Perry could make a pretty strong case actually if it’s done purely on paper. Unfortunately, that’s not how it (should) works.
2019-20 Coaching Discussion/Carousel
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Perry could make a pretty strong case actually if it’s done purely on paper. Unfortunately, that’s not how it (should) works.
Deleted member 29907
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I highly doubt he came here for that. He may be effective, but from everything I've heard he wants to be a qb and not a handoff run type type.
SKane
- Tennessee
An even easier 2020 schedule should almost get the team to a bowl game - replace a mid-level MAC opponent with a FCS opponent.
2020 schedule
Sept. 5 vs. Illinois State (Win)
Sept. 12 vs. UConn (Win)
Sept. 19 vs. Bowling Green (Win)
Oct. 3 at Rutgers (Win)
Oct. 10 at Nebraska (Lose)
Oct. 17 vs. Purdue (Lose)
Oct. 24 vs. Minnesota (Win)
Oct. 31 at Wisconsin (Lose)
Nov. 7 vs. Iowa (Lose)
Nov. 14 at Indiana (Lose)
Nov. 21 vs. Ohio State (Lose)
Nov. 28 at Northwestern (Lose)
2020 schedule
Sept. 5 vs. Illinois State (Win)
Sept. 12 vs. UConn (Win)
Sept. 19 vs. Bowling Green (Win)
Oct. 3 at Rutgers (Win)
Oct. 10 at Nebraska (Lose)
Oct. 17 vs. Purdue (Lose)
Oct. 24 vs. Minnesota (Win)
Oct. 31 at Wisconsin (Lose)
Nov. 7 vs. Iowa (Lose)
Nov. 14 at Indiana (Lose)
Nov. 21 vs. Ohio State (Lose)
Nov. 28 at Northwestern (Lose)
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
The case against Lovie in one sentence.
Deleted member 645583
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I''ve always been an Illini fan; my Dad went there; I always wanted to go to Chapmaign. Alas, NIU!!
But I tell you this: NIU could beat this year's Illini tean. No doubt it. Why? Bettyer
But I tell you this: NIU could beat this year's Illini tean. No doubt it. Why? Bettyer
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
It is so, SO, SO much less difficult to at least give as good as we get against the Purdue's and Minnesota's and Northwestern's of the world than Illinois football has made it look in recent years.
Slush Fund to 1995 against those three teams: 46-29-3
1996 to Present against the same three teams: 18-41
None of those teams have more money than us, more fans, better facilities, better recruiting territory, a stronger tradition, ANYTHING.
A coach who is falling behind those programs is not failing to push Illinois beyond the natural college football order of things, he is pulling Illinois back from the natural college football order of things.
Slush Fund to 1995 against those three teams: 46-29-3
1996 to Present against the same three teams: 18-41
None of those teams have more money than us, more fans, better facilities, better recruiting territory, a stronger tradition, ANYTHING.
A coach who is falling behind those programs is not failing to push Illinois beyond the natural college football order of things, he is pulling Illinois back from the natural college football order of things.
Deleted member 654622
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I would say that schedule is perfect for a new coach to get some recruiting momentum ASAP
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
We should at least acknowledge the risk though.
With our roster and that schedule, a new coach is going to come in with something a new Illini coach hasn't had in awhile: expectations. Hype, even.
We're Illinois so it will be an absolute unmitigated disaster a la 2012, and at that point, not unlike the Beckman situation, our shiny new coach might be a dead man walking after a handful of games, but the rest of us are left to watch 2+ more seasons of it knowing there's only one outcome.
Just what's in my black little heart this afternoon, but in any event it needs to be acknowledged that 2021 is gonna be tough. We graduate more seniors than we can replace in recruiting, with a billion career starts between them, and then inexperienced and down on scholarships we travel to (of course, because we're Illinois) a suddenly very strong looking Virginia program in the noncon.
And then the next year Virginia comes to Champaign, and somehow our three games against the B1G East are Penn State, Michigan and Michigan State (parity-based scheduling my behind).
Oh and Les Miles has suddenly revived Kansas' recruiting. Guess who heads to Lawrence when they're seniors? Lol, you guessed it, that's our next non-con series after Virginia.
I'm really hoping we can pull out 5-6 wins this year still. I would like to see this team when the current Juniors(Carneys class)would actually be graduated or RS Seniors. That would be a complete roster built from Lovies first class. I think if he can be successful with his 2 deep scheme its gonna be with upperclassmen DBs that have been running and playing the scheme for a while. Adams and Hobbs weren't getting burnt like we were the first 3 weeks. Unfortunately, if this team and staff cant squeeze out some wins we might not get to see it happen. Its unfortunate that things didn't work out with players like Bennett Williams and Dorsey. That's what the staff gets paid big bucks for though. Guess I'm just bummed that things haven't went our way FOREVER. Cant deny that these kids are playing hard and putting their bodies on the line. They haven't given up yet. Go ILLINI
illini80
- Forgottonia
Not saying many would buy it. I wouldn’t. But what other possible case could he make at 4 wins? I don’t believe he wants to make a change. Maybe I’m wrong.
