Illini Football 2022
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JFGsCoffeeMug
BU:1 Trash cans:0
- Chicago
I guess, but man could he have said less about our program? Sounded like he was conducting his own job interview.
Mr. Tibbs
- southeast DuPage
'cause he was
make no mistake, he wants a HC gig, but he wants it at $10 million+ per year, for 6-7 years at a program of his choosing
1.) I like how he candidly talks about how we just plain weren’t good when Bielema signed on…(obviously true)
Bret needed a fire hose at Illinois; as opposed to a garden hose. (Yep.)
I dunno what I was expecting but he sure
Didn’t go the the Lovie Smith-defender/apologist route.
2.)Ron Zook led the SEC in offense? (Wow, I did not know that.) I knew Florida was solid then…but that surprises me.
BB certainly adopted players that were already there. Have to give some credit to program condition if you can turn around in 2 years. Not taking anything away from tremendous job this staff has done but to have these results in the second year meant there was some value in place.
I’ll give ya that. There were some serviceable pieces in place for sure.
Lovie & Co. were clearly able to do some things well and some other things not so well. My main problem…I wasn’t a fan of the nepotism. I hear Iowa fans aren’t too big on it either.
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viking6888
Greeley, Colorado
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Even if we acknowledge that Lovie and Co. were decent at finding some hidden gems ... well, many of those pieces are still here and have undeniably improved exponentially as a unit! Major props to Bret and his staff.
While I'm sure everyone is disappointed by the game yesterday, the sun did come up, we know this team and this staff can make adjustments and we still control our own destiny. Let's not forget how great this season has been and how much more we can still accomplish.
During basketball season I wonder why sometimes ranked teams could not pack their arenas. These teams were not known for being a basketball school. Watch O$U they struggle to fill their basketball arena in years past.
Now during this season we have a good football team with a large fan base. Even when we have a large crowd we don’t seem to know how to use that energy. If you put the same fans across the street and we have one of the best home court advantages
Why is there this difference and I know we aren’t the only school that deals with this.
Now during this season we have a good football team with a large fan base. Even when we have a large crowd we don’t seem to know how to use that energy. If you put the same fans across the street and we have one of the best home court advantages
Why is there this difference and I know we aren’t the only school that deals with this.
Joel Goodson
- respect my decision™
Joel Goodson
- respect my decision™
Well said. Get him on the recruiting staff.
Wonder what Quan is like off camera. He seems kinda quiet, like a man of few words in interviews, maybe a bit nervous. But dad definitely has that charisma. Great video. Great recruiting tool especially when you consider BB didn’t even recruit his son. The Familly thing is real.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
On the bright side, our BTN game vs. Michigan State drew almost 1 million viewers - an exceptional rating for BTN, which usually pulls between 400k and 700k for conference games. We outdrew several ESPN and ESPN2 matchups, including Auburn/Mississippi State, and we were barely behind #8 Oregon at Colorado on ESPN in the same time slot. So, good showing!
Lovie found some diamonds in the rough, and BB polished them up.
blackdog
- Champaign
Really great stuff for those criticizing Lunney for the red zone play calling. Execution matters just as much.
illini80
- Forgottonia
Thanks for posting this. Leman does a great job of analysis.
Football rosters take awhile to turn around. Illinois has been yearning for effective QB play for years and years and we get it in year 2(not a Lovie QB). BB wasn't handed an empty cupboard but a very sparse cupboard. This team is not close to a winner without BB in place. Complete culture change from top to bottom and also effective offensive/defensive coordinators and staff that play to our strengths.
I don't give much credit to Lovie because I think he got lazy the last few years on the job. Big Ten program offering scholarships is going to lure some talent at positions no matter the coach. Lovie felt more like an ineffective manager of a company, BB is running the show and CEO.
Illinois has and is adding depth to this roster. The main test this year was how effective QB play would be....it will be the same next year. We have pieces just need the key positions to be effective.
Joel Goodson
- respect my decision™
skyIdub
Winged Warrior
Yep...def gonna retract some of my play calling criticism after watching this and other breakdowns.
The boys gotta step it up in the red zone.
I wonder why they get tight in the RZ. We can gash a team for 6 yards continually between the 20s but in the red zone we can’t get 1?
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