Illinois Fighting Illini (you'll see)

[Jaxbuck]

Illinois isn't exactly Florida. They'll be ecstatic to go to back-to-back bowl games for once. I could possibly see a Glen Mason-like departure but I think the only way Zook gets run out of Illinois is if they stop going to bowl games.

They fired Ron Turner 3 or 4 years after a B10 championship and BCS Bowl appearance. Every fan base has become more short term oriented imo. The Glen mason type stuff will continue to happen more and more frequently.

Illinois fans are like every other fan base, they think their rightful place is at the top. When the team beats a top tier team they say "see what we can do when we play like we are capable?" when they lose at Iowa they blame the coaches for undeperforming.

Wait and see, Zooks recruiting and occasional upset success will be his eventual undoing, the maddening inconsistency will be the catalyst.

 

[OregonBuckeye]

They fired Ron Turner 3 or 4 years after a B10 championship and BCS Bowl appearance.

Yeah, after they went in the shitter.

2001: 10-2(ppg 32.5, pa 23.8)
2002: 5-7(ppg 28.8, pa 25.6)
2003: 1-11(ppg 16.9, pa 33.2)
2004: 3-8(ppg 21.8, pa 29.4)

I think it's a given if Zook or anyone else suffers that rapid of a decline, they're going to get canned.

Every fan base has become more short term oriented imo. The Glen mason type stuff will continue to happen more and more frequently.

Agreed. The AD will probably have a longer memory though and realize what things were like before Zook was there and unlikely to tempt fate by letting him go if he is still going to bowl games. However, you can never account for stupidity so there is always that chance but I think it's just very unlikely.

Illinois fans are like every other fan base, they think their rightful place is at the top. When the team beats a top tier team they say "see what we can do when we play like we are capable?" when they lose at Iowa they blame the coaches for undeperforming.

Wait and see, Zooks recruiting and occasional upset success will be his eventual undoing, the maddening inconsistency will be the catalyst.

All it'll take is consistently winning 7-8 games a year with an occasional big season like last year sprinkled in and he'll stay there for as long as he wants. Look at morons like John Bunting and Chuck Amato. Their stay at their respective schools was long overdue because they'd beat Cryami and Florida St. and they rarely even went to bowl games.

I can see Zook having similar success to what Bellotti's had at Oregon.

 

[Tlangs]

Look at morons like John Bunting and Chuck Amato. Their stay at their respective schools was long overdue ....

You forgot to insert "Man-tits" between "Chuck" and "Amato".

 

[BB73]

All it'll take is consistently winning 7-8 games a year with an occasional big season like last year sprinkled in and he'll stay there for as long as he wants. Look at morons like John Bunting and Chuck Amato. Their stay at their respective schools was long overdue because they'd beat Cryami and Florida St. and they rarely even went to bowl games.

I can see Zook having similar success to what Bellotti's had at Oregon.

Hmm, 5 times in 7 seasons for Amato qualifies as "rarely"?

He did go 3-9 in his last season at NC State (2006), ending with a 7-game losing streak, but to his credit they opened that fall with a win over Appalachian State, which doesn't always happen. (Hey, why should I pass up a chance to bring up that game again?)

I do think the comparison of Zook's future to Bellotti's is a good one.

 

[OregonBuckeye]

Hmm, 5 times in 7 seasons for Amato qualifies as "rarely"?

He did go 3-9 in his last season at NC State (2006), ending with a 7-game losing streak, but to his credit they opened that fall with a win over Appalachian State, which doesn't always happen. (Hey, why should I pass up a chance to bring up that game again?)

Hey, we're not all football encyclopedias like you are.

 

[Dryden]

Herald & Review | Columnists: Buckeye state of disbelief

Buckeye state of disbelief

CHAMPAIGN - In many ways, the word used earlier this week in the Cleveland Plain-Dealer to describe Illini head football coach Ron Zook was the ultimate compliment.

"Poacher!"

It was used in a story that documented Illinois' aggressive recruiting throughout the state of Ohio, putting the Ohio State Buckeyes on the defensive and making fans, no doubt, somewhat aghast that a Johnny-come-lately like Illinois would have the audacity to think any athlete good enough to play for the beloved Buckeyes would dare consider playing for the Illini.

Turns out that's exactly what Zook and his coaching staff believe, and when wide receiver Cordale Scott arrives this summer from Cleveland Glenville, they'll be welcoming a player Ohio State tried to lure with its own scholarship.

Cont'd ...

 

[eobuck]

After reading their boards, it's amazing how much they really believe that OSU is "afraid" of Zook on the field and in recruiting.

 

[TheIronColonel]

Years of irrelevancy can breed a strange outlook. Similarly, years of being on top breeds a patronizing attitude. We'd do well to respect his recruiting prowess, and they'd do well to be humble until they've established a winning atmosphere around the program.

 

[Gatorubet]

Years of irrelevancy can breed a strange outlook. Similarly, years of being on top breeds a patronizing attitude. We'd do well to respect his recruiting prowess, and they'd do well to be humble until they've established a winning atmosphere around the program.

