(02-02-2012 08:54 PM)huskiebob Wrote:  We have Keith Harris at NIU. He's the same size as Church. And, after seeing Harris' video, to me, he looked just as impressive as Church. Plus, he's a Chicago kid and he's Academic All-State. I'll take Harris.

(02-02-2012 08:35 PM)UIHuskie Wrote:  Not that it matters (he's still not really going to play), but Beckman is supposedly moving Osei back to QB.

Not that I care about Osei, but my guess is he's regretting going to U of I. He's got Scheelhase and O'Toole ahead of him, so more than likely he'll spend his career there as a backup.

I don't know if you can say that. If he was truly regretting it, he hasn't burned his redshirt. He could transfer somewhere, redshirt, and still have two years left.

Although maybe he's killed his value now and nobody would put him on scholarship. Who knows.

(02-02-2012 08:59 PM)UIHuskie Wrote:  

(02-02-2012 08:56 PM)7 Wrote:  Harnish was clearly the best QB in the state last year. Clearly. Who knows if he ever would have gotten the chance to show that if he had gone to either school.

That's a good point. At Northwestern he wouldn't have started as a freshman/sophomore (they had Bacher and Kafka), and Illinois had Juice as an upperclassmen. Who knows how Harnish does/doesn't develop under those circumstances.

Exactly. He might not have been junior/senior Harnish if he doesn't go through the growing pains of fresh/soph.

Notice the dig on our Directional Name at the end of the column?

F*ckin Freep.com

Zook might have been a good recruiter, but I think he proved that he wasnt good at developing that talent. So maybe if Osei does come here, he gets developed better and he actually could be competing for a starting spot. So the Illness's talent level isnt actually much better than ours overall, we just make better use of the talent we have.

(02-02-2012 10:17 PM)PeoriaHuskie11 Wrote:  Zook might have been a good recruiter, but I think he proved that he wasnt good at developing that talent. So maybe if Osei does come here, he gets developed better and he actually could be competing for a starting spot. So the Illness's talent level isnt actually much better than ours overall, we just make better use of the talent we have.

I think if you actually look at it, though, he developed the talent fine. Illinois has had a good number of guys go in the 1st/2nd/3rd rounds of the NFL draft the last 4-5 years. They've had players, and the players have generally progressed and been developed individually. The issue is that he was never able to make it operate efficiently, as a collective unit, in games. Much of that was due to his in-game management and (lack of) coaching ability. Also, the fact that he couldn't coach special teams to save his life, which consistently killed field position and things like that for his own teams, had a tendency to undermine much of what talent the offense/defense had.

His 3-9 team a few years ago had like 8 guys on it who all were or will be drafted in the Top 3 rounds of the NFL Draft, along with its fair share of late round guys. That takes coaching incompetence to levels rarely seen.

(02-02-2012 10:25 PM)UIHuskie Wrote:  

(02-02-2012 10:17 PM)PeoriaHuskie11 Wrote:  Zook might have been a good recruiter, but I think he proved that he wasnt good at developing that talent. So maybe if Osei does come here, he gets developed better and he actually could be competing for a starting spot. So the Illness's talent level isnt actually much better than ours overall, we just make better use of the talent we have.

I think if you actually look at it, though, he developed the talent fine. Illinois has had a good number of guys go in the 1st/2nd/3rd rounds of the NFL draft the last 4-5 years. They've had players, and the players have generally progressed and been developed individually. The issue is that he was never able to make it operate efficiently, as a collective unit, in games. Much of that was due to his in-game management and (lack of) coaching ability. Also, the fact that he couldn't coach special teams to save his life, which consistently killed field position and things like that for his own teams, had a tendency to undermine much of what talent the offense/defense had.

His 3-9 team a few years ago had like 8 guys on it who all were or will be drafted in the Top 3 rounds of the NFL Draft, along with its fair share of late round guys. That takes coaching incompetence to levels rarely seen.

touche

(02-02-2012 08:35 PM)UIHuskie Wrote:  

(02-02-2012 08:24 PM)7 Wrote:  There's a difference between sucking and never being given a chance. Osei is probably competing for the starting job here this year. Instead, because he went to a school with a freshman starting QB and a highly touted QB coming in the year after, he's now a RB.

Not that it matters (he's still not really going to play), but Beckman is supposedly moving Osei back to QB.

Have always wondered, why do you have an Illini signature on a message board site with no Illini activity. Does Illinois even have an active message board on csnbbs?

