College Football - Week 5 (Oct. 1)

[gflore34]

Granted Wisconsin is terrible nevertheless, in years past the Illini still would have gotten blown out and been the perfect make us look and feel better opponent for the Badgers. That didn't happen, in fact, the Illini pounded a bad team like a decent or good team should do to an inferior opponent. I believe the Illinois program is starting to become one that'll beat the snot of out Northwestern, pull off a big upset and consistently make it to a bowl. In other words no longer an embarrassing joke of a football program.

So like they were under Ron Zook

 

That'll work, who knows, one these years they might win the Big Ten West. Don't think there's anything wrong with be a solid bowl making program, compared to what they were under Beckham it's not and day.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Iowa is about to go on a serious run. Of embarrassing losses. Where they average about 250 yards. And we’ll still have two Ferentzi next season.

[Cubfanintheknow]

The axe falls on Paul Chryst.

 

https://www.wisn.com/article/report-uw-badgers-fire-head-football-coach-paul-chryst/41487672#

[SouthSideRyan]

Granted Wisconsin is terrible nevertheless, in years past the Illini still would have gotten blown out and been the perfect make us look and feel better opponent for the Badgers. That didn't happen, in fact, the Illini pounded a bad team like a decent or good team should do to an inferior opponent. I believe the Illinois program is starting to become one that'll beat the snot of out Northwestern, pull off a big upset and consistently make it to a bowl. In other words no longer an embarrassing joke of a football program.

So like they were under Ron Zook

 

They were 34-51 (18-38) with one regular season winning record under Zook.

[Old Style]

[gflore34]

Granted Wisconsin is terrible nevertheless, in years past the Illini still would have gotten blown out and been the perfect make us look and feel better opponent for the Badgers. That didn't happen, in fact, the Illini pounded a bad team like a decent or good team should do to an inferior opponent. I believe the Illinois program is starting to become one that'll beat the snot of out Northwestern, pull off a big upset and consistently make it to a bowl. In other words no longer an embarrassing joke of a football program.

So like they were under Ron Zook

 

That'll work, who knows, one of these years they might win the Big Ten West. Don't think there's anything wrong with be a solid bowl making program, compared to what they were under Beckham it's night and day.

[champaignchris]

Granted Wisconsin is terrible nevertheless, in years past the Illini still would have gotten blown out and been the perfect make us look and feel better opponent for the Badgers. That didn't happen, in fact, the Illini pounded a bad team like a decent or good team should do to an inferior opponent. I believe the Illinois program is starting to become one that'll beat the snot of out Northwestern, pull off a big upset and consistently make it to a bowl. In other words no longer an embarrassing joke of a football program.

So like they were under Ron Zook

 

They were 34-51 (18-38) with one regular season winning record under Zook.

 

Right. They were awful under Zook. Just a little less awful than under the subsequent coaches.

[mul21]

I might have jumped the gun on Minnesota unfortunately. Illinois though, holy horsefeathers.

 

Illinois comes to the Big House a week before the OSU game. Was worried about it as a trap game but now worried about it beyond its trap potential.

 

Not sure we have the horses to compete with Michigan yet.

 

I will say this Wisconsin win felt different. Felt like a program turning point. There was no fluke to that win. Illinois absolutely imposed their will on Wisconsin the way Wisconsin has on Illinois all these years.

 

That defensive line is for real. That'll keep you in B1G games pretty often. I don't know if the offense can continue to be as efficient as they were Saturday, but it's better than I expected. Bielema is a turd but the guy can apparently recruit and coach in the midwest.

[champaignchris]

I might have jumped the gun on Minnesota unfortunately. Illinois though, holy horsefeathers.

 

Illinois comes to the Big House a week before the OSU game. Was worried about it as a trap game but now worried about it beyond its trap potential.

 

Not sure we have the horses to compete with Michigan yet.

 

I will say this Wisconsin win felt different. Felt like a program turning point. There was no fluke to that win. Illinois absolutely imposed their will on Wisconsin the way Wisconsin has on Illinois all these years.

 

That defensive line is for real. That'll keep you in B1G games pretty often. I don't know if the offense can continue to be as efficient as they were Saturday, but it's better than I expected. Bielema is a turd but the guy can apparently recruit and coach in the midwest.

 

The things I’m hearing in Champaign is that he really changed his off field life after having kids. Certainly, publicly, he’s said all the right things and been a great public face for the school. He also talks a lot about his experiences coaching in the NFL after Arkansas, particularly under Belichick, and how that’s broadened his coaching horizons.

 

It’s weird as an Illinois fan because even going back to our good coaches like White and Mackovic, none have ever been so obviously loved by the national media as Bielema is. The ESPN guys just absolutely love him. I’ve never seen the program get the kind of national goodwill that it’s getting right now.

[champaignchris]

The other thing about Bielema is that the last few Illini HCs had trouble filling out staffs. Bielema apparently had his staff largely ready to go from day one, which was a big part of why he was hired. Illinois - to AD Whitman’s credit - didn’t skimp on paying the assistants what it took to get them on campus.

 

That seems to be Whitman’s modus operandi in all sports - hire head coaches with proven success and then open the checkbook to get the assistants the coach wants. It’s certainly worked out in men’s basketball.