I agree with everything you said. While I do not agree with the oft stated mantra that Florida is only successful post Spurrier, if it is true, then a UF can rise up from the second tier and stake a claim while the Penn States and Notre Dames of the world regress. It can happen both ways, and you have to be vigilant or the slide can happen to you while a rival you are dismissive of becomes a power.

 

[3074326]

Years of irrelevancy can breed a strange outlook. Similarly, years of being on top breeds a patronizing attitude. We'd do well to respect his recruiting prowess, and they'd do well to be humble until they've established a winning atmosphere around the program.

Very well said. I have nothing to add to this thread, I just wanted to say that this is a great post.

 

[Tlangs]

For everyone taking Illinois Lightly....remember that we are 4-3 against them in the last 7 games. Not necessarily the "domination" that is being discussed in this thread. If you add up the points scored in those games, we are ahead 167-157 (and that includes a 40-2 blow out by tOSU)...take out that game which I beleive was Zook's first year, and they are 3-3 against us with a huge point advantage.

I have been at every one of those games and I want to beat illinois more than any other team in the Big 10 (except scUM). With Zook improving the talent level at Illinois, it only ensures that this game will be even tougher than it was the last 7 games.

 

[DaddyBigBucks]

For everyone taking Illinois Lightly....remember that we are 4-3 against them in the last 7 games. Not necessarily the "domination" that is being discussed in this thread. If you add up the points scored in those games, we are ahead 167-157 (and that includes a 40-2 blow out by tOSU)...take out that game which I beleive was Zook's first year, and they are 3-3 against us with a huge point advantage.

I have been at every one of those games and I want to beat illinois more than any other team in the Big 10 (except scUM). With Zook improving the talent level at Illinois, it only ensures that this game will be even tougher than it was the last 7 games.

Let's look just a little deeper...

For all but 2 of those games, Illinois was the opponent that immediately preceded THE GAME. IMHO that gives them an easier road against us than most Big Ten opponents over the same time frame. In the two years where they did NOT immediately precede THE GAME; we played horribly in '06 and still won in Champain, the other was the 38 point blow out.

As for point differential, they won by 26 points in 1999. That was one of the 2 best years for them of the last decade. It was by far OSU's worst.

From that perspective it looks to me like Illinois has had a scheduling advantage and was lucky enough to have decent teams when; a) we had a bad one, and b) Steve Belisari happened.

While we do play them immediately before The Game this year, we play them on September 26th in 2009. This year will be a revenge game. Last time I checked, JT does ok in conference revenge games. Next year, they are the first conference game and its in The Shoe. I like our chances in both games.

 

[Tlangs]

Let's look just a little deeper...

For all but 2 of those games, Illinois was the opponent that immediately preceded THE GAME. IMHO that gives them an easier road against us than most Big Ten opponents over the same time frame. In the two years where they did NOT immediately precede THE GAME; we played horribly in '06 and still won in Champain, the other was the 38 point blow out.

As for point differential, they won by 26 points in 1999. That was one of the 2 best years for them of the last decade. It was by far OSU's worst.

From that perspective it looks to me like Illinois has had a scheduling advantage and was lucky enough to have decent teams when; a) we had a bad one, and b) Steve Belisari happened.

While we do play them immediately before The Game this year, we play them on September 26th in 2009. This year will be a revenge game. Last time I checked, JT does ok in conference revenge games. Next year, they are the first conference game and its in The Shoe. I like our chances in both games.

I agree with the scheduling advantage........it still doesn't take the sting away from those losses.

I go to that game every year with a group of Illinois fans and sit in the Illinois section.....we need to get revenge this year or I am going to lose it.

My overall point remains the same......we haven't dominated them like some in this thread have indicated. They did luck out and not play us in 2003...that would have been a W for the good guys. In 2004 we would have prolly got the W with the way that TS came on at the end of the year.

 

[wadc45]

This guy has the Illinois nation up in arms...

Locker Room Prep Talk

Months ago, I took the advice of a friend who suggested that I shouldn't bother to read the Internet, the greatest source of misinformation, because it served absolutely no worthwhile purpose.

He was right. Whenever I am tempted, which is rare, I pick up a good Civil War book instead. I don't iss the name-calling, the lack of historical perspective, the misconceptions, erroneous facts, anonymous rants and unsubstantiated accusations.

But sometimes I hear something that can't be overlooked, something that must be addressed, that can't go without a returning salvo.

As a University of Illinois graduate, who spent four years on the Urbana-Champaign campus as a student and four more as a sportswriter for the old Champaign-Urbana Courier, I never cease to be amazed by the paranoia of what has come to be known as Illini Nation.

We don't lose, they cheated. The NCAA and the Big Ten have it in for us. Great athletes don't come to Illinois because they get bought by other colleges. The Chicago media is against us. The slush fund was small potatoes compared to what other colleges are doing.

Continued...

 

[BB73]

This guy has the Illinois nation up in arms...

Locker Room Prep Talk

I live in the Chicago area and I don't know the name Taylor Bell, but I don't follow Illini recruiting closely. If the story about the recruit 'out East' is accurate, the Illinois Assistant coach was foolish to rant about Lemming (even though Lemming is a tool and a shill for ND).

It's interesting that Bell compares Illinois to ND in their attempts to limit access for media members who aren't favorable in their coverage.