This is the first year we should be deep (almost) across the board, and that alone could be worth a W or two. B1G coaches know how to capitalize on mismatches, so having one 4th stringer out there for a game or two is gets exploited heavily. At least when the drop-off in size/strength/speed/experience is as steep as it has been for us over the past several years.
And there's the whole "do the players fit the scheme?" thing, because if the answer is no, then we know going in that the scheme can't be implemented as intended. B1G coaches know how to exploit that.
During Lovie's tenure I was one of the guys jumping on the sofa screaming "He's the most professionaly accomplished coach we've ever hired", and expected a payoff for that resume. But Lovie wasn't doing the work. He wasn't setting the right example. That made failure inevitible. <AAARRRGGHHHHHHH!!!!!>
I have no idea what the record will be this year, but I always choose optimism. And as others have stated, the case can be made for any record with single digit wins. So I'm choosing to believe we'll go bowling, and I'm basing it not on super-seniors, but on basic competence. Actually doing the work should have these guys able to execute competent football. And if they do that consistently, lapses by the other teams will result in difference-making opportunities for the Illini.
My point with the roster is that we look like a B1G team. Coach B doesn't have to suffer that Ron Turner moment where he points out the the opponent's LB is bigger than our DEs and faster than our WRs. They aren't. And in any fairly even match-up, it's the momentary breakdowns that can make all the difference. So basic competence...players who know what they're suppossed to do, and do just that...actually gives a massive tilt the odds. And at least 9 games on this schedule are either fairly balanced match-ups, or to our advantage (1 or 2). But with competence that should translate to winning more than half of those 9ish games.