Bret Bielema struck with Luke Altmyer Reality Check while Lincoln Riley learns the verdict of week 5 surprising

Saturday will be huge for university football fans in Champaign. The n ° 23 Illinois (3-1, 0-1 in Big Ten) hosts N ° 21 USC (4-0, 2-0 in Big Ten) in a highly anticipated top 25. For Lincoln Riley, It is a chance to prove that Trojan horses are more frightening without Caleb Williams that they were never with him. And during Bret BielemaIt is a game that defines if its illini fights are real contenders for the university football playoffs. But there is a suspended cloud on the most important room in Illinois – Luke Altmyer.

In the last episode of Josh Pate university football show On September 25, the national analyst struck directly to the point. “This is what concerns me, and here is why I will put a 6.5 on the concern for alerts upset here, but not higher,” he said. “The performance of Luke Altmyer as a quarter-back there for Illinois against better teams-it does not adapt.”

It is a verification of reality that Illini fans could hate hearing but cannot ignore. Luke Altmyer is a senior Redsirt who launched 4,884 yards, accumulated 41 affected since last year and led the Illinois to a 16-7 file. “”He has good figures, okay? 70% Guy completion, nine affected, no choice in the air. That’s not it, “added Josh Pate.” It’s just that I’m very worried, as if I was last week, it turns out that the other guy can score. Okay, last week, it was Fernando Mendoza. It was Indiana. But this week, it’s going to be Jayden Maiiva and the USC team.

Luke Altmyer ranks 15th at the national level in terms of passage efficiency (171.15) and was impeccable in protecting the ball. He is one of three quarters of big ten with nine affected or more and zero interceptions, a group that includes Fernando Mendoza and Jayden Maiava of the USC. It was also stable to move the chains. During four games, the Illini QB finished 70 assists, including 15 for more than 15 yards and seven extending beyond 25. The problem is that Illinois is still only 57th in the FBS for explosive games.

And although the defense of the USC has experienced secondary difficulties, allowing nine 20 yards of more than 20 yards already in the Big Ten game, they maintain with take-out dishes. Against Purdue, they looked at 357 yards but stole three possessions. This compromise opens the way to a classic dilemma. Can Illinois avoid mistakes while creating the big games necessary to keep the pace? Which brings us directly to the other key line, where Lincoln Riley discreetly discovered a QB that looks tailor -made for its system.

Lincoln Riley finds confidence in Jayden Maiava and Co.

Lincoln Riley has never been shy with the hyperbole, but what he said to Times makes you think. “Leadership and the atmosphere,” he said, “are similar. But it’s a more talented and more competent football team at the moment. By a fairly important margin,” he said. Jayden Maiava is why. With 1,223 yards by the pass, nine affected and no interception through four games, the second year student plays as if he was tailor -made for the Trojans offensive. “I made it very clear how much it is better suited to Lincoln than Caleb Williams,” said Josh Pate.

Throw Waymond Jordan And Eli Sanders As a field of thunder and lighting back-champ, and USC suddenly seems balanced in a way that the heroism of Caleb Williams has never authorized. This does not mean that Illinois enters a slaughter. The defense of Illini, even after the Indiana surrounded him with 312 yards on the ground last week, still presents itself as one of the most difficult fronts of the Big Ten. Most of these projects have arrived late, when the defense was gassed from the failures of its own offense. If the group of Bret Bielema can bottle the USC floor game and force Jayden Maiava to obvious passes, there is a chance.

Saturday is therefore a referendum on the question of whether the Illinois of Bret Bielema is capable of entering the best level of Big Ten. On the question of whether Luke Altmyer can rewrite the story on his ceiling. And on if Lincoln Riley’s daring conversation is more than California smoke.