Illini COVID Situation

[Dano564]

Agreed on all accounts. This season is going to be a major disappointment compared to my expectations 10 days ago. But I’m not sure I’m ready to shitcan the program and start over yet

Agreed.
I knew our defense wouldn't be as good, but I thought it would drop down to a "1 or 2 broken play a game" defense.
Right now we look like a "broken play every other play defense".

 

[PMWinSTP]

This COVID year just kind of shows what a messed up year this will be.

If you are doing a "reload / rebuild" year, this is probably the best year to do it.
Winning a Big Ten Title this year will be the weakest Big Ten Title in some time.

Hmm, OK. Don't remember many out here in the pointing to 2020 as that kind of year. Gophs are not the only team dealing with this messed up year.

 

[Some guy]

Hmm, OK. Don't remember many out here in the pointing to 2020 as that kind of year. Gophs are not the only team dealing with this messed up year.

You must have missed the part where he agreeed with me that this looks like it’s going to be a major disappointment of a year

 

[PMWinSTP]

You must have missed the part where he agreeed with me that this looks like it’s going to be a major disappointment of a year

I meant in the past, not two games into an 0-2 season. It was pretty much the opposite. Many pointed to 2020 as the future breakout year for Fleck, and then...watch out in the coming years. Three years to build the house...frame, put on the roof, install the windows...etc.

 

[Some guy]

I meant in the past, not two games into an 0-2 season. It was pretty much the opposite. Many pointed to 2020 as the future breakout year for Fleck, and then...watch out in the coming years. Three years to build the house...frame, put on the roof, install the windows...etc.

I’m not sure that’s true.
Everybody knew there was a lot to replace in defense this year.

2021 was always going to be better on defense than 2020. 2019 was always going to be better on defense than 2020.
I assumed it would be better in 2020
I was clearly wrong.

I do think 2020 offense may be a bit better than 2021 offense.
What seasons was going to be better than the up cycle 2020 vs 2021 was pretty clearly in question to me. It still is. The team could recover and be 5-3. The team could be as bad or worse than they have shown this year in 2021 of the offense loses pieces and the defense doesn’t improve.

 

[PMWinSTP]

I’m not sure that’s true.
Everybody knew there was a lot to replace in defense this year.

2021 was always going to be better on defense than 2020. 2019 was always going to be better on defense than 2020.
I assumed it would be better in 2020
I was clearly wrong.

I do think 2020 offense may be a bit better than 2021 offense.
What seasons was going to be better than the up cycle 2020 vs 2021 was pretty clearly in question to me. It still is. The team could recover and be 5-3. The team could be as bad or worse than they have shown this year in 2021 of the offense loses pieces and the defense doesn’t improve.

It was very much the mantra in 2017 and 2018 out here. Many, many Flecksters would point to WMU to tamp down expectations in those years. He needed his recruits. I don't think that's very debatable.

 

[Some guy]

It was very much the mantra in 2017 and 2018 out here. Many, many Flecksters would point to WMU to tamp down expectations in those years. He needed his recruits. I don't think that's very debatable.

Yeah. Expectations of any coach are down in years 1-2 of a program change. I’m not sure that is earth shattering analysis you’re giving.

What do you think we should do?
Fire fleck?
Fire OC?
Fire DC?

This year is clearly a disappointment but I am of the opinion stay the course is the path for now. What do you think?

 

[PMWinSTP]

Yeah. Expectations of any coach are down in years 1-2 of a program change. I’m not sure that is earth shattering analysis you’re giving.

What do you think we should do?
Fire fleck?
Fire OC?
Fire DC?

This year is clearly a disappointment but I am of the opinion stay the course is the path for now. What do you think?

First, I don't buy the expectations of any coach are down in year 1 and 2. The numbers bare that out.

I've posted many, many times that Fleck is going anywhere soon when those "short list" threads start on whether he would leave for a helmet school...like Mich in the last few weeks.

It is OK to be critical. At this point it seems they either did not recruit well, or have not developed their recruits well on defense.

 

[Some guy]

First, I don't buy the expectations of any coach are down in year 1 and 2. The numbers bare that out.

I've posted many, many times that Fleck is going anywhere soon when those "short list" threads start on whether he would leave for a helmet school...like Mich in the last few weeks.

It is OK to be critical. At this point it seems they either did not recruit well, or have not developed their recruits well on defense.

You don’t think there are lower expectations of college coaches in year 1 and 2?
Im not talking about you personally, I’m talking about in administrations and fan bases in general.



the defense sucks. Everyone is saying that.
the defense sucks because either they aren’t good enough or they haven’t been taught well enough or some combination of the two. I feel like you’re trying to start a fight and no one disagrees with you.

 

[PMWinSTP]

You don’t think there are lower expectations of college coaches in year 1 and 2?
Im not talking about you personally, I’m talking about in administrations and fan bases in general.



the defense sucks. Everyone is saying that.
the defense sucks because either they aren’t good enough or they haven’t been taught well enough or some combination of the two. I feel like you’re trying to start a fight and no one disagrees with you.

For any coach, no, I don't. The numbers bare that out pretty clearly.

I'm not trying to start a fight, but just disappointed in the amount of "oh well, on to next season" resignation. Not where I expected this program to be in year four under Fleck.

 

[RogueGopher]

I think we might win a game next week. Unless it gets cancelled.

 

[Some guy]

For any coach, no, I don't. The numbers bare that out pretty clearly.

I'm not trying to start a fight, but just disappointed in the amount of "oh well, on to next season" resignation. Not where I expected this program to be in year four under Fleck.

