We definitely agree your main point. I just think we should strive to be better than Lovie. Lovie set a pretty low bar in a lot of areas including recruiting.
Pregame: Illinois vs Wyoming, Saturday, August 27th, 3:00pm CT, BTN
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You are the one saying he isn't better or just about the same as Lovie. I do not feel that way at all. BB won a ton of games with recruiting classes in the 30s/40s all the time. Pretty sure he can take us to bowl games if our worst classes end up in the 50s/60s and transfer portal as another option.
Some rely a little to heavily on the recruiting rankings. I have never seen Illinois have a football coach who can recruit, develop and win games consistently. Football roster just takes more time to turn around. Going 5-7 with 2 mediocre QBs last year was amazing. I think a bowl game this year would be overachieving but is very attainable. No one can control injuries and they will happen. After that I think Illinois has to go at least 3-1 in the first 4 games to make a bowl. Easiest part of schedule and allows you to go 3-5 the rest of the way for a 6-6 season. Here is hoping to a great season ahead. Cheers
TheFlyingIllini1317
- Chicago, IL
New OC for us and lot of new faces/place for our O-line, hope we get the kinks worked out early. 1st game of the season I'd usually say just win, but we have to blow this team out. Wyoming only returning 33% production with a new QB, I'd like this to be 21-3 at half.
Look at BB at Wisky….never a top recruiting class
Sure, but he also lived in an era where 2 stars and unranked players weren’t uncommon. If someone commits to a P5 program they are automatically a 3 star these days (not counting specialist). The top of Bielema’s recruiting classes at Wisconsin were substantially better than his classes here.
Here’s how the averages break down when comparing Bielema at both schools.
Top 500 players per year
Wisconsin-3.86
Illinois-.5
Top 750 players per year
Wisconsin-8
Illinois-3
Top 100 players per year
Wisconsin-12
Illinois-6.5
The 2 situations are just not that comparable.
There was nothing wrong with lovie’s first 3 classes, but his last 2 really sucked (20 and 21).You are the one saying he isn't better or just about the same as Lovie. I do not feel that way at all. BB won a ton of games with recruiting classes in the 30s/40s all the time. Pretty sure he can take us to bowl games if our worst classes end up in the 50s/60s and transfer portal as another option.
Some rely a little to heavily on the recruiting rankings. I have never seen Illinois have a football coach who can recruit, develop and win games consistently. Football roster just takes more time to turn around. Going 5-7 with 2 mediocre QBs last year was amazing. I think a bowl game this year would be overachieving but is very attainable. No one can control injuries and they will happen. After that I think Illinois has to go at least 3-1 in the first 4 games to make a bowl. Easiest part of schedule and allows you to go 3-5 the rest of the way for a 6-6 season. Here is hoping to a great season ahead. Cheers
Ransom Stoddard
Ordained Dudeist Priest
- Bloomington, IL
This is true--because at UM he inherited an established program that was firing on all cylinders. At Illinois he inherited a program whose brand and connections to HS coaches had deteriorated badly (I think this may be the understatement of the day).
I would be quite shocked if his recruiting numbers 3 years from now weren't very similar to his numbers at Wisky.
That’s my hope too. One of the reasons I was so disappointed last year is that we missed a huge opportunity to jump start the program with a 6-8 win bowl team.
Pretty sure I put that when I listed the stats above
Main difference is it also did take Lovie to overfill the classes to get in the 40s and 50s. That will not be the case with BB year in and year out.
mhuml32
- Cincinnati, OH
The 2017 class is the best recruiting class since the end of Zook's peak (2009).
Exactly, but you wouldn’t know from just looking at overall team rankings. Fans were buzzing about that class.
BB has a proven track record....for those that think we are underachieving on the recruiting trail look at his first full class in 2022. The two lowest recruits have a 0.8304 rating. One of those guys is getting a ton of buzz....Matthew Bailey
Steelyunk
- Tobacco Road
We're going to the game with friends from Caspar. We haven't been to a game in forever. Is Papa Del's still a nightmare after games? My wife says we HAVE to take our friends there but I remember waiting tables at the green street location on game days and it was so jammed and the waits were so long that everyone was miserable - customers, waiters, cooks. It was just a nightmare.
