USA Today is ranking the football teams in the FBS, starting from #125 (Georgia State) and working its way to the best team. As of today, May 21st, they are at #112 (UTEP).

So far 3 MAC teams have been named. No surprise there. UMass is #124, Akron is #120 and Eastern Michigan is #117.

Here's a link in case you're interested.

http://www.usatoday.com/topic/980e11db-b...countdown/

Team #110, according to USA Today: Coach Beckman's Illini.

From the article, about last season for Illinois: "Beckman's debut was as ugly as any by a Big Ten coach in recent history"

(05-24-2013 09:06 AM)cnyrocketfan Wrote:  Team #110, according to USA Today: Coach Beckman's Illini.

From the article, about last season for Illinois: "Beckman's debut was as ugly as any by a Big Ten coach in recent history"

Beckman has 8 home games this year........

(05-24-2013 09:06 AM)cnyrocketfan Wrote:  Team #110, according to USA Today: Coach Beckman's Illini.

From the article, about last season for Illinois: "Beckman's debut was as ugly as any by a Big Ten coach in recent history"

Tim Beckman is NOT that bad a coach. This is why I thought UI was a bad move for him; just a horrible place to coach.

(05-24-2013 06:44 PM)Aries_Rocket Wrote:  

(05-24-2013 09:06 AM)cnyrocketfan Wrote:  Team #110, according to USA Today: Coach Beckman's Illini.

From the article, about last season for Illinois: "Beckman's debut was as ugly as any by a Big Ten coach in recent history"

Tim Beckman is NOT that bad a coach. This is why I thought UI was a bad move for him; just a horrible place to coach.

Just needs to know when to call a TO.
Actually he came across to me as a climber.
Hope he is a saver.

(05-24-2013 09:53 PM)rocketpete Wrote:  

(05-24-2013 06:44 PM)Aries_Rocket Wrote:  

(05-24-2013 09:06 AM)cnyrocketfan Wrote:  Team #110, according to USA Today: Coach Beckman's Illini.

From the article, about last season for Illinois: "Beckman's debut was as ugly as any by a Big Ten coach in recent history"

Tim Beckman is NOT that bad a coach. This is why I thought UI was a bad move for him; just a horrible place to coach.

Just needs to know when to call a TO.
Actually he came across to me as a climber.
Hope he is a saver.

I was just thinking about that season the other day - with the robberies against UT vs. 0$U and Syracuse, then the moronic misuse of TOs against NIU. UT had the chance to go 11-1, with a trip to the MACC. SO. CLOSE. To a GREAT season. STILL pisses me off!!!

(05-24-2013 09:56 PM)MidnightBlueGold Wrote:  

(05-24-2013 09:53 PM)rocketpete Wrote:  

(05-24-2013 06:44 PM)Aries_Rocket Wrote:  

(05-24-2013 09:06 AM)cnyrocketfan Wrote:  Team #110, according to USA Today: Coach Beckman's Illini.

From the article, about last season for Illinois: "Beckman's debut was as ugly as any by a Big Ten coach in recent history"

Tim Beckman is NOT that bad a coach. This is why I thought UI was a bad move for him; just a horrible place to coach.

Just needs to know when to call a TO.
Actually he came across to me as a climber.
Hope he is a saver.

I was just thinking about that season the other day - with the robberies against UT vs. 0$U and Syracuse, then the moronic misuse of TOs against NIU. UT had the chance to go 11-1, with a trip to the MACC. SO. CLOSE. To a GREAT season. STILL pisses me off!!!

Let it go.. but do not forget..MBG

(05-24-2013 10:09 PM)rocketpete Wrote:  

(05-24-2013 09:56 PM)MidnightBlueGold Wrote:  

(05-24-2013 09:53 PM)rocketpete Wrote:  

(05-24-2013 06:44 PM)Aries_Rocket Wrote:  

(05-24-2013 09:06 AM)cnyrocketfan Wrote:  Team #110, according to USA Today: Coach Beckman's Illini.

From the article, about last season for Illinois: "Beckman's debut was as ugly as any by a Big Ten coach in recent history"

Tim Beckman is NOT that bad a coach. This is why I thought UI was a bad move for him; just a horrible place to coach.