What do you want us to do other than be disappointed?

 

[Dano564]

What do you want us to do other than be disappointed?

I'm not sure.

We should be more disappointed maybe yet still hold higher expectations.

"Aw! We really suck! But darnit, we better go 9-0 this year yet! PJ better figure it out and figure out fast how to get 9 more wins!!"

 

[cjbfbp]

Agreed on all accounts. This season is going to be a major disappointment compared to my expectations 10 days ago. But I’m not sure I’m ready to shitcan the program and start over yet

I think I've decided that I'm just going to look at the remainder of the season as a developmental year. There is somewhat of a similarity between this football season and last year's basketball season in terms of the prospects for postseason play. Last year, the entire postseason in basketball was cancelled during the conference tournaments. This year we've seen a number of bowl cancellations and my guess is more will follow. We might have a situation where there are only a dozen or fewer bowls at the end of the year so not making one might not have the sting that it would in a normal season.

What I'm really bummed about is the prospect that this could be the last season for Bateman (likely), Morgan, and Ibrahim. This would be an unfortunate way to end their careers at Minnesota and would leave us with gaping holes next year.

 

[howeda7]

I don't see how this B1G season is going to be anything close to legitimate if they don't modify the 21 day rule. How many teams are going to get more than 5 games in?

 

[howeda7]

What I'm really bummed about is the prospect that this could be the last season for Bateman (likely), Morgan, and Ibrahim. This would be an unfortunate way to end their careers at Minnesota and would leave us with gaping holes next year.

Bateman is gone for sure. I'll be very surprised if Morgan or Mo leaves early. Neither have any chance of being a 1st round pick, IMO. RB's are now commodities and Morgan is a 3rd-5th rounder.

 

[Some guy]

I don't see how this B1G season is going to be anything close to legitimate if they don't modify the 21 day rule. How many teams are going to get more than 5 games in?

If the average number of games per team drops below 6 teams with 5 games are eligible again.
So they have that written in

 

[howeda7]

If the average number of games per team drops below 6 teams with 5 games are eligible again.
So they have that written in

Eligible for Bowl Games or the B1G championship?

 

[MplsGopher]

Bateman is gone for sure. I'll be very surprised if Morgan or Mo leaves early. Neither have any chance of being a 1st round pick, IMO. RB's are now commodities and Morgan is a 3rd-5th rounder.

Yeah but you just wonder how much damage Bateman is going to do this year for us, anyway. Seems teams are going to be determined not to let him beat them.

Feel sorry for the guy. As diehard a Gopher as any recruit could be, is risking injury to come back and play this year .... for this? Damn shame.


Agree that Morgan and Mo probably won't leave. But then again, you might have to consider that they've got to be thinking "would it be worth it for another year like this??" when you're risking injury and very short NFL careers as it is.

 

[MplsGopher]

Eligible for Bowl Games or the B1G championship?

I assume conf champ game.

What even is the Bowl eligibility criteria this year? And how many bowls will there be? They should just open it up to a bowl can invite any team it wants with a .500 or better record (before conf champ games).

 

[Some guy]

Eligible for Bowl Games or the B1G championship?

Big ten championship

I believe the ncaa said there is no minimum eligibility for any bowl game this year. Basically every conference will fill out their conference contract allotments

 

[MplsGopher]

I'm sure some of the smaller bowls won't be financially able to be put on, unless ESPN is willing to subsidize the whole thing just to get the TV viewership.

 

[MGGopher]

Bateman is gone for sure. I'll be very surprised if Morgan or Mo leaves early. Neither have any chance of being a 1st round pick, IMO. RB's are now commodities and Morgan is a 3rd-5th rounder.

Agree with this. That's one of the only things keeping me sane right now. This season is a glorified exhibition. SUCKS for us fans and likely hurts recruiting a bit, but it really doesn't matter. You're not "wasting" a season for anyone. Bateman was always leaving regardless, but I'd be surprised if other impact players left. MAYBE one of Durr of St. Juste. Morgan is a tiny possibility if he sets the world on fire the next 7 games. But that's honestly probably it.

 

[Some guy]

Agree with this. That's one of the only things keeping me sane right now. This season is a glorified exhibition. SUCKS for us fans and likely hurts recruiting a bit, but it really doesn't matter. You're not "wasting" a season for anyone. Bateman was always leaving regardless, but I'd be surprised if other impact players left. MAYBE one of Durr of St. Juste. Morgan is a tiny possibility if he sets the world on fire the next 7 games. But that's honestly probably it.

Nobody on our defense is leaving early for the nfl

 

[short ornery norwegian]

Back to Illinois - the contact tracing aspect also baffles me. I thought that is why you do daily testing, or at least test multiple times a week.

Bottom line - it all depends on how testing goes the next few days for Illinois. If it gets to mid-week and they only have a handful of positive cases, I would expect the game to be played.

but, if it's Wednesday or Thursday and Illinois has 8-10 guys testing positive, then it would not surprise me to see the game called off.

update - this is from the daily paper in Champaign, Illinois:

Peters and Moore, per Big Ten protocol, will be sidelined for 21 days. That means they’ll miss the Illini’s next two games — home against Minnesota on Nov. 7 and at Rutgers on Nov. 14 — before becoming eligible to return ahead of the Nov. 21 game at Nebraska. The players held out for contact tracing purposes, which included backup quarterback Isaiah Williams, will quarantine for 10 days per Centers for Disease Control guidelines and will miss next week’s 2:30 p.m. home game against the Gophers.