BillyBob1
- Champaign
You can expect a long wait. They have moved to Neil Street, about 4 blocks north of Kirby. I was there a few weeks ago and they were having a hard time finding help.
DeonThomas
- South Carolina
Admittedly, this is a very liberal definition of "consistently," but if you start with Mike White's second year, he led us to a rather dramatic program turnaround that lasted 15 years across the coaching regimes of three pretty good Illini head coaches (White, Mackovic and Tepper). Overall record from 1981 to 1995 was 97-72-5. Most/all of us are dying to see something comparable again! NOTE: Even Mike's initial season was extremely entertaining with Dave Wilson breaking all of the program's single-season passing records during a 3-7-1 campaign. Kirk Herbstreit got a front row seat to our relative strength in the Big Ten, going 0-5 against the Illini during his 5-year playing career at Ohio State (over this span).You are the one saying he isn't better or just about the same as Lovie. I do not feel that way at all. BB won a ton of games with recruiting classes in the 30s/40s all the time. Pretty sure he can take us to bowl games if our worst classes end up in the 50s/60s and transfer portal as another option.
Some rely a little to heavily on the recruiting rankings. I have never seen Illinois have a football coach who can recruit, develop and win games consistently. Football roster just takes more time to turn around. Going 5-7 with 2 mediocre QBs last year was amazing. I think a bowl game this year would be overachieving but is very attainable. No one can control injuries and they will happen. After that I think Illinois has to go at least 3-1 in the first 4 games to make a bowl. Easiest part of schedule and allows you to go 3-5 the rest of the way for a 6-6 season. Here is hoping to a great season ahead. Cheers
1992-1995 Lou Tepper 23-21-2
1988-1991 John Mackovic 30-17-1
1981-1987 Mike White 44-34-2
15-Year Totals 97-72-5 (59% winning pct.)
1980 3-7-1 White
1979 2-8-1 Moeller
Shane Walsh
aka "Captain Oblivious"
- Cynthiana, Kentucky
I like this but exactly my point. I have never seen a head coach who can recruit, develop and win game consistently. I was born a year before that Liberty Bowl in 82 also to help clear things up
I get what you are saying and that was our "success period". I agree White got the wheels turning and Mackovic was taking us up. Tepper kept the fumes going and they ran out. My main point in previous statements is that I think BB is that guy. Having one head coach stay at this school and be successful for a decent amount of time just hasn't happened.
Throwing in all the years at Illinois this is what we have for those guys
Mike White 47-41-3 0-3 in Bowl Games
John Mackovic 30-16-1 1-2 in Bowl Games
Lou Tepper 25-31-2 1-2 in Bowl Games (one of losses is Sun Bowl when took over for Mackovic)
Overall 102-88-6 with a 2-7 Bowl Record in 17 years. I totally agree with you White built something and Mackovic was great. Shows how bad this program has been if those guys were only able to get us 14 games over .500 during 17 years of coaching and those were the consistent years.
BB
Coaching record at Wisconsin, Arkansas and Illinois. I get Alvarez had Wisconsin in a good spot but it wasn't like they lost a beat with BB. Making it to 3 straight Rose Bowls is dang impressive.
102-65 with a 4-5 Bowl Record in 14 years. 10 of 14 years coaching has had a winning record.
If BB can't turn this thing around, I really don't know who is going to. All my chips are in on him.....
DeonThomas
- South Carolina
Yep, agree with all your BB commentary. I, too, think he's "the guy."I like this but exactly my point. I have never seen a head coach who can recruit, develop and win game consistently. I was born a year before that Liberty Bowl in 82 also to help clear things up
I get what you are saying and that was our "success period". I agree White got the wheels turning and Mackovic was taking us up. Tepper kept the fumes going and they ran out. My main point in previous statements is that I think BB is that guy. Having one head coach stay at this school and be successful for a decent amount of time just hasn't happened.
Throwing in all the years at Illinois this is what we have for those guys
Mike White 47-41-3 0-3 in Bowl Games
John Mackovic 30-16-1 1-2 in Bowl Games
Lou Tepper 25-31-2 1-2 in Bowl Games (one of losses is Sun Bowl when took over for Mackovic)
Overall 102-88-6 with a 2-7 Bowl Record in 17 years. I totally agree with you White built something and Mackovic was great. Shows how bad this program has been if those guys were only able to get us 14 games over .500 during 17 years of coaching and those were the consistent years.
