If Illinois can consistently be 8-4, 8-5 with mid-size bowl games, that'll add a couple years onto Zook's contract.

 

If Illinois can then compete for the Capital One Bowl, that'll make Zook a savior.

 

Illinois has a lot of football history. Grange, Butkus, Grabowski, Nitschke, Rice, Howard, one of the first schools with homecoming, Dad's Day, certain band things...

 

I know winning trumps all, but if they can start winning and Zook is not using reviving Illinois as a jumping off point, I think the Illini can at least get to the level of Wisconsin and Iowa....

 

Probably not Michigan or Ohio State, but they might sneak a Big Ten championship here and there.

 

But first things first...Alamo, Sun, one of those bowls would be FANTASTIC!!!

 

With the talent they are bringing in theres no way they don't improve on what they have been doing the past few years.. If Zook keeps bringing in recruiting classes like these, you never know maybe one day they could challenge for a National Title.. Ill settle for 5 wins now though after what we have been getting recently

http://blogs.indystar.com/hoosiersinsider/...e.html#comments

 

Bad news about Finch the night before Signing Day.

He Gawn,

 

I agree with that 100%.

 

I thought you meant that it was going to be easier to win at Illinois than at Florida.

 

At Florida he was the fall guy. I really dont think many could have replaced Spurrier and not been fired. Zook will get his chance at Illinois for better or for worse (unless of course he uses his recruiting success to leave for a different HC position).

 

It should be interesting to see what transpires over the next few years in the Big 10.

Finch obviously used IU to get them to take some of his Warren Central teammates. It was said to be a package deal. Doubt he ever really wanted to go to IU himself. Kind of a s***ty way to go about things, but oh well. I believe as of yesterday it was down to Michigan and IU and now he is going to Florida. I can't blame the kid from a football perspective at all.

http://blogs.indystar.com/hoosiersinsider/...e.html#comments

 

Bad news about Finch the night before Signing Day.

 

That just pisses me off. I can't believe he is going to Florida. I'd have been fine with either IU or Michigan, but the fact Florida has come in late like this makes me question the kid's maturity. If he goes through with it, this will be the 3rd school he has been "committed to" in the past month. I can understand him changing his long-time commitment from Michigan to IU, where he wanted to play with his HS teammates. I could have understood if he decided he made a quick emotional choice to change and reverted back to his original commitment to Michigan.

 

But the commitment to Florida, especially after they just got a commitment from Major Wright, baffles me. Such is life when you are relying on the decisions of 17-18 yr old kids. lol

 

The kicker to this whole thing is how Florida came to have a scholarship open. WR Terrance Toliver was supposed to decide between LSU and Florida and announce tomorrow, on signing day. Apparently, he got a little too excited and couldn't wait and told the LSU coaches of his commitment to the Tigers today. Word leaked out, so Florida has an open scholarship they weren't supposed to know about until tomorrow and they go back to Finch. It seems as if Finch must have wanted to go there from the time he made his visit and the only reason he stuck with IU was because UF didn't have a scholarship available after getting Major Wright..... until today.

Edited February 7, 200719 yr by Rex Hudler

USC and Florida have seperated themselves from the pack with quite possibly the best two classes on paper in history. Teams like Texas, Notre Dame, Tenn, LSU etc have pulled in great classes as well. UNC and Illinois will probably be the suprise teams in the rankings this year. Oklahoma really has taken a hit in this years class, as they didn't have many scholarships, but their star level isn't as high as in the past either.

 

Well considering they are either 5th or 6th in the nation right now with this years class, depending on what service you like, Steve Spurrier and South Carolina have sold themselves to recruits, and filled many needs nicely. It hurt to lose Gray to ND, but I still think he'll regret that decision on down the road. And before the ND folks get in an uproar, NO I don't mean SCar is greater than ND, I mean that Gary Gray was out there recruiting hardcore for Spurrier and SCar after committing himself. Then he gets a little sad because he isn't getting contacted everyday from SCar and such, so he switches sides. Alot of this class coming in for Spurrier had direct contact from Gray, telling them to come join him in doing something thats never been done at SCar. Then he jumps ship.

Good luck to all today!!!!!

UNC kept 5 star Dwight Jones, just got Greg Little away from ND, pulled in a suprise 3 star, and is still 50-50 for Marvin. Great day!

f*** 18 year olds that cant make up their god damn mind.

