Illini Football 2024

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#82      
Serious Late
Anyone up for sharing an assessment of the O-Line? I have nothing but my gut here, but if we can give Altmeyer time this season, the tools are there for him to ball out.

Last season was incredibly frustrating to watch as a season ticket holder who traveled to the Purdue game (😖), IMO, because it felt like the talent and game planning was there, but the untimely mistakes were too many to count. The potential was there though, and another year of development at QB has me excited... if we can protect him.
 
#85      
Old.Edgy
SoCal Illini said:
Some of blackmans 70s teams had some great players. Mean and/or a few screws loose, on and off the field. Larry McCarren, Scott studwell, Tom hicks, Gerry sullivan, George uremovich, tab Bennett … al kustok to name a few. So I wouldn’t say the rosters were poor, and certainly not decimated. Not as stacked as the teams they often played, unfortunately. Blackman himself was polarizing for the team, and some say he was too conservative. Those teams’ on field performance was orders magnitude better than Moeller’s, who was just hated all around, and a bad coach.

And it wasn’t OJ that that swarmed in from LA, it was Sam “Bam” Cunningham.
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Oh yeah... my bad... it was Cunningham... well, I'm old... I forgot... Yeah SOME of Blackman's players were 'studs' (pun intended)... just weren't enough of them...
 
#87      
Fly Illini Fly!
Dan said:
https://twitter.com/x/status/1810422028106924387
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Too late. Damage done.

Too Late Three Busy Debras GIF by Adult Swim
 
#90      
bluemountain
SoCal Illini said:
Some of blackmans 70s teams had some great players. Mean and/or a few screws loose, on and off the field. Larry McCarren, Scott studwell, Tom hicks, Gerry sullivan, George uremovich, tab Bennett … al kustok to name a few. So I wouldn’t say the rosters were poor, and certainly not decimated. Not as stacked as the teams they often played, unfortunately. Blackman himself was polarizing for the team, and some say he was too conservative. Those teams’ on field performance was orders magnitude better than Moeller’s, who was just hated all around, and a bad coach.

And it wasn’t OJ that that swarmed in from LA, it was Sam “Bam” Cunningham.
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We had some lean years after the Slush Fund but Valek actually recruited reasonably well his last couple years and Blackman brought in some decent talent. If he'd had the benefit of modern scheduling Blackman probably would have gone to bowl games every year he was here. We had no chance against the Big 2, but had an excellent record against the rest of the little 8 during his tenure
 
#92      
Ander1345
Serious Late said:
Anyone up for sharing an assessment of the O-Line? I have nothing but my gut here, but if we can give Altmeyer time this season, the tools are there for him to ball out.

Last season was incredibly frustrating to watch as a season ticket holder who traveled to the Purdue game (😖), IMO, because it felt like the talent and game planning was there, but the untimely mistakes were too many to count. The potential was there though, and another year of development at QB has me excited... if we can protect him.
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I'm not the most knowledgeable from like an X's and O's but I believe if JC Davis pans out as advertised we will be much better in pass pro. Much more optimistic than last year.
 
#93      
Shief
JucoIllini10 said:
I'm on team 3-0 non-conference going forward. Let the bowl game be an opportunity to play a random Power 4 team.

Keep it simple...
1. In-state FCS team (Western, Eastern, Southern, or State)
2. NIU
3. Rotation of different MAC teams
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It is my understanding that a former state assemblymen from Bloomington-Normal, who went to UI, tried to create a state law YEARS ago that Illinois and ISU would play in football annually. It failed but it sounds like that should be revisited.

Personally, I hate Mizzou, my cousin went there, and I like seeing them on the schedule. I will probably be in the minority with this option but if Illinois can have the three nonconference games be Mizzou, instate FCS (ISU or SIU preferably), and then a MAC team (NIU preferably), then I would be happy.
 
#95      
sacraig
JucoIllini10 said:
I'm on team 3-0 non-conference going forward. Let the bowl game be an opportunity to play a random Power 4 team.

Keep it simple...
1. In-state FCS team (Western, Eastern, Southern, or State)
2. NIU
3. Rotation of different MAC teams
Click to expand...
This is the worst of takes.
1) No FCS schools.
2) Why NIU? Pick an in-state FBS school each year, but why would we need to play NIU every year?
3) Power 4

I want compelling football. And I'd like it to be on a decent TV network every once in a while.

And the only acceptable time for a college football game on a day other than Saturday is Thanksgiving.
 
#96      
Genesis
Shief said:
It is my understanding that a former state assemblymen from Bloomington-Normal, who went to UI, tried to create a state law YEARS ago that Illinois and ISU would play in football annually. It failed but it sounds like that should be revisited.

Personally, I hate Mizzou, my cousin went there, and I like seeing them on the schedule. I will probably be in the minority with this option but if Illinois can have the three nonconference games be Mizzou, instate FCS (ISU or SIU preferably), and then a MAC team (NIU preferably), then I would be happy.
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So you'd rather see Mizzou on the schedule than a bowl game?
 
#99      
OskieWowWow
Serious Late said:
Anyone up for sharing an assessment of the O-Line? I have nothing but my gut here, but if we can give Altmeyer time this season, the tools are there for him to ball out.

Last season was incredibly frustrating to watch as a season ticket holder who traveled to the Purdue game (😖), IMO, because it felt like the talent and game planning was there, but the untimely mistakes were too many to count. The potential was there though, and another year of development at QB has me excited... if we can protect him.
Click to expand...
JC Davis is going to be a stud. Screams NFL draft pick. Has the measurables, superb technique with hand placement, finishing blocks, good IQ, durability. Can't overstate how good of a pickup he was.

Gesky/Crisler/Wigenton/Schuster makes for pretty good guard depth. Crisler has a lot of upside if he gets healthy. I don't see Gesky as an all-conference type player, but he looks better/more athletic than he did last year.

Kreutz is a decent center. High IQ and knows all the calls, which you absolutely need out of the center. I don't see him being an all-conference type player, but he won't be a liability either. Him being undersized is less of an issue with our guard depth being way better than last year.

Hard to get a read on RT. Assuming Priestly is still the favorite to start. I think he's going to struggle a fair bit pass blocking as DCs scheme to attack this side. Lot of raw technique with leaning/grabbing that led to being a penalty machine at Grambling. Big Ten's too big of a step up to correct that in one year, but to our coaches' credit, I do see the potential.
 
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