Nice Pic... I don't live within 2500 miles or I would be there, as I was back in the day, win or lose... Try to understand that we're Illinois (one of the top Public Research institutes on the planet) and we aren't allowed nice things on the football field, except once a decade... So enjoy the comaradarie, and build the memories you'll enjoy telling your grandchildren about in your old age - as I do now.... Good luck to you, and HANG IN THERE...
Purdue 44, Illinois 19 Postgame
And, as far as I know, you can't record the games.
No... NO.... NO.... Not close... you need more 'exercise'....
If we keep playing like this, we will become staples on Peacock. Not being able to flip between games sucked yesterday. The extra 30 or 45 seconds going between apps was infuriating. Illinois vs Indiana will be Peacock gold. The announcers that gets assigned to this game should be flying rubber dog crap out of Hong Kong.
Chief Illini is ticked.
Chief Illini is ticked.
illini80
- Forgottonia
Cook
- Richmond, VA
And hate to bring this up, but even with that perfect confluence the 2nd half of last year was disappointing. I was at last year's Purdue game
, with everything that was on the line that was an unexpectedly poor performance at home in a rivalry game with the West championship in our sights. MSU was inexplicable, and we ended it with a bowl loss. What gave me the most hope, was that even with the hiccups it at least felt like we were finally seeing a more competently composed and executed P5 football program. This year has shaken every bit of that feeling. As an avid fan out-of state I can totally understand how and why the football support, attendance, etc. is so skeptical and waxes and wanes to the degree it does. It's beyond frustrating, heartbreaking, infuriating Illini football can't be consistently competitive with the B10 West, gets embarrassed by Kansas... ffs. It's more amazing that we still have the fan support we do.
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Took me until today to even come to the site. I agree, as good of a guy as he is, Henry is in over his head it seems. Any chance Leonard sticks around and becomes DC next year? Is he even the answer? So many questions, no answers. Seems like Traylor was the guru at UTSA and not Lunney because this offense is TERRIBLE. Not sure what else to say, maybe Whitman should have hired coach Prime and not Bielema. Not saying Bielema cant mold us into a winner, just saying its gonna take some time. If Lunney continues to run a stagnat offense the rest of the season coach B really needs to find a coordinator that has major P5 success already and pay him.
Listening t Bret’s comments, I think that’s what he wants too. Those wanting an ultra creative OC will likely be disappointed. Brett wants an identity for offense, and I read that as establish the running game and then go from there.
That is a phenomenal and all too accurate video.
Illini2010-11
- Sugar Grove
Why? I assume you mean for the media attention only, right? I think from a stability standpoint, Sanders is 100% the wrong answer at many institutions.
There is no guarantee that he can coach a winner, and there is no way he would have wanted to come to the shambles that was Illinois football. He also strikes me as jumping ship after 1 or 2 seasons.
There is no coach that can come to Illinois and immediately make it a winner, "Prime" included. It was always going to be a long rebuild. Injuries have really started taking a toll on the team, and the next man up is still raw. Last year really gave us fans unrealistic expectations.
I don't think Bielema is the kind to 'fire' his OC mid-season, but I think he'll definitely have to have a 'Come to Jesus' meeting - again ! ... I think the problems are multi-faceted - Both for the Offense and the Defense... First: We aren't big enough, strong enough, or fast enough... And the players that ARE those things are in short, SHORT supply - even when they aren't on the injured list... Second: It's difficult for our position coaches to 'coach-up' players in a developmental program, when they don't have 'top talent' to work with. And THAT is why it takes soooo long to rebuild a bad to mediocre team into any kind of success... Third: When you change head coaches and coordinators every couple of years, it's difficult to build any kind of consistency, and without consistency it's really hard to develop any kind of sustainable success, and we've been changing coaches regularly since 1959... Fourth: It's really difficult to get the kind of coaching and player talent necessary to change this kind of 'losing culture'... Although I do believe that Josh Whitman and coach B are giving their best shot...
Finally: We're Illinois football, and we aren't allowed to have nice things. We are ALLOWED to catch lightning in a bottle once a decade, but not more than that, so we must learn to accept that and just enjoy those times WHEN they happen.