Most of Zook's guys have signed so far. I think it's down to 4 unsigned right now.

UNC kept 5 star Dwight Jones, just got Greg Little away from ND, pulled in a suprise 3 star, and is still 50-50 for Marvin. Great day!

 

You guys gut Austin.

Update: From a realiable guy on the rivals national board

"Marvin is not a Heel. Marvin hasn't signed a LOI. Farrell is jumping the gun, and trying to create a buzz for UNC (a team he hypes non stop in the Rivals office)."

Even if he is going to UNC, Farrell is such a douche for stealing the kids thunder 2 hours before he was going on national tv to sign.

 

 

I'm happy with FSU right now, we pulled Greenlee from Georgia and Markish Jones from Clemson.

Edited February 7, 200719 yr by chimpy2121

Everyone for Illinois has signed except for Darius Purcell. They also signed 2-star RB Derius Hodge out of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

 

Chose Illinois over MSU, ND, Penn State and Tennessee, so says Scout.com.

hodge is apparently in a similar boat to gamble. both really talented kids who are questionable qualifiers. supposedly hodge's ranking was held back by the fact he's borderline. or so they say.

I know nobody else cares, but UNC is having a ridiculous day. 3 star Devon Ramsey, 4 star Greg Little, 4 star Kevin Bryant, 5 star Marvin Austin, 5 star Dwight Jones, and now 4 star Weslye Saunders all in one day. I don't even know what to say right now, I don't even know what to say, but this makes tonights basketball game almost irrelevant.

Noel Devine wont be comitting today it seems.

 

He has been hyped for years now but seems to have some academic issues/etc.

I know nobody else cares, but UNC is having a ridiculous day. 3 star Devon Ramsey, 4 star Greg Little, 4 star Kevin Bryant, 5 star Marvin Austin, 5 star Dwight Jones, and now 4 star Weslye Saunders all in one day. I don't even know what to say right now, I don't even know what to say, but this makes tonights basketball game almost irrelevant.

 

UNC is indeed having a great day today, but not sure where you got your Saunders info from. His LoI is already in USCs hands.

What started out as a quiet signing day for the Hawkeyes took a huge turn for the positive this morning as four-star prospect Cedric Everson followed his heart and switched his verbal commitment from Michigan State to a signed Letter of Intent to Iowa.

 

Awesome news and at least semi makes up for losing Smith to ND. Iowa now ranked as the 27th best recruiting class in the country. ISU @ 59 according to Rivals.

I know nobody else cares, but UNC is having a ridiculous day. 3 star Devon Ramsey, 4 star Greg Little, 4 star Kevin Bryant, 5 star Marvin Austin, 5 star Dwight Jones, and now 4 star Weslye Saunders all in one day. I don't even know what to say right now, I don't even know what to say, but this makes tonights basketball game almost irrelevant.

I hear you there with Illinois as well...except we can't lost to NW tonight, lol.

I know nobody else cares, but UNC is having a ridiculous day. 3 star Devon Ramsey, 4 star Greg Little, 4 star Kevin Bryant, 5 star Marvin Austin, 5 star Dwight Jones, and now 4 star Weslye Saunders all in one day. I don't even know what to say right now, I don't even know what to say, but this makes tonights basketball game almost irrelevant.

 

 

dont talk too loud or Dukie V will find you and kill you. This game is bigger than the Kennedy Assisination to him.

UNC is indeed having a great day today, but not sure where you got your Saunders info from. His LoI is already in USCs hands.

 

Saunders told UNC he was commiting there this morning, then changed his mind again, reminds me a lot of Jonathan Hannah, not a good thing.

Johnathan Hannah...theres a name I don't ever need to hear about again...I hope this situation turns out better for both teams here.

Johnathan Hannah...theres a name I don't ever need to hear about again...I hope this situation turns out better for both teams here.

 

Might be FSU bound, what was the whole deal with SC?

Are the Illini done? What about Miles Stroter? Anyone else on the ESPN list a possibility?

Are the Illini done? What about Miles Stroter? Anyone else on the ESPN list a possibility?

 

according to scout quarterback phil haig is going to visit next week. haig was committed to minnesota but looks like the odd-man out with brewster heading up there.

 

haig was a three-star recruit by rivals and a two-star by scout.

Hannah is what I would call a minor headcase...and his academics didn't help him much either...he was only enrolled briefly here at USC...no idea what the whole story is.