Just needs to know when to call a TO.
Actually he came across to me as a climber.
Hope he is a saver.

I was just thinking about that season the other day - with the robberies against UT vs. 0$U and Syracuse, then the moronic misuse of TOs against NIU. UT had the chance to go 11-1, with a trip to the MACC. SO. CLOSE. To a GREAT season. STILL pisses me off!!!

Let it go.. but do not forget..MBG

I don't think I'll ever be able to. That could have been a dream season with the victories AT 0$U and Syracuse, and the only loss should have been vs. a top 5 team. That season we could have possibly been a BC$ buster

(05-24-2013 10:11 PM)MidnightBlueGold Wrote:  

(05-24-2013 10:09 PM)rocketpete Wrote:  

(05-24-2013 09:56 PM)MidnightBlueGold Wrote:  

(05-24-2013 09:53 PM)rocketpete Wrote:  

(05-24-2013 06:44 PM)Aries_Rocket Wrote:  Tim Beckman is NOT that bad a coach. This is why I thought UI was a bad move for him; just a horrible place to coach.

Just needs to know when to call a TO.
Actually he came across to me as a climber.
Hope he is a saver.

I was just thinking about that season the other day - with the robberies against UT vs. 0$U and Syracuse, then the moronic misuse of TOs against NIU. UT had the chance to go 11-1, with a trip to the MACC. SO. CLOSE. To a GREAT season. STILL pisses me off!!!

Let it go.. but do not forget..MBG

I don't think I'll ever be able to. That could have been a dream season with the victories AT 0$U and Syracuse, and the only loss should have been vs. a top 5 team. That season we could have possibly been a BC$ buster

I agree---that year had the potential to be a very, very special season, but those kind of seasons are rare because they require a team to be both good and lucky and the "table has to be set just right" w/r to the schedule. The table was set OK (with O$U in a down year) and UT was good enough talent wise but UT just had too much "bad luck" to overcome----a series of key injuries, the poor officiating in two of the losses you mentioned as well as Beckman's brain going on vacation at the end of the NIU game. Of course the stars rarely align in such a way as to create those very special seasons, which I guess is what makes them so special when they do occur.

However, I still have more regrets about the way the 2000 season played out than I do about the 2011 season.

I thought the 2000 season was awesome. With the exception of the MACC of course.

(give me a break, we have to reach back a ways to get any good smack talk in)

(05-24-2013 06:44 PM)Aries_Rocket Wrote:  

(05-24-2013 09:06 AM)cnyrocketfan Wrote:  Team #110, according to USA Today: Coach Beckman's Illini.

From the article, about last season for Illinois: "Beckman's debut was as ugly as any by a Big Ten coach in recent history"

Tim Beckman is NOT that bad a coach. This is why I thought UI was a bad move for him; just a horrible place to coach.

+1. Hard to accomplish anything in football at Illinois to begin with, and he was starting with a particularly empty cupboard, from all accounts. He might as well have gone to Indiana or Kansas.

The countdown is at #101 (Kentucky). Central Michigan is #102, Miami #103.

Western Michigan is #98.

It's not looking very hopeful for getting a MAC team in the top 50.

(06-05-2013 05:36 PM)Aries_Rocket Wrote:  It's not looking very hopeful for getting a MAC team in the top 50.

May be Northern Illinois. Most publications have UT around 80th.

The Golden Flashes are #85 in USA Today's list.

At #74, Buffalo.

Well, up to number 68 now (Texas Tech) and still no word of Ohio, NIU, BG, and Toledo. Interesting list thus far. Not sure if it will prove to be anywhere close to being an accurate gauge, but it is entertaining and I salute them for giving the MAC teams a fair shake thus far. Everyone else thinks our offense is going to be a beast, so I hope we can stay healthy and deliver this fall! On paper, it really should be a good year for the O. If we get some good hard hitting D to mix in, it could be a special year.

I don't think ball state has been called yet either. And buffalo ahead or kent state was a little puzzling. But I enjoy these

Buffalo leads the MAC in returning players. I mean we only beat them 25-20 last season? They may be okay. But they've never been a team to win close games, and have the worst recruiting class in the conference... again.
At least we get em at home this season!