OTHER GAMES - Week 0

freewillie07

Sophomore
Aug 22, 2017
5,240
100
48
He is too much of a home town hero to fire after one game. Part of their trouble is Martinez had a good first year was anointed and hasn't improved.
Nebraska is getting dragged all over Twitter and elsewhere. The nation is laughing at the program as a has-been. Rationally, I agree that no way does Frost get let go after one bad Week 1 showing, but how much will the irrational Husker Nation take?

Edit: As Illinois just completed a 45-yard passing play, I agree with Lou:

 

loyolacat

Freshman
Oct 21, 2006
2,721
67
48
shows how bad Lovie was......Martinez last game as starter......Nebraska is one big mistake machine....UI always has good punters (not named Hunter) This UI win is on Nebraska
 

zeek55

Junior
Nov 21, 2010
3,651
277
83
Tell you what, Bret looks like a good college coach today.
He's always been a good coach. Obviously, people said his Wisconsin teams were due more to Alvarez's system and maybe there's some truth to that given the continuity there. But winning the Big Ten and going to Rose Bowls is not easy even in a place that's got solid tradition (see Michigan/Harbaugh).

But look at Arkansas since Petrino left: 9 seasons with only 3 seasons over 0.500, all 3 of which were under Bielema.

Granted 7-8 win seasons don't get it done in the SEC, but he was doing a fine job there before it unraveled at the end.

People in Arkansas think they're supposed to be a premiere team in the SEC; they're not. They're just a filler team below the big brands, especially if they're adding Texas/OU.

I'd expect Arkansas to be a 0.500 team more often than not.
 
Aug 31, 2003
15,060
498
83
I don't think Illinois is a contender, but I do think they finally have the experience that they're not going to be an easy outing for anybody. I think they're a bowl team.

I feel bad for Lovie. He took over a complete rebuild and they were the youngest or one of the youngest Big Ten teams for most of his tenure. Now they're loaded with upperclassmen and Lovie doesn't get to experience the dividends of that. He got to experience all the growing pains. He built this team.
 

corbi2961

Senior
Sep 9, 2005
30,524
786
0
I don't think Illinois is a contender, but I do think they finally have the experience that they're not going to be an easy outing for anybody. I think they're a bowl team.

I feel bad for Lovie. He took over a complete rebuild and they were the youngest or one of the youngest Big Ten teams for most of his tenure. Now they're loaded with upperclassmen and Lovie doesn't get to experience the dividends of that. He got to experience all the growing pains. He built this team.
Bowl team? I highly doubt that. If they make a Bowl game, Brett should renegotiate his contract. This team is not talented. Nebraska handed them this game on a silver platter. The only difference is that under Bielema Illinois was disciplined enough to not give it back.
 

rmndcat

Junior
Sep 4, 2009
2,805
234
63
Bowl team? I highly doubt that. If they make a Bowl game, Brett should renegotiate his contract. This team is not talented. Nebraska handed them this game on a silver platter. The only difference is that under Bielema Illinois was disciplined enough to not give it back.
They went a bowl a couple of years ago. Certainly not implausible.
 

Deeringfish

All-Conference
Jun 23, 2008
21,282
1,434
63
At one point, Florida alum wondered how both teams could lose. I think this heat will be really tough to recover from. Likely impacting play the next couple of weeks. The fact that the game is still in the balance just makes it worse.
 
Aug 31, 2003
15,060
498
83
Bowl team? I highly doubt that. If they make a Bowl game, Brett should renegotiate his contract. This team is not talented. Nebraska handed them this game on a silver platter. The only difference is that under Bielema Illinois was disciplined enough to not give it back.
They are disciplined and experienced. (I think they go hand in hand.)

I didn't say they were the most talented, but I think experience can beat talent. 6 wins is very doable for this team and we shouldn't sleep on them when we play them.
 

zeek55

Junior
Nov 21, 2010
3,651
277
83
I don't think Illinois is a contender, but I do think they finally have the experience that they're not going to be an easy outing for anybody. I think they're a bowl team.

I feel bad for Lovie. He took over a complete rebuild and they were the youngest or one of the youngest Big Ten teams for most of his tenure. Now they're loaded with upperclassmen and Lovie doesn't get to experience the dividends of that. He got to experience all the growing pain
Gotta reserve judgment in my opinion until week 4-6. This is one game between 2 of the worst teams in the league the past 5 years.

Really hard to read anything more into this until we get a bigger sample.

Illinois beat Nebraska 41-23 last year. They lost all of their other games except for a 23-20 win against Rutgers.

Sometimes, it's just hard to read much into one game, especially if it's between two teams that have been bad a while.
 

corbi2961

Senior
Sep 9, 2005
30,524
786
0
They are disciplined and experienced. (I think they go hand in hand.)

I didn't say they were the most talented, but I think experience can beat talent. 6 wins is very doable for this team and we shouldn't sleep on them when we play them.

If NU can’t manhandle this Illinois team, we’re in for a long season.
 
Aug 31, 2003
15,060
498
83
Are we watching the same team today? illinois did not win this game. Nebraska gave it to them.
The defense for Illinois has been pretty good with the exception of that one big run by Martinez. They have put up 30 points playing with their backup QB for most of the game.
 

corbi2961

Senior
Sep 9, 2005
30,524
786
0
The defense for Illinois has been pretty good with the exception of that one big run by Martinez. They have put up 30 points playing with their backup QB for most of the game.

