What is sad is that our OL played terrible and what’s worse is that no one on the depth chart stepped up to challenge for time.After the Indiana game, Cignetti said they knew they could beat up our offensive line. I felt Wisconsin learned from that and was simply more physical than us, in every phase. Relative lack of talent is one thing but just don’t expect a BB coached team to get out hustled. The difference in physical aggression between us and Wiscy was stark. At least to me
Wisconsin 27, Illinois 10 Postgame
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Battle89
- Cary-Grove, the better Trojan team
I really feel both sides are arguing the same thing, and no one is wrong here. Of course the Washington and PSU fans are different, they have decades of consistent winning and national championships in my lifetime.
We do not. It is really hard to generate the emotion and rabid feeling (and time, and effort, and money invested) when the same thing happens again and again.
I do believe in Bret. And I think he takes a longer view, and that is good for program-building. But that does not take away the sting today, nor the opportunity we had this specific season, with a generational quarterback.
They also gave up 35 points to Minnesota and got lucky that the field goal kicker missed a chip shot for the game to go into overtime
Illini2010-11
- Sugar Grove
That is what makes the season so frustrating. The record is not the issue, but the fact that the team was blown out four times with Altmyer. I will be content with 8-4 if Illini recover next week, but still slightly frustrated. If Illini lose next week, I will be sad that we underperformed expectations.
Illiniinquirer guys (on the pod) sounded very confident we have the resources.
As I reflect, the loss stinks and I’m bummed, but in years past this would have been a 42-7 loss and we’d be crying we missed a bowl game for the 5th year in a row.
I know we have resources to do better, and will. Doesn’t take the sting away, but this is 100x better then where we’ve been.
I know we have resources to do better, and will. Doesn’t take the sting away, but this is 100x better then where we’ve been.
???
He has 9.0 Sacks, tied for 3rd in the B10, has the chance to become only the 5th illini ever to reach 10 sacks in a season.
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No disrespect for your post Illini2010-11, but I think the ship already sailed on the "underperformed expectations" part.
I think we've just overvalued what we had. For example, there was talk last off-season that a high quality, 5 star type RB wanted to play for us, but we just didn't persue. This team could really use a true RB1.
I think this is most glaring in the secondary however, especially cornerback.
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Jacas has 9 sacks but only 21 tackles. He’s regressed vs last year in my opinion. Doesn’t set the edge well on runs.
Leonhard, dj durkin, Brent pry and Vince kehres are some guys I would contact
It's where the "build everything through retention" formula kind of crashes out IMO.
Retention is extremely essential for your best players (Luke, Gabe, Scott, etc) - no doubt about it. But when you apply the same philosophy for areas of the team that need to be upgraded, you're banking way too heavily on a year's worth improvement by bringing back the same core that hasn't fulfilled expectations.
It's important to have the correct blend.
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Illini2010-11
- Sugar Grove
The majority of betting market tabbed the Illini win total at 7.5 (some closed at 8.5). By getting to 8 wins, the team has generally met the record expectation. It will be more disappointing the way the Illini looked in the 4 losses, but going into season, many saw 8 wins as a pretty good outcome.
Of course we all wanted to make the CFP, but we were never seen as favorites to get there. What is clear to me is that we highly overvalued the talent of the roster given the amount of returning players. Outside of last night, the Illini won handily in the games they were supposed to win. Next week is a very big culture game.
But its not just 1 clunkers its 1 of many and when you retain the majority of your starters from a 10-3 season the year before and your defense gives up touchdowns like there junior high defense against a team that has averaged 6.7 points in big play along with wasting the talent of a qb thats one of the best we've had in a generation.along with experience throughout the roster fans have a right to be frustrated we have filled the seats with our hard earned money and from not one not 2 or even 3 disappointing performances changes have to be made to made from the staff to the players this is not exceptable!!!
You are correct in that a fan base's expectations and how they react to things is a very necessary part of seeing that a program stays at a high (or very high) level.
BUT... sometimes even that doesn't always get it done. Example: Nebraska. They used to be College Football Royalty. But for 25 years now they have been from mediocre to god-awful. And yet, they still have one of the most passionate fan bases in the Nation. They do keep showing up and filling the place. They do care. They do NOT want to accept that the program has fallen into mediocrity and far below playoff calibre. They light up call shows. And they feel it maybe even more so than Illini Nation does because the entire State's identity is so tied to the performance of their major college football program. Not quite so in the State of Illinois.
