Illinois Fighting Illini
Projected #4 in Leaders Division
2010 Record: 7-6 (4-4)
After a win over Baylor in the Texas Bowl to end the 2010 season, I think it is safe to say that head coach Ron Zook has been given another shot of adrenaline to try and keep Illinois football relevant, if only within the conference. His 2011 squad shouldn't let him down, but will another average bowl appearance be enough?
Zook has a 51-59 record all-time at Illinois, which would more than likely be grounds for firing at most schools of their caliber. If it wasn't for a 2007 season that featured 9 wins and a trip to the Rose Bowl, then we would be looking at a new head coach in Champaign in my opinion. He is still the head man though, and he intends to build off of a thrashing of a Big 12 opponent in a bowl game and lead the Illini to bigger and better things.
The positives: seven returning starters on offense, including QB Nate Scheelhaase, should help the team continue their offensive tear that resulted in averaging 32.5 points per game last season. Some playmakers were lost on the defensive side, but upperclassmen such as CB Tavon Wilson will be able to provide much needed stability and leadership throughout the season. To me, as far as Illinois football goes, this team has all the makings of a program that is ready to avenge several close loses (11 to Ohio State, 2 to Michigan, 4 to Minnesota) and get back to the highs of 2007, which could include 9 wins and a much better bowl trip than heading to the Texas Bowl.
The negatives: the killer schedule. Last season, Illinois benefited from a very friendly schedule that only had two road games against teams that played in major bowl games at years end: Penn State (Outback) and Michigan State (Capital One). This year, the amount of tough road games remains the same but the schedule is more daunting than before. Pac 12 South contender Arizona State travels to Champaign in September, followed by games against rival Northwestern, Ohio State, on the road against an improved Purdue team, @ Penn State, Wisconsin and then a road trip to Minnesota who just so happened to beat the Illini last season. I don't expect Illinois to win nine games with that kind of schedule, but I do think that they can get in the 7 to 8 win range based off of their offensive talent alone.
Illinois will pull off a few upsets, lose to a few teams they shouldn't, yet still manage to play in a bowl game for the second year in a row under head coach Ron Zook. I suppose I'll ask this question again though: will that be enough to save Zook's job?
Predicted Record: 8-4 (4-4)
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