Again, have you been watching the game? Illinois has not scored 30 points. Nebraska gave them half those points. safety for Illinois when nebraska’s punt returner decides to field the ball at his goal line and then decided to throw it out of bounds while getting tackled in the end zone. Seven point when Martinez holds on to the ball too long and fumbles for a scoop and score. Seven points for Illinois when Nebraska gets 30 yards of idiotic penalties negating a Nebraska interception. All in the first half.
 
Last edited:

zeek55

Junior
Nov 21, 2010
3,651
277
83
Guys, there's no point in arguing about this, it'll become more clear as the season progresses.

I'd be surprise though if either of these teams went bowling. Illinois is obviously closer because they won this game, but they need to start 4-2 or 5-1 to have a shot at bowling given the second half of their schedule. Not at all clear they can play and win these games even against bad teams consistently.

Nebraska just looks bad, like 3-9 bad or 2-10 bad.
 
Aug 31, 2003
15,060
498
83
Guys, there's no point in arguing about this, it'll become more clear as the season progresses.

I'd be surprise though if either of these teams went bowling. Illinois is obviously closer because they won this game, but they need to start 4-2 or 5-1 to have a shot at bowling given the second half of their schedule. Not at all clear they can play and win these games even against bad teams consistently.

Nebraska just looks bad, like 3-9 bad or 2-10 bad.
Well, I fully expect them to beat UTSA next game. One game at a time.
 

GECat2

Sophomore
Oct 8, 2012
1,928
174
63
This is a bad team playing an atrocious team. Let's not get ahead of ourselves.
 
Oct 3, 2013
1,666
483
0
In the broader context of other games today, the UTEP/NMSU game has only Miner significance…
 
Last edited:

Harris_Island

Redshirt
Sep 26, 2019
622
18
18
Bert's first game back in the B1G, and he stomps Frost with his backup QB from Rutgers.

College football is back!

Go cats!
 
Aug 13, 2002
3,221
268
0
Gotta reserve judgment in my opinion until week 4-6. This is one game between 2 of the worst teams in the league the past 5 years.

Really hard to read anything more into this until we get a bigger sample.

Illinois beat Nebraska 41-23 last year. They lost all of their other games except for a 23-20 win against Rutgers.

Sometimes, it's just hard to read much into one game, especially if it's between two teams that have been bad a while.
I took away that Martinez still can run but not pass, that Epstein can still run, and that neither team can do much else.
 

GECat2

Sophomore
Oct 8, 2012
1,928
174
63
The best quote below from the Nebraska Rivals Board:

"We can't even beat Illinois now with their 2nd string quarterback."

Priceless!!!!!!
 

zeek55

Junior
Nov 21, 2010
3,651
277
83
I took away that Martinez still can run but not pass, that Epstein can still run, and that neither team can do much else.
Bingo, pretty similar to my takeaways from this game. Just didn't see much to show that they'd threaten that many other teams unless gifted opportunities by opposing teams.
 

CappyNU

Senior
Mar 2, 2004
5,300
573
113
It was hard to tell if it was a problem of Martinez not being decisive enough to pick a receiver to throw to or if the receivers couldn't get any separation at all, but the multiple tosses off his back foot at the end was comically bad.
 

phatcat_rivals223240

All-Conference
Nov 5, 2001
18,953
1,108
113
Bowl team? I highly doubt that. If they make a Bowl game, Brett should renegotiate his contract. This team is not talented. Nebraska handed them this game on a silver platter. The only difference is that under Bielema Illinois was disciplined enough to not give it back.
They have UTSA and Charlotte as 2 probable wins. They have Maryland, VA, Rutgers and Purdue..They could conceivably win 3 of those..
 

corbi2961

Senior
Sep 9, 2005
30,524
786
0
They have UTSA and Charlotte as 2 probable wins. They have Maryland, VA, Rutgers and Purdue..They could conceivably win 3 of those..

They are not better than any of those Big Ten teams or VA. Maybe they beat Purdue. This is not a talented team nor is it a deep team. They’re recruiting has been awful under Lovie. It will Bielema at least three recruiting classes to build a competitive Big Ten roster.
 
Last edited:

zeek55

Junior
Nov 21, 2010
3,651
277
83
They have UTSA and Charlotte as 2 probable wins. They have Maryland, VA, Rutgers and Purdue..They could conceivably win 3 of those..
Could win those but could lose 3 of those games easily.

Just hard to know, they just beat one of the absolute worst teams in the league the past couple of years. Hard to extrapolate beyond this one game.

Illinois ceiling looks like 6 wins but their floor is probably 3.

Nebraska's ceiling looks like 4 wins.
 

Vassar69

Sophomore
Feb 16, 2019
959
142
0
I don't think Illinois is a contender, but I do think they finally have the experience that they're not going to be an easy outing for anybody. I think they're a bowl team.

I feel bad for Lovie. He took over a complete rebuild and they were the youngest or one of the youngest Big Ten teams for most of his tenure. Now they're loaded with upperclassmen and Lovie doesn't get to experience the dividends of that. He got to experience all the growing pains. He built this team.
As an Illini fan, I can assure you that Lovie doesn’t need pity or credit. This is the same team he had last year and went 2-6 with. They brought almost all the super seniors back. (Whether Bert does better is tbd).

And if you’re going to credit Lovie with building this team, you have to blame him when the roster falls off a cliff next year when like 40 seniors/super seniors graduate. Because the depth chart behind those seniors is what Lovie left, and it is UGLY.