriner and Harry Hiestand as OL coaches. Our last DL coach also had those bonafides, but Lovie downgraded rather than upgraded the staff at that position.

So a top recruit visits with an outstanding coach who's developed talent to NFL and AA levels and gives a clinic in playing the position, and then an Illinois coach comes in who looks like a grad assistant and clearly a novice at developing players. Where do you think the top recruit goes?

I really don't know what Lovie's goals for the program are. He was supposed to have tremendous contacts with assistants to attract the top coaches with both P5 college and pro experience. I don't know if it hasn't happened because they don't want to work for Lovie or he thinks he doesn't need top staff to make the program championship competitive.

I hate to say this, but it looks like Lovie just wants a mediocre team and just keep collecting that $5 million per year until he's milked all he can get out of the job. If he was serious as are PJ Fleck and coach Allen at Indiana, we'd have a much better staff and recruiting results....

Oh Bob I agree that Austin Clark is still suspect currently as far as his coaching ability but he is one of our best recruiters. He played an important role in bringing in that young talent that is now on the roster.
Again I agree that we need to see him coach some players up, which I don't think we have seen just yet. But recruiting wise, Austin is doing a great job

 

[Arizona Bob]

Oh Bob I agree that Austin Clark is still suspect currently as far as his coaching ability but he is one of our best recruiters. He played an important role in bringing in that young talent that is now on the roster.
Again I agree that we need to see him coach some players up, which I don't think we have seen just yet. But recruiting wise, Austin is doing a great job

I guess it depends on what you call "great" recruiting. His contacts with Wole may have helped, but those contacts with USC are pretty much gone now.

In the last two years we've brought in Okpala, Randolph (who's drawn some praise from staff), Coleman (who needs to put on a lot more muscle and keep his speed before we know if he's bust) and Holmes (who's still a big ?????). This year he's just got a 260# DT from Florida who didn't get a lot of P5 interest, and there isn't much left in Illinois at the position. HUGE ????? about Denver's attitude and we already lost Singleton to Ia State. There were a lot of top DE's in Illinois this year, and they're going to Iowa, NW, and ND.

He'd need to recruit a heck of a lot better than that to make up for his lack of player development experience.

Perhaps he is. We'll see if he brings in JUCOs, transfers or Texas preps of 4* quality before Dec. 15....

 

[Deleted member 654622]

I guess it depends on what you call "great" recruiting. His contacts with Wole may have helped, but those contacts with USC are pretty much gone now.

In the last two years we've brought in Okpala, Randolph (who's drawn some praise from staff), Coleman (who needs to put on a lot more muscle and keep his speed before we know if he's bust) and Holmes (who's still a big ?????). This year he's just got a 260# DT from Florida who didn't get a lot of P5 interest, and there isn't much left in Illinois at the position. HUGE ????? about Denver's attitude and we already lost Singleton to Ia State. There were a lot of top DE's in Illinois this year, and they're going to Iowa, NW, and ND.

He'd need to recruit a heck of a lot better than that to make up for his lack of player development experience.

Perhaps he is. We'll see if he brings in JUCOs, transfers or Texas preps of 4* quality before Dec. 15....

Seth Coleman is a Florida 4* and your already bringing up the bust word after his redshirt freshman year. A 3* DT from Florida is better than a 3* from ILL. And our original targets didnt choose us because the product on the field looked like dog ish.
All those names plus Wole in the only 2 years he has been the coach, for a team that was getting mud stomped. Now we win and look at all the D lineman that are visiting this weekend. Some of them have already committed to other power 5 schools. So yes I believe he checks the recruiting box in big black magic marker