Moderator: Welcome back. I'll get started in a few minutes, so get your questions in.

Headed to Evanston this afternoon for what I think will be a 31-17 Northwestern win.

Some programming notes:

-The N-G's 27th All-State Volleyball team is up at news-gazette.com - Chatham Glenwood's Hannah Werth is our Player of the Year. Her older brother plays for the Phillies

- Our live report from Evanston starts at 12:30 p.m. Saturday. Maybe we'll know by then if Locksley is headed to Clemson

- Klee had Illinois beating Vanderbilt in his preview. He's driving back from Nashville as I type, so if you have questions I can get them to him.,

Be back in a few.

Bob, Champaign, IL: Jim,

A two part question for you.

1) Why does the N-G not send Tony to cover all the womens games? Is it not feasible?

2) If Coach Law could make them one of the better programs, would the N-G send him to all the games than?

Moderator: Bob

Great questions.

Travel budgets aren't getting any bigger at the N-G, but I will tell you we throw more resources at UI women's basketball than anyone else. For example, Tony Bleill was one lonely reporter at last week's opener in Fort Wayne.

Now, to your two-parter:

1. Tony won't be going to Cancun, Myrtle Beach and faraway Big Ten sites like Penn State and Minnesota. Otherwise, we'll probably have him at every other game. That's what a company car is for.

2. If Law gets the program to the point it was during the early parts of the Grentz era, we will try to get everywhere. I can remember a few weeks before the '99 game at UConn, our executive editor John Beck asked me if we were sending Bleill to cover the game. I said no, assuming we wouldn't spend so much money to send him so far. But Beck said do it, and Bleill covered the 100-79 loss. But women's basketball was much more popular at Illinois at that time.

And I have to admit, if Law keeps her players off limits to the media (she's not letting her freshmen speak to Bleill this season) that will help determine whether we go the extra mile. Accessability is a huge factor, and I hope Law understands that. Especially with so much talent on the way.

Hope that helps

Jim

Dave C., Champaign, IL.: Jim,

I see that Kraig Appleton's interest in the Illini has been downgraded by Scout.com from soft commit to Medium interest. Do You know what's going on there? How about giving Jeremy Werner a chat to anawer all the recruiting questioins? Bob, Loren and others seems to dislike making predictions which is of course what we fans want. Jeremy could scour the recruiting websites and give us consensus opinoins on the way recruits are leaning as well as respond to the many nuances of recruiting which has become a big niche area of interest.

Moderator: Dave

Great idea lining up a chat with Jeremy Werner. He's going a great job with his weekday recruiting blog (he's got an update on Hayden Hoerdemann today) and has a bright future ahead. He'll be graduating from Illinois one of these days, do you know of anyone hiring?

As far as Appleton, I'm still convinced he'll announce for Illinois during the U.S. Army All-American game in early January. NBC wants stars to announce thn to boost ratings.

Asmussen was at East St. Louis late last week to work on a story about Terry Hawthorne. He didn't get to talk to Appleton but had long discussions with his coach, Darren Sunkett, about his recruitment. The coach didn't shed much light but didn't discount my theory on the all-star game announcement.

By the way, Bob loves making predictions, most of which are wrong. Just don't ask Loren to predict an Illini outcome.

Ed, Palatine, IL: If Zook did improve his in-game performance and was tempted by another job offer either in the NFL or somewhere in college it would be an ideal situation. The colleges that can hold a coach who has an NFL offer number maybe two or three on an annual basis, and they tend to rotate. Illinois isn't one of those schools today. Zook doesn't have a Bill Self-like "calling me home" situation: no school in the SEC will have the combination of money and distance from Florida to satisfy that condition, and Ohio isn’t a likely destination either. I don’t know who might offer the new and improved Ron Zook, but I’m sure someone would. But if he did go Illinois would be hiring from a solid foundation. That’s certainly preferable to the scenario that would present itself if Zook failed to improve on his gameday results.

Zook was quoted earlier this week talking about football being a “production business”. He knows that he needs to produce. Simpleminded clock management that causes a high school coach to grind his teeth won’t get it done. Bullheaded insistence that he knows more about special teams than anyone else and the rest of the world will soon copy his offset line of scrimmage for PAT’s won’t get it done either. I doubt he will change willingly. Guenther needs to set him straight or set him loose.

It’s only partially true that “the bottom line is that he’s pretty hirable if he starts to make better in-game decisions”. The rest of that truism needs to be enunciated: that he’s definitely fire-able unless he starts to show us better gameday performance.

Question: if we don’t get the job done in Evanston Saturday, will Guenther sit Zook down on Monday? I well remember the Mike Cassity ten day delay. Repeating that timeline would be unacceptable. If staff changes need to be made-and if we aren’t bowling, I DO think changes need to be made-they need to be made on a timely basis.

Moderator: Ed

Good to hear from a loyal chatter.

I don't think Illinois will win Saturday. I also don't think Guenther will have any mandates for Zook when the two meet after the season.

