Illinois Football Staff Thread

#651      

bigruss22

B
bigruss22
blmillini said:
I have a feeling Lovie will recruit better citizens and they will be able to stay around. Many of Zook's recruits were high risk/high reward with no backup plan.
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Smith is renowned for taking on bad characters, I don't think this is an accurate statement.
 
#652      

IrishIllini

I
IrishIllini
thunderwear said:
If coaches were equal, we just need top 30ish classes. But I think Lovie is a superior coach to all of those programs, I would probably argue that we don't even need top 50 classes with Lovie as a coach, we just need a year or so for players to acclimate to his system. I think Lovie is talented enough a coach that we will see a drastic turnaround (given our division) next year.
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Agreed
 
#655      

AutoPoster 3000

AutoPoster 3000
AutoPoster 3000
Second and Chalmers said:
Under Zook, for reference:

31st, 20th, 23rd, 35th.

We reprise that and I guarantee you we're going to be off to the races.
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What interests me is the possibility that a few 5-stars that would never have answered our phone calls are now going to listen and maybe even buy in. Two or three players like that every recruiting period may not catapult our overall ranking into the top 20 but, if we land them at key positions, could make a big difference on the field.
 
#656      

Second and Chalmers

S
Second and Chalmers
thunderwear said:
I think Lovie is talented enough a coach that we will see a drastic turnaround (given our division) next year.
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Fit and depth will be big issues initially. I'm not saying it's impossible, but I wouldn't have too high of expectations initially.

I just don't see any way this isn't at the very least a moderate success over the long term. Moderate success isn't where our heads are at the last couple days, and moderate success is arguably less than we're paying for, but moderate, consistent success is something Illinois has tried and failed to achieve for a very long time.

Lovie Smith could be our Joe Tiller and that would probably disappoint some people. Crazy times.
 
#657      

Trakis

Trakis
Chicago, IL
Trakis
The Big 10 tourney starts today, and there are 4 times as many people on the football page, than the basketball page.

Nothing makes sense anymore.
 
#660      

illinidarrin

illinidarrin
from parts unknown
illinidarrin
illiniaaa said:
I still see that he's staying in TB on Scoop. But I haven't deleted my browser cache in a while.
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Footballscop still has it, but @coachingsearch doesn't. It's best just to wait and see what happens because this will drive people crazy.
 
#661      

bigruss22

B
bigruss22
blmillini said:
I don't think he was ever the player personnel guy and this isn't the NFL. I stand by my comment.
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He absolutely publically has said he supported taking on players with shaky history, he pretty much said he believed in second chances.

Actually yup, here you go: http://www.tampabay.com/sports/football/bucs/lovie-smith-believes-in-second-chances/2223236

"But I believe in second chances if a guy deserves one, especially with young people. I just don't think you can give young people a death sentence for one thing that they've done. You do your research, and if there's … a series of things you don't like, that's different. But you go through that process. We will continue to go through that process. If someone is available, we're going to look at it ourselves and make decisions as we go."

While coach of the Bears, Smith drafted Texas RB Cedric Benson fourth overall in 2005 despite his two arrests in college, once for possession of marijuana and the other for criminal trespass. The Bears released Benson in 2008 after his second alcohol-related arrest in five weeks.

Smith stuck by DT Tank Johnson after he was sentenced to probation after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor gun charge. In '06, police found unlicensed firearms in Johnson's suburban Chicago house, and he was jailed for two months. Johnson was suspended for eight games, and the Bears cut him in June 2007 after a highly publicized traffic stop in Arizona, even though he was not charged.

Smith believes he can impact players' lives beyond the field, and his relationships with former players is proof. But he says some behavior has always been unacceptable. "Domestic violence has always been at the top," Smith said. "It's not okay to touch a woman. … We all know that. We know what's right and wrong. You don't need training like that. I will continue to coach our men about that."
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He is definitely willing to take a chance on guys, that can be good and it can be bad.
 
