Tonight

[BayAreaBigRed]

If Illinois wins tonight can you put a fork in HCMR?

 

[TarheelHuskerFan_rivals]

I think so

 

[c3ntral08]

Absolutely

 

[mel mains]

I'll be there and bring one just in case.

 

[DudznSudz]

Probably. Or, rather, you can count him as done at the end of the season. I think he can keep his job if he wins the games he's supposed to and avoids nasty thrashings, but even that has probably less than 50% odds right now.

Teams we have left:

Illinois: We should win by at least 1 touchdown.

Wisconsin: We may lose this one; in fact, I'm counting on it. But a victory here in ANY form would be huge for Riley and the team.

Ohio State: The question is simply, how bad do we get beaten? Horribly and Riley's chances get even slimmer. Respectably, and they're fine.

Purdue: We should win this one after having a bye week. I know they're much improved already, but we're far more talented. This one will be bad news depending on the record up to this point. If we're 4 and 3, and lose here, that's not great but we'd live with it. If we have a losing record after losing this game, things aren't going to look great for Riley.

Northwestern and Minnesota: We should win both outings without question, so losing either of these games, again, depending on record, will influence what is going on here a lot.

Penn State: Like Ohio State, the question is how bad do we lose?

Iowa: They're looking like a physical team with a nasty D. Again, how a win or loss here is taken depends a lot on the record at this point.

So, Riley has a tall order ahead of him.

I personally think he needs to keep his job through 2018 barring a complete collapse of the season (which I don't think is likely, but it is alarmingly possible). After that, time for Frosty.

 

[Husker Sledge]

I think it's a must win just because Illinois is pretty bad this year.

 

[H8FULLGR8]

With how 2015 went and then losing to NIU at home, he done used up all his free passes. Must win games left IMO, Illinois, Purdue, NW, Minnesota and Iowa. Losses to just Wisconsin, tOSU and PSU he may get 2018.

 

[DudznSudz]

With how 2015 went and then losing to NIU at home, he done used up all his free passes. Must win games left IMO, Illinois, Purdue, NW, Minnesota and Iowa. Losses to just Wisconsin, tOSU and PSU he may get 2018.

I think he can go 6-6 and still coach here next year, so if he drops one of those must-win games I still say let him build 2018's team. However, anything worse than that and he's done. It's too bad, I want him to succeed and keep the recruits coming in (especially Bookie, as there is not a team in America that doesn't want him on it).

Let me put it this way. Even in a year where things aren't clicking and things seem to be going kinda poorly, we have to be able to beat the really bad teams. If we can't, that doesn't look good.

 

[newAD]

I'm guessing he'd be fired at the airport.

 

[Husker Sledge]

With how 2015 went and then losing to NIU at home, he done used up all his free passes. Must win games left IMO, Illinois, Purdue, NW, Minnesota and Iowa. Losses to just Wisconsin, tOSU and PSU he may get 2018.

Iowa will be really tough again, especially coming off an *** kicking at Happy Valley. Just don't see a W vs the Hawkeyes again this year. At best it'll probably be similar to the game 2 years ago. Sucks cuz Iowa sucks!

 

[Toms Wife]

If Illinois wins tonight can you put a fork in HCMR?

Not going to happen. We are far more talented then they are. I think MR and DL protect Lee with the running game and he starts to put it together on fewer opportunities. Illinois has one of the most atrocious offenses in all of college football. Currently they rank 127th out of 130 spots in the FBS rankings. Thus, we don't need that many points.

 

[WHCSC]

Not going to happen. We are far more talented then they are. I think MR and DL protect Lee with the running game and he starts to put it together on fewer opportunities. Illinois has one of the most atrocious offenses in all of college football. Currently they rank 127th out of 130 spots in FBS college football.

How many pick-6s have their QBs thrown?

 

[DudznSudz]

Not going to happen. We are far more talented then they are. I think MR and DL protect Lee with the running game and he starts to put it together on fewer opportunities. Illinois has one of the most atrocious offenses in all of college football. Currently they rank 127th out of 130 spots in the FBS rankings. Thus, we don't need that many points.

That's why a loss would mean Riley's career. Illinois is pretty darn bad this year, I would argue worse than Rutgers in many ways.

 

[Toms Wife]

How many pick-6s have their QBs thrown?

I don't know but their TD/INT ration is way worse than even Lee's. They have 2 TDs and 5 INTs.

 

[xrugger]

If Illinois wins tonight can you put a fork in HCMR?

I'm pretty sure that would be considered a felony.

 

[Hoppa]

It does suck that we are coming off a short week and they are coming off a bye week. Even if Illinois isn't very good I think it still gives them a better chance to win, it certainly makes me more nervous about this game. I don't think it should be an excuse if we lose but is unfortunate.

 

[huskat]

Must wins to keep his job are Illinois, Purdue, and NW. If we beat MN, that will be a mild upset, IMO. The rest I assume are losses. If that plays out like that, I put it 60/40 he's gone.

 

[Toms Wife]

That's why a loss would mean Riley's career. Illinois is pretty darn bad this year, I would argue worse than Rutgers in many ways.

Oh, I think they are far worse than Rutgers. IF Riley simply wants the win, he just needs to follow Tom's game plan from the K-State game in '94 when the Turmanator was the starting qb. We ran Phillips all day long and let Turman throw a a couple of out patterns.

 

[erinp]

Oh, I think they are far worse than Rutgers. IF Riley simply wants the win, he just needs to follow Tom's game plan from the K-State game in '94 when the Turmanator was the starting qb. We ran Phillips all day long and let Turman throw a a couple of out patterns.

even the illinois writers say they are terrible. neb should win by at least 3 TDs.

 

[timnsun]

Oh, I think they are far worse than Rutgers. IF Riley simply wants the win, he just needs to follow Tom's game plan from the K-State game in '94 when the Turmanator was the starting qb. We ran Phillips all day long and let Turman throw a a couple of out patterns.

We don't have Phillips, nor do we have Bryant, not to mention the 1994 Oline.

I agree we need to run more to minimize TL's throwing us into bad situations, but it's gonna be a battle I'm afraid...

 

[petmj1]

if we lose tonight.....MR is gone....and bring in Tom Osborne as interim head coach! j/k

 

[Lincoln100]

I think he's gone at the end of the year, whether or not he is fired.

 

[cHUCK001]

I think that by firing the AD when they did, this is all but a done deal.

 

[Ki113rSk3r69]

It’s funny because last week Rutgers was considered the worst team in the B1G Ten and now this week it’s Illinois? Regardless, Mike loses tonight, it will be just as bad had he lost last week. I can’t see Mike R retaining his job at the end of the year with a loss tonight. We as a program, and he as a coach, need to improve this week with a win. If he loses, in my opinion, it will set us back farther than we already are.