Illinois Football Thread

[TL1961]

t-minus 4 months until Lovie is fired.

t-minus 10 minutes before @Urblock posts something stupid again.

Why do you intentionally try to ruin threads?

 

[Urblock]

Why do you intentionally try to ruin threads?

Shut up.

 

[Parade_Rain]

Enjoyable game yesterday. The first team talent at all spots is clearly competitive and just as good as the best Zook years, but they need to stay healthy on the lines and at QB. Outside of RB and WR there is a bigger drop off in ability than you would like to see. Regardless of what anyone thinks of Akron, Illinois has improved. When is the last time they handled a lower level opening day opponent the way they should?

 

[TL1961]

Shut up.

NO

 

[Parade_Rain]

https://www.espn.com/college-footba...mack-return-fields-5-td-debut-top-wild-week-1

Week 1 buy, sell, hold
Buy: Illinois

OK, so Illini fans probably don't need to book those hotel rooms in Pasadena, but Lovie Smith's team posted a dominant 42-3 win over Akron, with former Michigan QB Brandon Peters throwing three touchdown passes. And while you might shrug at a thumping of Akron, Illinois hadn't beaten an FBS team by more than three touchdowns or had a QB toss three touchdowns in a game since 2015. No, Illinois isn't winning the Big Ten, but this looks like a potential bowl team in 2019.

 

[TL1961]

Mike Epstein out for the season.

 

[Parade_Rain]

Mike Epstein out for the season.

I feel bad for him. He’s come back from so many injuries.

 

[TL1961]

It feels like Dudek all over again. But Epstein posted positive thoughts on Twitter, followed by Marquez Beason's response saying their "comeback will be epic".

Maintaining positive attitudes. But hurts to see it.

 

[FirstTimer]

Enjoyable game yesterday. The first team talent at all spots is clearly competitive and just as good as the best Zook years, but they need to stay healthy on the lines and at QB. Outside of RB and WR there is a bigger drop off in ability than you would like to see. Regardless of what anyone thinks of Akron, Illinois has improved. When is the last time they handled a lower level opening day opponent the way they should?

Akron is terrible, but your closing statement is the most important thing to take away from the game on Saturday. Illinois handled their business. LOL at the "just as good as the best Zook years" though. That's patently absurd. This is not a Rose Bowl level talented team. This team could not walk into the#1 team in the country's house and go toe to toe with them and win.

Let alone at spots like QB, RB, WR, etc. That Rose Bowl team had three AA's on it, and another couple high draft picks that played major roles.

 

[Parade_Rain]

Akron is terrible, but your closing statement is the most important thing to take away from the game on Saturday. Illinois handled their business. LOL at the "just as good as the best Zook years" though. That's patently absurd.

No. It isn’t. This team has some future Sunday players on the roster.

This is not a Rose Bowl level talented team. This team could not walk into the#1 team in the country's house and go toe to toe with them and win.

The 2007 team wasn’t Rose Bowl level either. They got the bid, because the B1G team that should have been in the Rose Bowl was in the BCS.

Let alone at spots like QB, RB, WR, etc. That Rose Bowl team had three AA's on it, and another couple high draft picks that played major roles.

Hindsight. These current players don’t have the benefit of hindsight.

 

[Rory Sparrow]

Potential bowl team? HUH?

 

[ytsejam]

Oskie rawr rawr!

 

[Rory Sparrow]

No. It isn’t. This team has some future Sunday players on the roster.

Who specifically?

 

[FirstTimer]

This team has some future Sunday players on the roster.

Who? How many future AA's? What rounds will they be drafted in? The 2007 had two first round picks on the roster and a high 2nd rounder. All major contributors.

It's not just simply "Sunday players" you're talking about guys who went in the first and second rounds of the draft. Every team in the country has "Sunday players" on it for the most part. Most have PS or late round draft picks.

The 2007 team wasn’t Rose Bowl level either.

The 2007 went into the #1 team's stadium and beat them. I like how you conveniently ignore that part of the post. This team does not have 2007's talent level. By any measure.

The recruiting rankings of the players on that 2007 team

2003: 23
2004: 57
2005: 48
2006: 27
2007: 22

The recruiting rankings of this team:

2015: 48
2016: 73
2017: 46
2018: 53
2019: 53

So where is the raw material coming from to make this talent level the same? No rankings show it. Player honors don't show it.

Hindsight. These current players don’t have the benefit of hindsight.

So at the end of this season and these players careers who are the three AA's from this team? Who are the two first round draft picks? Who is the high 2nd round pick? You're projecting. Tell us who they are.

 

[zack54attack]

No chance they make a bowl. No chance.

 

[FirstTimer]

No chance they make a bowl. No chance.

I could see the Illini getting to 5 wins.

Akron, UCONN, EMU, Purdue or Minny, Rutgers.

Nebraska looks beatable. Northwestern looks boring. I don't think the Illini sweep Purdue and Minny but neither are world beaters. There could be a 6th win in there somewhere if they get the 5 "should".

 

[Parade_Rain]

Who? How many future AA's? What rounds will they be drafted in? The 2007 had two first round picks on the roster and a high 2nd rounder. All major contributors.

It's not just simply "Sunday players" you're talking about guys who went in the first and second rounds of the draft. Every team in the country has "Sunday players" on it for the most part. Most have PS or late round draft picks.



The 2007 went into the #1 team's stadium and beat them. I like how you conveniently ignore that part of the post. This team does not have 2007's talent level. By any measure.

The recruiting rankings of the players on that 2007 team

2003: 23
2004: 57
2005: 48
2006: 27
2007: 22

The recruiting rankings of this team:

2015: 48
2016: 73
2017: 46
2018: 53
2019: 53

So where is the raw material coming from to make this talent level the same? No rankings show it. Player honors don't show it.


So at the end of this season and these players careers who are the three AA's from this team? Who are the two first round draft picks? Who is the high 2nd round pick? You're projecting. Tell us who they are.

I didn't conveniently leave anything out. I'm not about to address the win at OSU. You conveniently leave out that Illinois wasn't the team sho should have been in the Rose Bowl. Recruit rankings? LOL. How about going back and looking at how many of those players never got into UI? Since Illinois literally has very few Seniors starting, how about waiting for the Sophomore and Juniors to graduate. I'm not projecting squat. I'll give it a few weeks, but it looks like Peters could be the best Illini QB since Kittner. And that goes along with having a receiving corps that can catch the ball.

 

[Parade_Rain]

No chance they make a bowl. No chance.

Sure there is. 3-0 in non-con is not a given, but not as daunting of a task as previous years. Nebraska isn't a juggernaut, Purdue is too young, Minnesota is very beatable, Northwestern is boring as hell and beatable. But...to your point, Illinois is thin at most positions. An injury to the OL could be devastating. Losing Peters at QB would be a huge loss, etc. Luck needs to fall their way, if you will.

 

[zack54attack]

Folks, It's Illinois. They will lose to Nebraska and Purdue. Then either Minnesota or Northwestern. They aren't ready yet.

 

[Rory Sparrow]

I'll give it a few weeks

You might just be the worst internet sports analyst I've ever seen. Your Cubs takes are indescribably terrible, but this Illini football stuff is almost at the 'delusional' level. Its very weird...you know absolutely nothing about what you are talking about (similar to your Cubs forum postings), yet instead of simply defaulting to what has happened in the past (Illinois losing) you argue the opposite.

I don't get it. Its like you are going out of your way to offer up Special person sport thoughts, and then you defend these terrible, baseless thoughts to the death.