I have nothing else to add other than to echo the hilarious irony of our non-con opponents always finding a way to become formidable just in time for a little home and home action.
Also, yesterday has got me down and I don't see a way we win more than 5 games each of the next two years.
Deleted member 649710
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Lovie was sold as a defense-minded coach. If the defense is historically bad in years 3 and 4 of his tutelage, how can one possibly think keeping him around for year 5 makes a lick of difference? The scheme isn’t working, the technique is poor and the execution is awful. Does not everyone see this? That’s mostly due to poor coaching.
One can definitely see a path in 2020, at least on paper but if we can’t pull this Minnesota game out, I don’t know that I see a clear path in 2019 to 4 wins. We could be staring down a 3 win season here.
illini80
- Forgottonia
I think everyone sees it. The question is what if anything will Whitman do about it.
BG makes a MUCH easier opponent than EMU. BG lost 62-20 to Kent yesterday. EMU’s taken down a B1G opponent 3 years running. 4-0 start next year is a must.
illini80
- Forgottonia
That’s where I’m at, but there is enough talent on this team to beat teams like Nebraska, Purdue, and Minnesota along with Rutgers, so I’d think at some point we actually play to our talent level and knock someone off. If we play like we did the last 2 games, we could easily be a 2 win team.
Oh 5 I can see next year, but not enough to go bowling, which in today's world if college football really isn't that difficult.
And as laid out (somewhere, I thought it was this thread) we could be two weeks away from staring down probably the worst case scenario that could have been drawn up at the beginning of the year.
If we don’t beat Minnesota, we’re walking into a stretch of games at 2-3 against Michigan, Wisconsin and Purdue (More dangerously, our defense against Rondale Moore) in West Lafayette. All of a sudden, we went from entering the season predicting we’d possibly be 4-4 at that point to looking 2-6 dead in the eye. If that comes to fruition, we’re now in a fight to death to take down Rutgers and Northwestern just to salvage 4 wins.
I wasn’t the only one who said it but losing that game, a home game nonetheless, to Eastern Michigan was a season killer.
I think 4 becomes most likely. Northwestern and Rutgers.
D minded + a name that would recruit.
I think the business plan failed, miserably, with the latter.
Having said that I think Lovie comes back next year. AND, IF (BIG IF) Lovie has a better set of D players, with some depth, then I can see a turnaround.
As disappointed as I was with the NE game (I had predicted 42-41 IL), I think NE used our game plan and wore down our D. I would like to think if we had no injures and can add some depth we win such games. Granted we squeak through, nonetheless a W.
If we win 4 and Lovie stays you will see the fanbase completely abandon the program. Even the most loyal will become apathetic. Whitman HAS to know this.
Less than 15,000 will show up for games guaranteed.
Tired of the excuses. Plenty of talent on this team to go around. Year 4 should show improvement. There has been none.
What irks me is that it is possible we beat Minny, Rutgers, and NW and people will say that is "progress."
Don't fall for it if we win 5 games. Lovie has to go.
The only positive we can look at is that the staff has actually built a decent roster. Salvage as much of that roster as possible, get a competent coach, keep corey, get scheelhaase back as a position coach, and maybe this could be the start of a quick turn around.
Less than 15,000 will show up for games guaranteed.
Tired of the excuses. Plenty of talent on this team to go around. Year 4 should show improvement. There has been none.
What irks me is that it is possible we beat Minny, Rutgers, and NW and people will say that is "progress."
Don't fall for it if we win 5 games. Lovie has to go.
The only positive we can look at is that the staff has actually built a decent roster. Salvage as much of that roster as possible, get a competent coach, keep corey, get scheelhaase back as a position coach, and maybe this could be the start of a quick turn around.
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Well there are a lot of mid level programs that will lay eggs every once in a while, it's just how the game goes. I was actually optimistic following the UConn game because that is not a game we would have won last year.
The problem was that the team couldn't build on it. Then we faltered against EMU and regressed against Nebraska despite getting 4 EXTRA possesions.
My mentality is that you learn more from losing than you do from winning and based on the team making no progress even though the issues have been lit up like neon signs they have not been addressed.
We needed a defensive boost, and we didn't find a DC.
We needed our offense to be more consistent and get the balls to our playmakers. We didn't get that.
TLDR: It's not a wins or losses thing. It's simply not putting together a complete program and building a winning culture.
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Well there are a lot of mid level programs that will lay eggs every once in a while, it's just how the game goes. I was actually optimistic following the UConn game because that is not a game we would have won last year.
The problem was that the team couldn't build on it. Then we faltered against EMU and regressed against Nebraska despite getting 4 EXTRA possesions.
My mentality is that you learn more from losing than you do from winning and based on the team making no progress even though the issues have been lit up like neon signs they have not been addressed.
We needed a defensive boost, and we didn't find a DC.
We needed our offense to be more consistent and get the balls to our playmakers. We didn't get that.
TLDR: It's not a wins or losses thing. It's simply not putting together a complete program and building a winning culture.
The roof is caving in.
Hope JW is sleeping well.
Hope JW is sleeping well.
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