As far as a timetable for changes, this is what I know:

-Locksley likely would take an assistant or two if he gets the Clemson job or any other job.

-Other changes likely won't be announced until much later, perhaps after the team banquet (it's Dec. 13). That gives the coaches who will be leaving time to find another job.

-If Zook makes changes, he might not have his additions in place until mid-January. That still allows a month until signing day.

As Tate wrote Thursday, Zook isn't on a hot seat of any kind, even if Illinois doesn't make a bowl game. I realize that might not sit well with frustrated fans.

Jim

Chris Roberts, Mahomet, iL.: Hi Jim,

I really enjoy college basketball

but after seeing the score of the

Texas Tech/East Central Okl. game

there needs to be something done

about lopsided games like this. I

would like to see a running clock

in the 2nd half when a team is

running away with it. What is your

take on this situation? I don't think

anything will be done but just wanted

to throw it your way. I really enjoy

the work you do, have a great

Thanksgiving.

Moderator: Chris

Not a bad idea. Kinda like the IHSA does in football.

These type of scores are going to happen when BCS schools schedule NAIA schools. I played a season at NAIA Concordia (Austin) and six Division I schools had us on their schedule. Now, we didn't give up 167 but schools like Baylor did put a hurtin' on us.

East Central is a bad NAIA program. I'm thinking Texas Tech had no choice but to score so many points, even with their scrubs playing big minutes.

Best way to avoid routs like this, in my mind, is to schedule better. Because a running clock isn't going to happen.

Wonder what Pat's dad thought about the score?

Thanks

Jim

Tom, bloomington, IL: What is your outlook for 2009 for Illinois Football? Will this team bounce back and have chance for 8 or more wins?

Also, scheduling. Is there input from Zook and others about football scheduling? We should ALWAYS have 7 home games.

Moderator: Tom

Excellent timing on the question. For the cover of Saturday's N-G (and on HQ later today) we had Asmussen break down the Illini in '09 in four categories: schedule, coaches, recruiting, players. It's interesting stuff, so be sure to take a look at it.

I wrote today Illinois has a chance to contend for a Big Ten title in '09. Purdue and Michigan State replace Iowa and Wisconsin on the schedule, Penn State and Ohio State get hit hard by graduation/NFL and Illinois returns a whole bunch of starters.

Bad news for Big Ten fans: the league is going to be down again. Which is good news for Illinois fans.

Tom, bloomington, IL: What are your projections for Illinois basketball? That was a great win last night and while the team still has weaknesses they seemed to play with a greater sense of urgency.

You were spot on back in October after the Minnesota loss that Illinois would end up at 5-7. You also forecast a loss tomorrow. Turnovers aside, what is this team missing? Why do they struggle?

Moderator: Tom

Any chance Bloomington Central Catholic makes it to Memorial Stadium? Strange not to see Bloomington or Normal Community not in the semifinals.

I'm surprised Illinois won at Vandy. That performance tells me a perfect nonconference run isn't out of the question, although winning two in South Padre will be a challenge.

Let's not forget Alex Legion is eligible in nine games.

How about the Big Ten, by the way? Michigan looks like it bought into its new system. That 1-3-1 zone is going to give a lot of teams fits.

To your football question, I'm big into chemistry, and Illinois seems to have a bad mix this season. I jokingly blamed it on The Journey for my 5-7 argument last month, but maybe I'm right. Maybe success did them in? Maybe it's all off the field stuff, of which we'll detail in our season wrapup? Maybe it's history playing out, like Loren Tate often points out? Only Indiana has gone longer without back-to-back bowls.

Thanks

Jim, Urbana, IL: Hey Jim! Great game last night! Maybe we should move the benches at the Assembly Hall to the end of the floor too?

Since our last football game this year is tomorrow, don't you find it amazing we haven't released next year's football schedule yet? Are they (Guenther) still licking their wounds from the Western Michigan debacle?

As I see it we still have open dates on August 29 (before Missouri in St. Louis), September 19 (before the Big Ten opener at Columbus) or November 28 (after hosting Fresno State--coincidentally when the IHSA state finals are at Memorial Stadium so road trip [or heaven forbid another Thanksgiving home game?] here we come).

The only date that makes sense is the August 29 date, but stranger things (road trip to Detroit two weeks ago) have happened. Can you enlighten some of us that may have a significant investment ($, passion, and otherwise) in this program PLEASE?

Why in the world is Illinois the only team in the Big Ten with six home games-newly renovated stadium and all?

Moderator: Jim

Here's what we're hearing: Illinois will play Cincinnati on Nov. 28. The Bearcats probably are going to be in a BCS game as Big East champs (bad news for Illinois) and then lose its coach to a better program (good news for Illinois?)

You want an off week Sept. 19 to rest up for a tough Big Ten-opening stretch (Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan State).

The six home games remains one of the bigger mysteries on campus. Not to mention in the suites, where big money has been paid to enjoy as many home games as possible.

Moderator: Thanks for the question. Check back throughout the weekend for the latest football/basketball news.

Jim