ILLINOIS FOOTBALL, Sports Illustrated Prediction...4-8

[Carpet]

Sports Illustrated's Stewart Mandel predicts the Illini to finish 4-8 (1-7) and last place in the Leader's Division.

Just what are these far away sports writers looking at ? I can tell you it is only the fact we lost 3 key players to the NFL and that seems to happen every year.

It is painfully obvious that the writer at SI has not watched one down of practice and seen the improvement at QB and on the secondary. The run game for Illinois is solid gold and Sheelhasse (pronounced-Nathan sheel-house) is a stud QB born and raised to play QB since the day he was born.

Give me that over and under of 4 for any amount of money you want.

Carpet

[Carpet]

what are the looking at from 1000 miles away? I am telling you that Illinois football is gonna be good this year

[Carpet]

cream of the crop 2009

[red raider 84]

Carpet, I also think that 4-8 is selling them short somewhat. I think the big ten will be vastly improved over past seasons though and any game could give you a loss on any given day.. Of course this is coming from an SEC guy who really doesn't follow the big ten very close. I hope your Illini has a great year though.. Take care!!

[Carpet]

The Illini have broke training camp at rantoul.

The offense this year is only going to improve on it's 32.5 avg point per game from last year. Nathan Sheelhasse (sheel-house) 2nd year QB looks out standing in practice.

Last year at camp rantoul Nathan completed only 45% of his passes this year he was dead on at 78%. His arm looks stronger and his mobility as a fleet footed runner will cause fits for any defense.

The Run game for Illinois is loaded, Jason Ford has anchored the rb position as # 1, solid 6-2-235 rb is low to ground and punishes the tacklers, while he does not have the break out speed of Leshoure from last year expect 1,000 yards without injury.
The #2-4 backs are also special to watch each with his own special skill set.

The Offensive Line of Illinois is also solid, they are big, athletic and HUNGRY, they protect well and can open some holes for the run game.

On the Defensive side of the ball there are far to many concerns to list, in the last practice at Rantoul , the Defense could not stop the offense for 23 straight plays, Coach Koenning DF Coach told the defense if you do not stop that offense on the next play we will be doing bends and thrust in that cornfield for an hour when this ends.'
And guess what....The defense spent a extra hour in the fields exercising.

The defense line is soft, plenty to worry about after losing Corey Liguit to the NFL, The secondary of Illinois is the entire solid part of the entire defense.

Last year when the Illini were getting shredded with points Coach Koenning went to a vanilla scheme and they held baylor to 18 points, I don't think he needs or will resort to that with the talent they have, but he will if he needs to.

I suspect that Illinois will be in many games that are high scoring
affairs, the offense reminds of the Kirt Kitner days of 2001, look for a lot of high scoring affairs like 45-37 type games.

Sports Illustrated said or predicted 4-8 for Illinois, can any one find me odds on Illinois O/U at 4 games? If you can please share them with me so I can back up a u haul to take the over.