Illini Football 2024

Status
Not open for further replies.
#51      
RockfordIllini
aaeismacgychel said:
Don't think it's as much about the talking heads as legitimate concern most are expressing, but I do hope beyond all hope your 8-4 prognostication happens. Just seems to me that so much would have to go right for us this season for that to happen. Is it possible? Sure. But it starts with staying statistically improbably healthy and having our interior defensive linemen be stout enough to at least hold the line of scrimmage and allow us to stuff the run and for what should be a good outside pass rush to get there without allowing for enormous escape lanes up the gut.

If we can do that, and get some good bounces all season, yeah, 8-4 could happen. But, while we'll all hope it happens, expecting it to is a different story. That said, there is a world where Coleman and Jacas terrorize the backfield, where Brooks plays up to his high NFL ceiling potential as a shutdown corner, where our secondary feasts, and our offense is every bit as improved as we think it will be. Would make for a fun season that's for sure
Click to expand...

Agree that Defensive front will be key. What makes me cautiously optimistic though is Jamison has continually grabbed guys off the scrap heap so to speak and turned them into nfl caliber players. Obviously Calvin Avery always had talent but Jamison got him to the NFL. And who would have bet a year ago that an unsung portal pickup from Ohio (Daxon) would be in an NFL camp this fall.

Briggs and Hunt should be physically ready. Bray is young and still a little light in the foot but if the staff thinks he’s ready I trust them. Will find out soon!
 
#52      
illinoistradition
BretMyBeachHouse said:
On the debate about records you can use some hindsight to see where you'd stand.

In 2021 would you trade the historic Penn State win for home wins against UTSA and Maryland? That would have made us bowl eligible.

Personally, I would.
Click to expand...
100%. I'd even swap out either of UTSA or Maryland for the Rutgers game. That one stung the most, being at home and right after upsetting PSU.
 
#53      
illiram
So excited for the season!! This schedule is a gauntlet. We need to caution the fan base that a 4-8 record does not mean that this program is regressing. Bret Bielema is our coach through and through. Of course 6-6 or better would be nice, but we have 4 games against juggernauts, and we would have to go 6-2 in the other games to make a Bowl. Everyone be patient!
 
#54      
Toews
It's a tough schedule if you want to make a Big Ten Title Game. If you want to win 6 games the only way it could be easier in the current Big Ten is by playing Indiana instead of someone better. Big Ten will always be tough these days. Next years schedule will be harder.
 
#55      
Toews
The problem with the schedule more than anything is it's extremely frontloaded. Could make for a fun end of the year, but could also make for some low fan excitement levels early.
 
#57      
TheDrinkinLincoln
Fly Illini Fly! said:
The secondary didn't allow A Hen to have the confidence to be aggressive. But with that being said, some of those 3 man rushes on 3rd downs - particularly vs Iowa - were just nothinburgers.
Click to expand...
The absolute worst thing you can do to a young secondary is drop 8 and generate no pass rush and make them cover for 10-20 seconds. They will inevitably lose their guy or get a crowded zone if takes that long. With a young inexperienced secondary you want to keep the game in front of them and have the QB get the ball out early.

I think AHen thought the law firm could generate pressure from a 3 man front but Jacas just didn't have it and they doubled the other 2.
 
#58      
OB positive
TheDrinkinLincoln said:
The absolute worst thing you can do to a young secondary is drop 8 and generate no pass rush and make them cover for 10-20 seconds. They will inevitably lose their guy or get a crowded zone if takes that long. With a young inexperienced secondary you want to keep the game in front of them and have the QB get the ball out early.

I think AHen thought the law firm could generate pressure from a 3 man front but Jacas just didn't have it and they doubled the other 2.
Click to expand...
Whatever his thinking was. A three man pass rush was the wrong call. What made it so frustrating was that he just kept doing it even after it was obviously not working.
 
#59      
TheFlyingIllini1317
Toews said:
It's a tough schedule if you want to make a Big Ten Title Game. If you want to win 6 games the only way it could be easier in the current Big Ten is by playing Indiana instead of someone better. Big Ten will always be tough these days. Next years schedule will be harder.
Click to expand...
I think next year's is much easier
 
#60      
Toews
TheFlyingIllini1317 said:
I think next year's is much easier
Click to expand...
Obviously not counting us because we can't play us, by odds and SP+ we play four of the worst five teams in the Big Ten this year. We play some very good teams as well but we will always play very good teams. We basically avoid most of the middle this season which makes it a good year to win 6 but a bad year if you want to win much more than that.
 
