https://chicago.suntimes.com/platform/am...ssion=true

I want to know if he's going to feel the same way at the end of the football season.

Well he hired him and it was a big deal at the time. This was a huge rebuilding job from the start. Illinois is getting better slowly but surely but it hasn't been shown in the wins and losses yet. I'm not sure how much longer he will get but I imagine they will want something like bowl eligibility this year.

(08-10-2019 11:20 AM)GE and MTS Wrote:  Well he hired him and it was a big deal at the time. This was a huge rebuilding job from the start. Illinois is getting better slowly but surely but it hasn't been shown in the wins and losses yet. I'm not sure how much longer he will get but I imagine they will want something like bowl eligibility this year.

Here is the 2019 football schedule for Illinois. The most plausible way I see them getting bowl eligible is going 3-0 in non-conference, winning vs Rutgers and then they have to steal one from someone else to get to 5 wins. From there they must rely on their APR score. It will probably be good but the question is, will it be good enough / will enough teams with high APR's already be bowl eligible and enough bowl spots open? (Last year's APR scores / Illinois T22 with 5 other teams). It's doable but requires lots of help. If you think they'll win 3 conference games I'd love to know who they are. Getting to 6 would be quite the feat for Lovie. Dang...now I kinda want to see the chaos Lovie would bring to the B1G West with those wins! Please let this happen.

He needs to get to 6 wins, IMHO

It's a tough schedule to be sure.

Have to win the three OOC. Have to beat Rutgers and Northwestern. Minnesota or Purdue might be best shots at another win.

(08-27-2019 12:00 PM)dbackjon Wrote:  He needs to get to 6 wins, IMHO

It's a tough schedule to be sure.

Have to win the three OOC. Have to beat Rutgers and Northwestern. Minnesota or Purdue might be best shots at another win.

Out of the 4 teams you listed, I only see a win vs Rutgers.

Illinois is getting better, but I see another year before they are a .500 team. Just my opinion and I'm a nobody! I really hope they give Coach Smith a couple more years.

Yep, that's where I'm at. I can see them stealing 1 from somebody (hence the APR scenario) but the fact they need 2 makes this extremely unlikely although not impossible.

Bill C has Illinois bowl probability at 57%.

https://twitter.com/ESPN_BillC/status/11...91713?s=19

(09-09-2019 07:36 AM)TerpsNPhoenix Wrote:  Bill C has Illinois bowl probability at 57%.

https://twitter.com/ESPN_BillC/status/11...91713?s=19

It very well could happen, but I was not impressed with that effort vs UCONN.

I put Illinois at 40% getting to a bowl.

They have EMU coming up, which, given their performance against UConn, this is going to be no cake-walk. EMU would beat UConn and it'd be no upset either.

- EMU (good shot)
- Nebraska (decent shot)
- @Minnesota (pretty doubtful)
- Michigan (No)
- Wisconsin (No way)
- @Purdue (yes, possible)
- Rutgers (good shot)
- @MSU (No)
- @Iowa (Nope)
- Northwestern (yes, possible)

Basically, there's no way they're going 8W+. Basically, you can bet the farm on that. Very unlikely they're going 7-5. It's not super likely but certainly possible for them to go 6-6. It's Very Likely they'll go 5-7. It's not too likely they'll go 4-8, but possible. It's HIGHLY unlikely they'll go 3-9. No way are they only getting 1 more win this season. You can bet the farm on that too.