Ron Zook

  1. Illinois vs UCLA: Live Scores, Highlights and Analysis for the Fight Hunger Bowl

    Illinois 20 UCLA 14 FINAL It's a final in San Francisco. Illinois has a big second half to take the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl. Below are all the highlights, analysis and commentary...

    Ryne Hodkowski Written by Ryne Hodkowski about 1 month ago 929 reads 4 comments

  2. Top 5 Candidates for Nebraska's New Defensive Coordinator

    With the imminent hiring of Carl Pelini as the new head coach of Florida Atlantic University, Nebraska will now begin the search for a new defensive coordinator. This marks the second straight year that the Nebraska coaching staff will be shuffled...

    Mike Wehling Written by Mike Wehling about 2 months ago 8,003 reads 20 comments

  3. Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl 2011: Key Matchups for UCLA vs. Illinois

    The Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl has announced its two participants for 2011, and they are the Illinois Fighting Illini and the UCLA Bruins. Each team only has six wins, and each had a very disappointing season...

    Jordan Calfee Written by Jordan Calfee about 2 months ago 1,040 reads 3 comments

  4. Illinois Football: With Zook Fired, Who's Up Next for the Illini?

    Bob Asmussen of The New-Gazette is reporting that Ron Zook has been fired. An official announcement is expected later today. Zook was considered to be on the hot seat entering this season ...

    Jeffrey Bathe Written by Jeffrey Bathe about 3 months ago 2,467 reads 12 comments

  5. Big Ten Facelift: the Leading Candidates to Take over OSU, PSU and Illinois

    The winds of change are fiercely blowing across the Midwest plains this fall. With turmoil on and off the field for Ohio State, the tragic saga playing out in Happy Valley and not ...

    Tom Scurlock Written by Tom Scurlock about 3 months ago 452 reads 4 comments

  6. 12 College Football Coaches Who Get No Respect

    We just witnessed the unceremonious end for legendary college football coach Joe Paterno. For decades he was one of college football's most respected coaches. But not everyone is a Paterno, Bear Bryant or Bo Schembechler...

    Tom Perry Written by Tom Perry about 3 months ago 3,291 reads 20 comments

  7. Illinois vs. Michigan: 5 Keys for the Fighting Illini

    There were few college football games packed with more action last season than the 2010 Illinois vs. Michigan showdown. It was a game in which defense was pretty much non-existent and offense flourished...

    Caileb Feik Written by Caileb Feik about 3 months ago 359 reads 2 comments

  8. Illinois vs Purdue: Fighting Illini Drop Second Straight

    The Illinois Fighting Illini appeared to be on their way to one of the best seasons in school history after six games. Their 6-0 record marked the Illini’s best start since the 1951 squad started 7-0...

    Caileb Feik Written by Caileb Feik about 4 months ago 92 reads 2 comments

  9. Nebraska Football: Could the Huskers Lose to the Minnesota Golden Gophers?

    (Iowa State head coach Paul Rhoads in 2009, celebrating another of Nebraska's inevitable victories. Image originally located here ...

    Patrick Runge Written by Patrick Runge about 4 months ago 1,590 reads 1 comments

  10. Ron Zook and the Most Boneheaded Coaches in College Football

    Ron Zook was beaten today by an Ohio State team that completed only one pass. Not the first time Zook has been out-coached. His Fighting Illini came into the game undefeated and ranked in the Top 20 in the country...

    Alex Callos Written by Alex Callos about 4 months ago 303 reads 0 comments

  11. Andrew Luck's Stanford Cardinal and the 10 Most Overrated Programs in 2011

    In no sport is a schedule more important than in college football. There are only 12 games, and anywhere from three to five of those games are scheduled at the school's discretion...

    Matt Smith Written by Matt Smith about 4 months ago 746 reads 0 comments

  12. Ohio State vs. Illinois: Ron Zook and 4 Other Coach of the Year Candidates

    As the Illinois Fighting Ilini square off against the Ohio State Buckeyes, it's interesting to note the kind of turnaround both teams have had...

    Donovan Lanham Written by Donovan Lanham about 4 months ago 96 reads 0 comments

  13. Ohio State vs. Illinois: Are Fighting Illini Most Underrated Team This Season?

    Throughout his career, Illinois head coach Ron Zook has always seemed to mess things up at some point during the season. This year with the Fighting Illini may actually be the year he gets the job done...

