** 2021 Opponent Previews : Illinois (Game 1) **

14 hours ago, admo said:

Spring game highlights.  They went 1s V 2s. 

Clearly no depth, but the first team looked good so far under BB.

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I feel like we all know by now that we should not take too much from a spring game. BB will do better at Illinois then he did at Arkansas but I don't see him replicating the success he had at Wisconsin

 
lo country said:
I think he will do well there.  And that's worrisome.  
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I think Wisconsin's success under him was way more a product of Alvarez's system, having Chryst as his OC, and getting Russell Wilson than anything Bielema is bringing to the table in particular. Not saying he can't win there, but it's going to be a lot harder for him than it was a Wisconsin.

 
J-MAGIC said:
I think Wisconsin's success under him was way more a product of Alvarez's system, having Chryst as his OC, and getting Russell Wilson than anything Bielema is bringing to the table in particular. Not saying he can't win there, but it's going to be a lot harder for him than it was a Wisconsin.
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How that 2011 team didn't do better says a lot about him/Wisconsin's ceiling in any given year. 

Before that year, I said they would win the national title with Russel Wilson at the helm. He was the missing piece that transferred into their lap.

 
BigRedBuster said:
Why would he do better at Illinois than Arkansas?
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 Im not so sure. His recruiting classes werent great at Wisconsin or Arkansas. Arkansas is SEC so he might get a little leeway there. He did great at Wisconsin- but how much of that was Barry/Wisconsin/Chryst? And Illinois is Illinois- they are in a soft division but do they have the fan base- support and recruiting to make it work? All looks pretty iffy, no clear answer, doubtful but possible. 

 
BigRedBuster said:
Why would he do better at Illinois than Arkansas?
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Arkansas has to play Alabama, LSU, Auburn and A&M every year. Bielema did a lot better there than they have in the years since he left. I think he's a decent coach; I just think the Wisconsin infrastructure made him look like a great coach.

 
BigRedBuster said:
Why would he do better at Illinois than Arkansas?
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I think he has some name cache in the B1G.  That will help.  He won in the B1G and can recruit in a lot of the same places he did while at Wisconsin.  Knowing the B1G will help as well.  I also think the SEC West is a lot tougher than the B1G West.  Wisky and Iowa then who?  Bama, Auburn, LSU......

I just hope that we beat them.......

 
BIG ERN said:
Illinois got back 10/15 players who could have graduated or went pro. Veteran QB and 4 OL starters back. Did lose their stud WR. Defense they got their DL and most secondary. Lost Hansen who was a solid LB. Overall they should be a decent football team. 
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Hansen actually came back since I posted...

 
Noon kickoff (CST) on Fox


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