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Post by huisrealgood on Feb 8, 2008 21:43:25 GMT -5
For all of the crap I give Feller about IU's terrible schedule, Illinois just put up a stinker for their final game of '08... November 8th Ford Field vs. Western Michigan There had been talk about adding Maryland or some other BCS school to replace Syracuse, but Guenther settles for a "neutral" site game vs. a MAC school? Oh well... the first game is against Mizzou who will be a top 10 team coming into that game. It's still a lot better competition than the Hoosiers will play 2008 Illinois Football Schedule Aug. 30 State Farm Arch Rivalry vs. Missouri (St. Louis) Sept. 6 EASTERN ILLINOIS Sept. 13 LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE Sept. 27 at Penn State Oct. 4 at Michigan Oct. 11 MINNESOTA (Homecoming) Oct. 18 INDIANA (Foundation Day) Oct. 25 at Wisconsin Nov. 1 IOWA (Dad's Day) Nov. 8 vs. Western Michigan (Detroit, Mich.) Nov. 15 OHIO STATE Nov. 22 at Northwestern
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Post by Loucks on Feb 8, 2008 23:00:52 GMT -5
Western Michigan has put together a nice mid-major program. I wouldn't take them too lightly. But, I think the Illini should win the game. Notre Dame's schedule looks favorable for them next season.
09/06/08 vs. San Diego State 09/13/08 vs. Michigan 09/20/08 at Michigan State 09/27/08 vs. Purdue 10/04/08 vs. Stanford 10/11/08 at North Carolina 10/25/08 at Washington 11/01/08 vs. Pittsburgh 11/08/08 at Boston College 11/15/08 vs. Navy 11/22/08 vs. Syracuse 11/29/08 at USC
Only two teams are in the Rivals.com preseason poll (Michigan and USC). There are some decent teams on the schedule that could play well but, all in all, this is a very favorable schedule for next year's squad. One of the biggest problems that the team faced this year was playing a very tough schedule with a very young squad. My goal for 2008: end the season no worse than 7-5, go to a non-BCS bowl game and win. Winning a bowl game is crucial. We've got to break this awful no-win streak.
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Post by huisrealgood on Feb 9, 2008 13:22:51 GMT -5
Loucks this should be in the Notre Dame thread, but that's an awful schedule by Notre Dame standards. All of those teams outside of USC will be mediocre at best next year. Too bad for the Irish, they will be mediocre as well.
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Post by Loucks on Feb 9, 2008 13:53:29 GMT -5
Yeah, I was going to post it in the ND thread but I was just trying to compare it with the Illini schedule. The post war more a caveat regarding strength-of-schedule next season rather than the larger issue at hand (Illini football).
You think USC will be mediocre next season? I think they'll be national contenders again. It's USC.
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Post by huisrealgood on Feb 9, 2008 13:56:40 GMT -5
You think USC will be mediocre next season? I think they'll be national contenders again. It's USC. Please re-read my post. I said all of the teams on Notre Dame's schedule outside of USC will be mediocre next year. Which means USC will not be mediocre... far from it. The other school's however, will be.
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Post by Loucks on Feb 9, 2008 14:02:06 GMT -5
My bad, HIRG. I parsed the sentence wrong. I agree with you, though. None of the other teams will be at the top of their games next season.
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Post by huisrealgood on Feb 10, 2008 1:34:55 GMT -5
Well since we're comparing schedule's let's compare coaches. www.suntimes.com/sports/couch/781900,CST-SPT-greg07.article "Weis used Zook's old strategy to sell recruits on Irish; now comes last chance to show he's in Zook's league" Even for an Illini-lover like me, this is a bit strong, but it's an interesting article nonetheless.
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Post by huhoosier on Feb 10, 2008 10:30:15 GMT -5
"Weis used Zook's old strategy to sell recruits on Irish; now comes last chance to show he's in Zook's league"
You've heard me say it before...Ron Zook = Joe Tiller
He's a decent coach who can rebuild a program, but he won't be able to run a top nationally ranked program year in year out...9-3 is about as good as its gonna get...and yes, Tiller went to the Rose Bowl and had a poor showing too
Not that I'm sure CW is all that much better...just saying
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Post by huisrealgood on Feb 10, 2008 10:31:59 GMT -5
We'll see. You could be right, but I doubt it.
