The problem I have with this comparison is that Groce had a .531 conference winning percentage at Ohio. Underwood had a .981 conference winning percentage.
Underwood went .500 in his first season in a P5 conference, but if you consider he was taking over a team with a .167 winning percent, .500 is quite impressive.
The article might have a point if there were similarities other than the good things (both had some nice upsets), but otherwise it seems poorly researched.
I don't have a problem with author questioning the hire: you can make a case that this hire is more of a gamble than fans wanted, or create a narrative that Illinois is down and can't ever attract a "good" coach. Those would be lazy arguments that also don't really offer any analysis.
I just find the research to be really poor, the argument based on flimsy ideas, and not much that tries to analyze his strengths/weakness and fit at Illinois.
BTW, ask me if I'm happy with the hire. I'm neither happy nor sad. I'm glad we made a change. I'm also impressed with the way JW handled it. But I want to see him actually coach and recruit here.