Nebraska has tried just about everything for 25 years and nothing has worked. And now in the NIL environment and media-centered-World of SEC and a handful of other favored programs... the Huskers seem a good way from being able to climb up the ladder. It's much harder for them to compete in that World against today's more glamourous programs.
But one thing you can and must control as players all the time is you have to CARE and have some pride in your performance and in your giving your fan base your very best at all times. Both the Illini and the Huskers seem to have a bit of work to do on that score.
In recent years, legacy power programs like Michigan and USC and LSU (right now) slipped and then very quickly began to work to restore themselves. One, because they wanted to. Two, because their fan bases' demanded it. And three... because they knew HOW to.
And then there's another way: Get real good overnight... like Indiana.
Either method is fine!
My spirit was broken after the first blowout. I'm only exaggerating a little bit, drank an unhealthy amount of malort after the first half. The subsequent losses have just been annoying
Battle89
- Cary-Grove, the better Trojan team
Luke did not have a great game, but no player ever will have great games every single time.
If you had pointed to the schedule preseason and asked me to pick a game for which he might falter, I would have picked Wisconsin in a heartbeat. Point being we should have been able to easily beat Wisconsin with anyone back there. Just an inexcusable mess last night.
I love this post, and specifically the talk about Nebraska. If people here think we are "rabid" after a loss, they should check out Husker forums and call in shows. I lived in NE for many years, including the 94-97 run. I can distinctly remember Husker fans I worked with calling the B1G "mid-major" lol. This was of course before they joined. And I'll go to my grave saying one of the biggest reasons they nosedived was leaving the friendly confines of the Big 8/Big 12. They found that out the hard way lol.
Illini2010-11
- Sugar Grove
Oh, I agree. And in no way am I blaming Altmyer at all. Simply stating that when you have a generational qb and get blown out 4 times in one season, there are major roster construction/coaching issues. Altmyer was the only reason the Illini had a chance last night, the run game outside of him was nonexistent.
We very well may hit the expected win target of 8 (and I would be happy with that), but it is mind boggling that the team was so outmatched four times this year. Without Altmyer it is very possible that this team misses out on a bowl game. I am happy to have back to back winning regular seasons for the first time in 30+ years, but it is hard to not be slightly disappointed that we wasted such a golden opportunity with Altmyer to contend for a CFP spot.
This is the thing... the same thing emphatically is not happening, unless I missed a bunch of NYD and NYE bowls, 10-win seasons, and "down" 8-4 seasons over the last 25 years.
I'm not directing this comment at you at all, but why can't fans just enjoy themselves when times are good?!
Maybe just me... but Valentine just hasn't looked the same player after that fumble vs SC. He played really well that game.
Average YPC weeks 1-5: 5.7
Average YPC weeks 6-11: 3.25
Average YPC weeks 1-5: 5.7
Average YPC weeks 6-11: 3.25
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The reality is we got lucky to win 10 games last year. The bounces aren’t going our way this year. We also didn’t replace Bryant or Franklin. We over valued the talent we had coming back and also over estimated the ability to develop players. It’s good to retain players but at the same time we shouldn’t be bidding against ourselves to bring back average players
Our DL and OL are getting their asses handed to them far too often. Really not much more complicated than that.
Probably overvalued the talent level on both sides and coaching has not figured out how to deal with it. Maybe the coaches aren't good enough to overcome it. Maybe the talent just isn't where it needs to be.
Probably overvalued the talent level on both sides and coaching has not figured out how to deal with it. Maybe the coaches aren't good enough to overcome it. Maybe the talent just isn't where it needs to be.
The line play lost this game for the Illini. Experience O-line but it’s not physical. The front 7 of the D, aside from Jacas, simply not enough dudes there. The transfers we got from the Badgers have not been difference makers.
I know people want to blame Henry and compare the current D to say 2022, but 2022 had NFL talent. We don’t have that level of talent anymore. We got a good QB, and experience that isn’t that talented. 8-4 is about the most you could expect I think
I know people want to blame Henry and compare the current D to say 2022, but 2022 had NFL talent. We don’t have that level of talent anymore. We got a good QB, and experience that isn’t that talented. 8-4 is about the most you could expect I think
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