Illini Football 2023

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Dan

Dan
Admin
Dan
Welcome to the Illinois Football and college football news thread.

2023 Illinois Football (5-7, 3-6)
DateOpponentResult
Sat, Sept 2ToledoW 30-28
Fri, Sept 8at KansasL 23-34
Sat, Sept 16Penn StateL 13-30
Sat, Sept 23Florida AtlanticW 23-17
Sat, Sept 30at PurdueL 19-44
Fri, Oct 6NebraskaL 7-20
Sat, Oct 14at MarylandW 27-24
Sat, Oct 21WisconsinL 21-25
Sat, Nov 4at MinnesotaW 27-26
Sat, Nov 11IndianaW 48-45 OT
Sat, Nov 18at IowaL 13-15
Sat, Nov 25NorthwesternL 43-45

All times CT
 
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#2      
OB positive
1st
Conor Mcgregor Sport GIF by UFC
 
#6      
king dad runnerup
Many have noted the vast talent discrepancy among Big 10 teams. Ohio State has 73 four- and five-star recruits (source: 247); Illinois has just 6. I plotted those totals for B1G teams versus the current Sagarin ratings. The chart shows that the East Division big three are far outpacing the other 13 teams in both roster composition and performance. Given its roster, Illinois looks to be performing about as well as can be expected. Michigan and Iowa are overachieving. Indiana and Michigan State aren't putting the pieces together well.
Team talent x performance 10-28-23.jpg
 
#8      
InDaAZ
king dad runnerup said:
Many have noted the vast talent discrepancy among Big 10 teams. Ohio State has 73 four- and five-star recruits (source: 247); Illinois has just 6. I plotted those totals for B1G teams versus the current Sagarin ratings. The chart shows that the East Division big three are far outpacing the other 13 teams in both roster composition and performance. Given its roster, Illinois looks to be performing about as well as can be expected. Michigan and Iowa are overachieving. Indiana and Michigan State aren't putting the pieces together well.
View attachment 28695
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I would be interested to see where the four incoming PAC teams would land in your graph…
 
#10      
LFOD
king dad runnerup said:
Many have noted the vast talent discrepancy among Big 10 teams. Ohio State has 73 four- and five-star recruits (source: 247); Illinois has just 6. I plotted those totals for B1G teams versus the current Sagarin ratings. The chart shows that the East Division big three are far outpacing the other 13 teams in both roster composition and performance. Given its roster, Illinois looks to be performing about as well as can be expected. Michigan and Iowa are overachieving. Indiana and Michigan State aren't putting the pieces together well.
View attachment 28695
Click to expand...
That’s a very interesting and depressing chart.

By this measure, we are bottom of the conference in talent, with only Rutgers stinking worse than us. Wonderful.
 
#12      
GILL-INOIS
Fighter of the Nightman said:
Yep. :( We can “develop” all we want, but we simply have to start landing some 4-stars to keep improving, IMO.
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Agree and also will say it would be nice to have a balanced team. I am fine with majority of the recruits we are getting and developing but absolutely need more firepower and especially on offense.

Seems like the D has carried this team since BB took over and it would be nice if the offense would show up and take over a game sometime. Offense averaging 18-22 points a game for a long period needs to change.
 
#15      
Fighter of the Nightman
STLflyinIllini said:
I tried saying this going into the year and was called an unbeliever
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I mean, don't get me wrong ... I firmly believe that even if our recruiting stays marginal, Bielema (and whomever he employs on his staff in the long run) simply developing overlooked guys is a MASSIVE improvement for this program compared to what this program is used to. And I simply have to be thankful for that.

However, it's frustrating to have the staff in place (IMO) to correct so many of the bad coaching headaches we have endured for decades only to then simply not have the firepower to take that next step. Bielema with a rockstar recruiter on staff would be a sight to see!
 
#21      
Scoregasm
blackdog said:
They came into camp with 5 guys that could have conceivably gotten carries this year. Hard to predict losing 3 for the year and another for extended time.
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Love - showed promise as a back up, new starter
McCray - more injured than healthy during college career
Anderson- redshirted, no track record
Laughery- same as Anderson
Feagin- true Freshman with promise

Love and McCray were the only known quantities coming into the season, with McCray having sat out more then he has played. We should have sacrificed a TE scholarship for a proven RB.
 
#22      
rtbritt
Scoregasm said:
Love - showed promise as a back up, new starter
McCray - more injured than healthy during college career
Anderson- redshirted, no track record
Laughery- same as Anderson
Feagin- true Freshman with promise

Love and McCray were the only known quantities coming into the season, with McCray having sat out more then he has played. We should have sacrificed a TE scholarship for a proven RB.
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Easy to say now, but Love and McCray were both gonna get carries coming into the season; most backs who'd be willing to come be the 3rd back likely would give you what you thought you'd get from Feagin and Laughery. Obviously, hindsight is 20/20.
 
#23      
Cook
Fighter of the Nightman said:
I mean, don't get me wrong ... I firmly believe that even if our recruiting stays marginal, Bielema (and whomever he employs on his staff in the long run) simply developing overlooked guys is a MASSIVE improvement for this program compared to what this program is used to. And I simply have to be thankful for that.

However, it's frustrating to have the staff in place (IMO) to correct so many of the bad coaching headaches we have endured for decades only to then simply not have the firepower to take that next step. Bielema with a rockstar recruiter on staff would be a sight to see!
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Why not just an SEC level NIL, let's all contribute now!
 
#24      
Scoregasm
rtbritt said:
Easy to say now, but Love and McCray were both gonna get carries coming into the season; most backs who'd be willing to come be the 3rd back likely would give you what you thought you'd get from Feagin and Laughery. Obviously, hindsight is 20/20.
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This wasn't hindsight, I believe others had similar feelings. Bring in the best available back you can get. Let them decide who will play during camp.
 
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