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Post by ace on Feb 10, 2008 11:29:41 GMT -5
"Weis used Zook's old strategy to sell recruits on Irish; now comes last chance to show he's in Zook's league" You've heard me say it before...Ron Zook = Joe Tiller He's a decent coach who can rebuild a program, but he won't be able to run a top nationally ranked program year in year out...9-3 is about as good as its gonna get...and yes, Tiller went to the Rose Bowl and had a poor showing too Not that I'm sure CW is all that much better...just saying I don't follow either team so help me out with this. But isn't it going to be hard for whoever coaches at PU or Illini to build a top nationally ranked program year in and year out just because of the school they are at? Competing EVERY year with OSU, UM, Penn St and Wiscy? I am not saying it can't be done but it seems to me that Tiller and Weber getting those 2 programs to 9-3 or 8-4 each year is a HUGE boost with what they have to work with. Money, facilities, etc?? Thoughts?
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Post by huisrealgood on Feb 10, 2008 12:28:05 GMT -5
Here's a little history for you Ace on "Wiscy" who you have in the upper-echelon of the Big Ten.
In 1990 Barry Alvarez took over a Wisconsin program that had gone 14-42 in the previous 5 seasons... that's an average of less than 3 wins a season and hadn't been to a Rose Bowl since 1962. After a 1-10 season in his first year and 5-6 seasons in his 2nd and 3rd years in Madison, the next 13 years of Badger football with Alvarez at the helm went as follows:
1993: 10-1-1 Big Ten co-champs, Rose Bowl win 1994: 8-3-1 Hall of Fame Bowl win 1995: 4-5-2 1996: 8-5 Copper Bowl win 1997: 8-5 Outback Bowl loss 1998: 11-1 Big Ten co-champs, Rose Bowl win 1999: 10-2 Big Ten champs, Rose Bowl win 2000: 9-4 Sun Bowl win 2001: 5-7 2002: 8-6 Alamo Bowl win 2003: 7-6 Music City Bowl loss 2004: 9-3 Outback Bowl loss 2005: 10-3 Capitol One Bowl win
That's two losing seasons in 13 years, along with 3 Big Ten championships and 3 Rose Bowl wins after taking over when the team was a conference doormat and was struggling for recruits. He was able to hand over a team to Brett Bielema that would go 12-1 the next year and 9-4 last year.
Needless to say, it can be done. I don't think Illinois will year in and year out be a national title contender like Ohio State or Michigan could be, but I think a Wisconsin-like run should be aspired to. One of sustained success that wins a Big Ten championship every few years and makes it to a New Year's Day Bowl more seasons than not.
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Post by maxpower on Feb 10, 2008 17:07:51 GMT -5
I don't think you can compare Ron Zook to Joe Tiller. When was the last time Tiller recruited 22 players that started on a National Champion?
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Post by Kyle Feller on Feb 11, 2008 10:37:18 GMT -5
Illinois vs. Eastern Illinois.........................Illinois can win this game by 80 if they want.
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Post by huisrealgood on Feb 11, 2008 11:13:59 GMT -5
Yep. They have one game like that every year. Last year it was Western Illinois, but they surrounded it by a neutral site game against a team that wound up in the top 10, a road game against a Big East team, and a home game against a better MAC school.
This year they still have Mizzou who will be a top ten team, but also have another decent MAC team on a neutral site, and another patsy at home. For some reason, be it waiting too long to schedule or what, this season's schedule is notably easier than last year's schedule. While it helps the maturation process of some young players stepping into roles vacated by seniors or early-entry NFL players and softens the blow of several tough in-conference road games, I still would've liked to have seen a different opponent than Western Michigan in Detroit.
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Post by huhoosier on Feb 11, 2008 14:17:14 GMT -5
"Weis used Zook's old strategy to sell recruits on Irish; now comes last chance to show he's in Zook's league" You've heard me say it before...Ron Zook = Joe Tiller He's a decent coach who can rebuild a program, but he won't be able to run a top nationally ranked program year in year out...9-3 is about as good as its gonna get...and yes, Tiller went to the Rose Bowl and had a poor showing too Not that I'm sure CW is all that much better...just saying I don't follow either team so help me out with this. But isn't it going to be hard for whoever coaches at PU or Illini to build a top nationally ranked program year in and year out just because of the school they are at? Competing EVERY year with OSU, UM, Penn St and Wiscy? I am not saying it can't be done but it seems to me that Tiller and Weber getting those 2 programs to 9-3 or 8-4 each year is a HUGE boost with what they have to work with. Money, facilities, etc?? Thoughts? Purdue's facilities are as nice as you'll find in the B10...however their location hurts them obviously. OSU, U of M and PSU could have lousy facilities (not saying they do) and people would still go there and play because they're all in great football states (Miami would be a great example of this). Also, the money at Purdue isn't what it is at the big 3, but its not the problem...the problem is that University is content with 8-4...if they were to make a big time hire (which they have the funds to do) it could be a big time program...but Joe Tiller (or any other coach like him) is gonna keep you at 8-4.
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