BB
Coaching record at Wisconsin, Arkansas and Illinois. I get Alvarez had Wisconsin in a good spot but it wasn't like they lost a beat with BB. Making it to 3 straight Rose Bowls is dang impressive.
102-65 with a 4-5 Bowl Record in 14 years. 10 of 14 years coaching has had a winning record.
If BB can't turn this thing around, I really don't know who is going to. All my chips are in on him.....
I'm just old enough to have seen the previous turnaround. It was a rather magnificent thing to witness, particularly while basketball was Top 10-15 in the nation, simultaneously.
I do remember Mackovic for a bit but yeah Tepper knew how to bore me as a teenager.
Just so much coaching turnover in the last decade. Be nice to finally land a guy who not only wants to stay here for years but can perform that way. BB just turned 52 and has been around for awhile. Hope he can last many more for the Orange and Blue
Wouldn't risk Papa Deals. As noted above, he can't find help and wait lines are long. We were there a couple weeks ago and there was a sign saying they had only one waitress and the only food available was pizza.
BillyBob1
- Champaign
Same here.
As an Arizona alum in the late 60s who grew up in Central Illinois watching Butkus, Grabowski, and Taliaferro, I will add this historical perspective. Wyoming, a fellow conference member back then, since that time fielded quality football teams that strive to play the game well...albeit without the athletic talent of Power 5 teams. For that reason, they have a highly respected program. I hope the Illini will match or exceed the execution and energy the Cowboys will likely bring to Memorial Stadium...and if so they should win as all expect. But, if not, we have seen the resulting movie many times. I sure liked what BB did with his team last year and do not expect less than a solid Illini performance...but I have learned much from history and............
The stats are correct except for one thing. I messed up one small stat. BB has that coaching record in 13 years not 14 years. This is his 2nd year with the Illini and 14th as a head coach. So 10 of 13 years coaching has had a winning record, etc.I like this but exactly my point. I have never seen a head coach who can recruit, develop and win game consistently. I was born a year before that Liberty Bowl in 82 also to help clear things up
I get what you are saying and that was our "success period". I agree White got the wheels turning and Mackovic was taking us up. Tepper kept the fumes going and they ran out. My main point in previous statements is that I think BB is that guy. Having one head coach stay at this school and be successful for a decent amount of time just hasn't happened.
Throwing in all the years at Illinois this is what we have for those guys
Mike White 47-41-3 0-3 in Bowl Games
John Mackovic 30-16-1 1-2 in Bowl Games
Lou Tepper 25-31-2 1-2 in Bowl Games (one of losses is Sun Bowl when took over for Mackovic)
Overall 102-88-6 with a 2-7 Bowl Record in 17 years. I totally agree with you White built something and Mackovic was great. Shows how bad this program has been if those guys were only able to get us 14 games over .500 during 17 years of coaching and those were the consistent years.
BB
Coaching record at Wisconsin, Arkansas and Illinois. I get Alvarez had Wisconsin in a good spot but it wasn't like they lost a beat with BB. Making it to 3 straight Rose Bowls is dang impressive.
102-65 with a 4-5 Bowl Record in 14 years. 10 of 14 years coaching has had a winning record.
If BB can't turn this thing around, I really don't know who is going to. All my chips are in on him.....
the national
- the Front Range
Having lived in Northern Colorado, I know many Wyoming alums and have gotten to know their program a little. They play sound football. The team (and their fans) take great delight in executing sound football. It’s usually when people overlook them that they can sneak up and beat someone bc they make few mistakes. However, last year they had some talent and didn’t capitalize on it. They did turn it around by the end of the season by sneaking into the Famous potato bowl. But in general, their fans thought the season was a disappointment.
Wyg did lose a lot of starters, but I would assume the backs-ups are likely to be fundamentally sound. They are also likely to be underwhelming athletically. We should beat them but we also need to stay focused - especially if we score a few times early.
ILL 34 WYG 17
Wyg did lose a lot of starters, but I would assume the backs-ups are likely to be fundamentally sound. They are also likely to be underwhelming athletically. We should beat them but we also need to stay focused - especially if we score a few times early.
ILL 34 WYG 17
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