#61      
Toews
I could see a way where 2025 schedule is easier. But playing the current iterations of MSU, Purdue, and Minnesota at home and Northwestern at a neutral site are literally four of the easiest possible games you can get in the Big Ten. All those teams are projected to have down years too compared to maybe 2025. And that doesn't even count Rutgers which is a road game.
 
#65      
saleen970
Was never in a band or musically gifted but I really love watching the Marching Illini. Last night the wife and I was at Custard Cup and could hear them performing and found them at 1st and Stadium. Sound great as usual and great entertainment while eating our custard. I don't know practice schedule but here is the performance schedule. https://www.marchingillini.com/calendar-events/event-calendar
 
#68      
Fighter of the Nightman
Toews said:
Obviously not counting us because we can't play us, by odds and SP+ we play four of the worst five teams in the Big Ten this year. We play some very good teams as well but we will always play very good teams. We basically avoid most of the middle this season which makes it a good year to win 6 but a bad year if you want to win much more than that.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I think people are being star-struck by the daunting trips to Oregon and PSU and, to a lesser extent, a "flashy" home game vs. Michigan. However, if you gave our schedule to your average season's Iowa team, they'd be flirting with 10-2 while looking like crap doing it, haha. We need to get to that point where we are at least reasonably expecting 7+ wins with what we have in front of us, not scrapping for 6. There are 8+ winnable games if we show up to play each week.
 
#69      
mhuml32
Luke Altmyer was 5th in Big Ten last year in pass efficiency. As a sophomore. He still has two years of eligibility left. He's the second-highest rated returning QB in pass efficiency this year.

The last Illinois QB who finished in the top-5 Big Ten for pass efficiency? 2013 Scheelhaase (4th)
The last Illinois QB who was an underclassmen and in their first year starting who put up a better pass efficiency? 2010 Scheelhaase

Here's the list of Big Ten Passing Efficiency Illinois qualifiers since '13 Scheelhaase:

2014 - O'Toole (7th of 12)
2015 - Lunt (10th of 13)
2016 - No qualifier
2017 - No qualifier
2018 - Bush (9th of 11)
2019 - Peters (9th of 12)
2020 - No qualifier
2021 - No qualifier
2022 - DeVito (7th of 11)
2023 - Altmyer (5th of 12)


We have the second most efficient returning passer in the conference + has two years of eligibility remaining and too many people are clouded because of Paddock's incredible heater and a smattering of people who think Leary is better (with no evidence).
 
#71      
Orange_Blue
mhuml32 said:
We have the second most efficient returning passer in the conference + has two years of eligibility remaining and too many people are clouded because of Paddock's incredible heater and a smattering of people who think Leary is better (with no evidence).
Click to expand...

Luke and Lunney
Card and Harrell (Purdue)

If I am not mistaken, these are the only two QB/OC in the Big 10 that return from last year. I am a huge believer in consistency creating excellence.
 
#72      
AZILL
Interesting! This is why I love it here on IL. I appreciate those of you who share these tidbits. I certainly hope that this bodes well for our offense!
 
#74      
Fighter of the Nightman
Genesis said:
Ah, I love this time of the season - when everything is still possible.
Click to expand...
Haha, someone used the term "August Fever" previously, and I 110% get it every year! College football is truly special, even if your team is pretty mediocre ... now imagine how fun it would be if our football program had the comparative success/prestige as basketball!!

Regardless of the daunting task in front of us the rest of the season, if we can start off 3-0, I am going to be on Cloud Nine and dreaming big while I still can!
 
#75      
Second place is 1st loser
illiram said:
So excited for the season!! This schedule is a gauntlet. We need to caution the fan base that a 4-8 record does not mean that this program is regressing. Bret Bielema is our coach through and through. Of course 6-6 or better would be nice, but we have 4 games against juggernauts, and we would have to go 6-2 in the other games to make a Bowl. Everyone be patient!
Click to expand...
Be patient?

4-8 isn't regression?

I'm choosing to believe that you're being sarcastic.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back