#662      

TheDrinkinLincoln

TheDrinkinLincoln
TheDrinkinLincoln
IAmChrisFarley said:
This roster is ok. Good enough to go 5-7 but that's the ceiling IMO. Don't expect too much the first year; this is a rebuilding project that will take 3 years
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I am hoping for 6-6 this year, I think it is doable. Next year is the hard one for me. I think what little talent we have will be gone and it will be hard to get enough talent in to replace it to have back to back bowl eligible seasons. Year three will be a return to a low level bowl game and year 4 we will start to turn the corner.
 
#664      

Apollonio

Apollonio
Apollonio
illinidarrin said:
No, they had it first that he was staying in Tampa Bay and now it's gone. Maybe they deleted it on accident, but it caught my eye that it is gone now.
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Coaching Search reported Spencer was coming to Illinois. That's it. They never said he was staying, instead they tweeted he was weighing his options. The only tweet they deleted was the one that said Spencer was coming to Illinois.

And this is the last time I'm going to try and make this point to you.
 
#665      

IrishIllini

I
IrishIllini
The Rock Says said:
don't agree that's the ceiling. With a defensive scheme that doesn't rely so much on "dare ya", the D will improve even more than it did over the course of 2015. Offense gets back even more than what they lost. ST will be a strong suit instead of a hinderance.

I suppose this is off topic, but the ceiling raises due to such a superior staff.
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Exactly. I don't think anyone expects Illinois to make a run for a spot in the CFP next year, but I honestly think we can be competitive in the west (we went 5-7 WITH CUBIT). If we somehow did manage to make it to Indianapolis I don't think we can beat out an experienced MSU/OSU/Michigan squad, but at least we made it...

:chief::shield:
 
#666      

Epsilon

Epsilon
M tipping over
Pdx
Epsilon
#667      

Apollonio

Apollonio
Apollonio
quhawks12 said:
Sad situation. Friends of both. They live down the street from each other.
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Coaching Search is actually run by Chris Vannini now. It was originally both Roussel brothers, but the one that started Coaching Search left the site.
 
#669      

Second and Chalmers

S
Second and Chalmers
TheDrinkinLincoln said:
I am hoping for 6-6 this year, I think it is doable. Next year is the hard one for me. I think what little talent we have will be gone and it will be hard to get enough talent in to replace it to have back to back bowl eligible seasons. Year three will be a return to a low level bowl game and year 4 we will start to turn the corner.
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My big hope is that we don't try to overdo the juco or transfer route to jumpstart things and leave class balance issues and thinner rosters on the back end.

Lovie has total buy in right now. He can struggle for a couple of years and no one is jumping off the boat. Build this thing to last, build it the right way.
 
#671      

IAmChrisFarley

I
IAmChrisFarley
IrishIllini said:
Exactly. I don't think anyone expects Illinois to make a run for a spot in the CFP next year, but I honestly think we can be competitive in the west (we went 5-7 WITH CUBIT). If we somehow did manage to make it to Indianapolis I don't think we can beat out an experienced MSU/OSU/Michigan squad, but at least we made it...

:chief::shield:
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We also lost Fergie, Allison, Ward, and others. I know we get Dudek and Hardee back, but first year in a new system - offensively and defensively - will take some time. I just have lower expectations for this year. Don't want them too high and be setup for disappointment
 
#672      

quhawks12

Q
Hamilton County, IN
quhawks12
Apollonio said:
Coaching Search is actually run by Chris Vannini now. It was originally both Roussel brothers, but the one that started Coaching Search left the site.
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Right but the Roussel brothers still don't speak. That's the sad situation.
 
#675      

Bomb Squad 217

B
Bomb Squad 217
I tend to hate floor/ceiling talk. Like a pet peeve or something. People talk like its a fact. It bugs me because, obviously, the floor and ceiling is always winless an undefeated. I feel like maybe there just needs to be better terms.