While I agree last year did make all of our expectations for this year greater, from my perspective the losses aren’t that biggest issue, it’s the way we’ve lost.
For the first time since the first couple games in Bret’s tenure, we appear so be poorly coached and unprepared. I know that’s not the case, but we’ve looked like a Beckman era team.
The fully believe Bret is the guy and he will turn things around, but the overall play this year has been a huge disappointment.
Cook
- Richmond, VA
I think you're mostly right here, but how do you explain us vs. Kansas across those four points? History, recency (last 20 yrs), talent level, coaching changes, facilities are all worse or at best equal to us. Yet they're having more success (albeit not multi-year, sustained yet) and smoked us head to head on the field.
Deion brings more than media attention. Top level kids AND COACHES will want to play and coach for and with him. Its yet to be proven wether he will be successful at the P5 level. We will all find out in due time. I do agree that he would probably leave after a few years of success if he does indeed succeed. Colorado was in complete shambles too so that isnt a valid point. Like I said, I think Bret can turn us into a winner long term. I am ok with that. Im just frustrated and confused on how poorly the O has played. Miller is supposed to be a good O Line coach. We are way too young and banged up on the line so patience is our only option. Go ILLINI!
Illini2010-11
- Sugar Grove
While true, Boulder is more of a destination area than Central Illinois. Also Colorado is in a much more manageable conference affiliation moving forward with Big 12, B1G is a much more uphill battle for relevancy longterm. I think it is an easier rebuild for that reason alone at Colorado.
Gotta take a hard look at the Oline coach too.
Eventually Toledo will get there. With Daniel's Kansas is an 8 or 9 win team.
I don't have any answers, just some observations which could easily be wrong... They have been (in recent history) similar to us, except they haven't really had their 'time to catch lightning in the bottle' once a decade... At least NOT to the same level... And since Kansas is primarily a basketball school - as we are, but a little higher level - so their 'expectations' aren't really as high as ours WRT football... It appears that they have made a concerted effort recently to up their football presence in the B12 - as we are trying to do in the B1G... The fact that they smoked us head-to-head is not particularly unexpected given the style of play generally in the B12 v. B1G West... If you want to compete in the B12 you have to have air-raid style offenses, whereas competing in the B1G West meant hard nosed running, pound and grind, with a 'big-play' thrown in to ice it away... Completely different styles.... As the B1G changes - wrt the addition of west coast expansion teams, and the absence of divisions - I suspect we will change along similar lines to try to remain relevant in the conference...
To answer the 4th issue, every program that has even a modicum of success has coordinators leave. However, they all still have an identity. Illinois in the BB era should and probably will always be big heavy rushing offense with an aggressive blitzing pressure defense. I think Brett tried to delegate and let his coordinators cook and it hasn't worked out well. In the TP/year 1 BLJ Brett was involved and said we need to do this. The defense was probably more of a group with BB, AHen, Walters, and Kane stirring the pot making the defetwork by combatting each other about what the ideal defense was. Now BB let BLJ put his starting that is definitely more pass first shotgun style and the defense is run by AHen but without Kane and Walters there to put the aggression in we are playing not to lose on defense.
Fixed it for you....
I don't have answers that multiple millionaires, the coaches have. Going shot gun on 2/ 4 n1's is maddening. You have that in your tool box use it. Not putting pressure all game long on Hudson Card was idiotic.
Bench Luke for 2 maybe 3 games, let him catch his breath. Kids gonna get killed back there. 5 fumble and 9 Int's, through 5 games. He has talent, let him watch and get Paddock in there. Luke may or may not be our solution. A ton of questions, but I do trust CoachB.
Bench Luke for 2 maybe 3 games, let him catch his breath. Kids gonna get killed back there. 5 fumble and 9 Int's, through 5 games. He has talent, let him watch and get Paddock in there. Luke may or may not be our solution. A ton of questions, but I do trust CoachB.
Indiana just fired their offensive coordinator, Walt Bell.
the national
- the Front Range
Yep. Sadly the trickle has become a deluge.
Mr. Tibbs
- southeast DuPage
if you fire your OC or DC now , you need to have someone who can fill that role who’s better
Tom Allen is on the hot seat