(02-03-2012 12:17 AM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(02-02-2012 08:35 PM)UIHuskie Wrote:  

(02-02-2012 08:24 PM)7 Wrote:  There's a difference between sucking and never being given a chance. Osei is probably competing for the starting job here this year. Instead, because he went to a school with a freshman starting QB and a highly touted QB coming in the year after, he's now a RB.

Not that it matters (he's still not really going to play), but Beckman is supposedly moving Osei back to QB.

Have always wondered, why do you have an Illini signature on a message board site with no Illini activity. Does Illinois even have an active message board on csnbbs?

Oh god he's one of the best posters on here. Let it go.

(02-03-2012 12:26 AM)7 Wrote:  

(02-03-2012 12:17 AM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(02-02-2012 08:35 PM)UIHuskie Wrote:  

(02-02-2012 08:24 PM)7 Wrote:  There's a difference between sucking and never being given a chance. Osei is probably competing for the starting job here this year. Instead, because he went to a school with a freshman starting QB and a highly touted QB coming in the year after, he's now a RB.

Not that it matters (he's still not really going to play), but Beckman is supposedly moving Osei back to QB.

Have always wondered, why do you have an Illini signature on a message board site with no Illini activity. Does Illinois even have an active message board on csnbbs?

Oh god he's one of the best posters on here. Let it go.

Yes I know, I've found I've relapsed on the Illini hatred. I was doing better, but then Beckman got hired. back to square one. UIhuskie doesnt take anything I say seriously anyway hah

I am sure the Huskies will be fine without him. I can't believe how excited I am for this upcoming season!

I wonder how many college freshmen fully appreciate how dramatic a difference their choice of a school will make in their playing time?

Ego is a career killer.

The takeaway here is:

Devin Church Wrote:"But if I was going MAC, it was going to be the best school in the MAC...Northern Illinois [is] that top school."

A Detroit kid, an hour down the road from Toledo, recognizes NIU as the TOP MAC SCHOOL. Toledo arguably used to be the highest profile football program in the MAC, but that has changed. And potential recruits, even those in Toledo's back yard, have taken notice.

GO HUSKIES!

(02-03-2012 08:28 AM)Lord Stanley Wrote:  I wonder how many college freshmen fully appreciate how dramatic a difference their choice of a school will make in their playing time?

Ego is a career killer.

They appreciate it but everyone wants to play "big-time" football. The MAC is the MAC.

These kids don't realize that often they have a better chance of making the pros playing in the MAC then going "big-time". this is the #1 thing I would recruit on if I was a coach.

(02-03-2012 12:58 PM)RedShark27 Wrote:  

(02-03-2012 08:28 AM)Lord Stanley Wrote:  I wonder how many college freshmen fully appreciate how dramatic a difference their choice of a school will make in their playing time?

Ego is a career killer.

They appreciate it but everyone wants to play "big-time" football. The MAC is the MAC.

These kids don't realize that often they have a better chance of making the pros playing in the MAC then going "big-time". this is the #1 thing I would recruit on if I was a coach.

+1. I think the biggest difference is what 7 mentioned about Harnish. He got the chance to play right away and he developed into a great player. That's what we should be saying to the higher rated recruits we go after. You might play at Big10 school in jr/sr season, but you will definitely get a chance to play earlier at NIU. And if you're good here, you will get noticed by the NFL.

(02-02-2012 07:53 PM)klake87 Wrote:  

(02-02-2012 07:43 PM)66Huskie Wrote:  He may not be playing after his first season....Beckman was desperate for bodies...

I always laugh at those comments. So you are saying that U of I has far superior talent tha NIU? So He would start at NIU but be a bench warmer at U of I? By that logic, U of I should kick our a$$ because they have far superior talent on their roster. He might be a bust he might be all big 10. Don't know yet. What I do know is that he wants to try the big 10 and see if he can compete.

Just my opinion..don't get your shorts in a knot...

Do you really think that a different new head coach at U of Ill would really have recruited Church?

(02-03-2012 02:41 PM)66Huskie Wrote:  

(02-02-2012 07:53 PM)klake87 Wrote:  

(02-02-2012 07:43 PM)66Huskie Wrote:  He may not be playing after his first season....Beckman was desperate for bodies...

I always laugh at those comments. So you are saying that U of I has far superior talent tha NIU? So He would start at NIU but be a bench warmer at U of I? By that logic, U of I should kick our a$$ because they have far superior talent on their roster. He might be a bust he might be all big 10. Don't know yet. What I do know is that he wants to try the big 10 and see if he can compete.

Just my opinion..don't get your shorts in a knot...

Do you really think that a different new head coach at U of Ill would really have recruited Church?

And Zook was touted to be this outstanding judge of talent...he did not have this guy onl his list of recruits for U of Ill