    Randy Chambers Written by Randy Chambers about 4 months ago 224 reads 1 comments

  14. Big Ten Football: 5 Predictions for Rest of the Season

    While Big Ten play is just getting underway, we are starting to get an idea of how the rest of this season will break down and play out...

    Chris Grecco Written by Chris Grecco about 4 months ago 360 reads 0 comments

  15. USA Today College Football Poll Week 7: Illinois Is NOT the 15th Best Team

    Sometimes, you just take what is given to you. For the Illinois Fighting Illini, they will gladly take the No. 15 ranking given to them by the USA Today Poll...

    Jonathan Woo Written by Jonathan Woo about 4 months ago 803 reads 8 comments

  16. Illinois Football: Illini Escape vs Northwestern Despite Mistakes

    Illinois turned the ball over. They looked sluggish early on. They were on the verge of getting blown out in the third quarter. But somehow, someway, they won. After falling behind 28-10 in the third quarter, all seemed lost for the Illini...

    Ryne Hodkowski Written by Ryne Hodkowski about 5 months ago 184 reads 0 comments

  17. Big Ten Football: Illinois vs Northwestern: Who Wins and Why

    In the past, the annual rivalry game between Illinois and Northwestern may have been a snoozer to most people outside the state of Illinois (and unfortunately, some inside the state too)...

    Ryne Hodkowski Written by Ryne Hodkowski about 5 months ago 963 reads 1 comments

  18. 5 Reasons Why Illinois Will Find Themselves in the BCS

    Every year there is at least one of them: a team that comes from major conference obscurity and finds itself in the thick of a conference championship and a BCS bowl...

    Ryne Hodkowski Written by Ryne Hodkowski about 5 months ago 1,163 reads 10 comments

  19. 2011 Big Ten Leaders Division Preview: Badgers, Bucks, and Lions Compete

    After a long off-season where scandals rocked the college football landscape, including in the Big Ten's backyard at Ohio State, football returns this weekend...

    David Fitzgerald II Written by David Fitzgerald II about 6 months ago 222 reads 1 comments

  20. Illinois Fighting Illini Season Preview

    Ron Zook is coming off an impressive Texas Bowl victory over Baylor and the 7-6 season has Orange Crush fans dreaming for bigger things. Zook has had his way for recruiting athletes at running back, defensive line and linebacker...

    Dan Vasta Written by Dan Vasta about 6 months ago 876 reads 1 comments

  21. 2011 Illinois Fighting Illini College Football Predictions

    Illinois capped off the 2010 season with a 38-14 win over Baylor in the Texas Bowl to finish 7-6 overall. The Fighting Illini ended up 4-4 in the Big Ten, but very easily could have been 6-2...

    Jack Jones Written by Jack Jones about 7 months ago 515 reads 1 comments

  22. Illinois Football: The 7 Best Defensive Players on the Squad

    The Illinois Fighting Illini finished 7-6 under Ron Zook in 2011. A major area for improvement is on the defensive side of the ball...

    Ian Hanford Written by Ian Hanford about 8 months ago 647 reads 1 comments

  23. College Football 2011: 11 Reasons Illinois Football Makes 2nd Straight Bowl Game

    The Illinois Fighting Illini were a pleasant surprise in 2010, finishing over .500 and earning a bid to the Texas Bowl where they whooped up on Baylor...

    Joe Iannello Written by Joe Iannello about 8 months ago 628 reads 1 comments

  24. Illinois Football: 5 Worst-Case Scenarios for 2011

    Ron Zook led the Illinois Fighting Illini to a 7-6 finish in the Big Ten last season. A year later, he enters the season minus his best offensive and defensive weapon from a year before...

    Ian Hanford Written by Ian Hanford about 8 months ago 528 reads 1 comments

  25. Illinois Football: 8 Opponents We'd Love to See on Future Schedules

    In 2010, the Illinois Fighting Illini went 7-6. Now in 2011, the Fighting Illini will look to improve on that mark. The bulk of the teams played will be the usual suspects from the Big Ten, while the others will be out of conference teams...

    Ian Hanford Written by Ian Hanford about 8 months ago 311 reads 0 comments