CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Wes Lunts 2013 decision to transfer to Illinois from Oklahoma State was just the kind of news an Illini team coming off a two-win season needed.The strong-armed Illinois native had led his high school to two state titles before heading south and becoming the first freshman to start as the Cowboys quarterback in decades.Three years later, Lunts Illini career has included about as many wins as losses, multiple games lost to injury, two head coaches fired in a swirl of turmoil that had nothing to do with the senior quarterback, and a single bowl game appearance. That is far short of what Lunt had in mind when he came home and leaves a lot undone as he starts his final season at Illinois.You know, I had high expectations coming in, just wanted to make a bowl game every year, Lunt said. And not having that last year is the biggest thing.But Lunt has the faith of his latest coach, Lovie Smith. And Lunt is still very much on the radars of NFL teams.I think he may be one of the most undervalued players in the country this year, said Gil Brandt, the longtime NFL talent guru who ranks him among the top three quarterbacks in the Big Ten. I think the guy can be just as good as (Iowa quarterback) C.J. Beathard. I think that a lot of (scouts) will be finding their way down to Champaign.In a sport often characterized by loud intensity and playing a position where ego and even brash self-confidence are prized, Lunt said his football demeanor has been defined by calm at least since he was in high school in Rochester, a small town just east of Springfield.There, he caught himself yelling on the field at a friend and teammate -- nothing particularly bad, just the players name. But Lunt says that was enough.I was like, `Man, I should not have done that, he said. I do yell, and I think theres a time and place to do it. You know, I dont like to be seen doing it and look like a lunatic or all crazy.His calm has helped at Illinois, where little has gone as planned the past few years.Lunt spent a season the bench after his transfer. The following year, as he had at Oklahoma State, he lost his job after an injury. That was 2014, when Reilly OToole replaced Lunt and led the Illini to a bowl game.Last season, Lunt was again healthy. But what happened off the field was anything but. The head coach, Tim Beckman, was fired a week before the opening game amid allegations of player mistreatment. And his replacement, Bill Cubit, was fired in March to make way for Smith.Hes been through a lot, Smith said of Lunt. Think about playing for four head coaches. He can adjust. We like him being in charge.Smith has made a point of saying hes watched very little film of last seasons Illini. Given the circumstances, he wanted to give players a chance to prove themselves outside of that turmoil.But Smith says he has watched film from Illinois 14-13 comeback win over Nebraska, with Lunt in mind.I saw enough on Wes, really, right there, Smith said.Lunt engineered a pair of fourth-quarter touchdown drives and the Illini were, for a moment, 1-0 in the Big Ten.But Illinois lost six of its next seven. That left Lunt a clear-cut goal for this season, he said. Get to a bowl game.Hell be trying to get there in a new offense that Smith says will lean on the run and with no proven go-to receivers on the roster. But the offense will be closer to the pro-style offenses that Brandt and others think Lunt might someday lead than Illinois has been running.Just where Lunt will be a few years out, whether hell see his name on an NFL roster, the quarterback isnt sure.I dont know, he said. I think a lot of it kind of depends on this year.---Follow David Mercer on Twitter: (at)davidmercerAP Swell Flaska Sverige . Manuel was offered a position the day he was fired. He accepted earlier this week and the team made the announcement Friday. Swell Flaska 500 ml .C. - The Carolina Hurricanes have placed backup goalie Anton Khudobin on injured reserve with an unspecified lower-body injury. http://www.swellbottlesverige.com/ . To the surprise of many, it isnt the Wolverines but their in-state rivals the Michigan State Spartans. Swell Vattenflaska Sverige .com) - Yankee Stadium is the home of the Bronx Bombers, but on Sunday afternoon it will open its gates to host the latest addition of the Hudson River Rivalry. Swell Bottle Marmor .J. Ellis hit two-run homers and the NL West champion Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the San Diego Padres 4-0 Saturday night. New coach Kalani Sitake has one of those good problems at quarterback with two proven signal-callers fighting for the job.Sophomore Tanner Mangum stepped in months after returning from a church mission last season after Taysom Hill went down in the first game and went on to set school freshman records with 3,377 passing yards and 23 touchdowns.Hill, on the other hand, was in the Heisman conversation when he threw for 2,938 yards and rushed for 1,344 with 29 combined touchdowns in 2013. Injuries, however, have ended Hills other three seasons.Now Sitake and Heisman winner turned offensive coordinator Ty Detmer have a decision to make. Stick with the young, strong-armed Mangum and let him continue to grow or hand the reins back to the dual-threat veteran in the final year of his college career.Everyone knows that theyre competing for the spot, Sitake said Its a great example for all the other players that are competing for spots as well.KEY GAMES: BYU enters the season with one of the toughest schedules in the country and every game is key for the independent program. Two losses essentially eliminate the Cougars from the College Football Playoff and leave them in the already-contracted Poinsettia Bowl. BYU has a chance to improve its lot with a New Years Six bowl but likely needs to avoid having more than two losses.The Cougars play six Power 5 schools, including an opening stretch against Arizona, Utah, UCLA and West Virginia. Only UCLA is coming to Provo. BYU also has a challenging October with Michigan State, Mississippi State and Boise State.SWITCCHING UP: Detmer brings a pro-style offense to BYU.dddddddddddd. The quarterback will be under center much more than in the past and there are expectations that the tight end will be more involved. The defense has also been tweaked under Sitake and defensive coordinator Ilaisa Tuiaki with a 4-3 base and the cornerbacks playing more press-man coverage than in the past.GO TIME: There have been high expectations for receiver Nick Kurtz since he arrived as a transfer in 2014. He caught 39 passes for 578 yards and three touchdowns in 2015, but the Cougars want more out of the 6-foot-6, 215-pound Kurtz. Kurtz has worked on his strength and hopes to play better against aggressive, physical cornerbacks.EYES ON THE PRIZE: Running back Jamal Williams is back after taking a year off for personal reasons. The senior is 930 yards shy of breaking Harvey Ungas school rushing record of 3,455 yards, a record Williams openly talks about chasing. He rushed for 1,233 yards as a sophomore and suffered a knee injury in the seventh game of the 2014 season. BYU ranked No. 112 in the nation with an average of 128.31 yards per game last season. Williams should immediately improve that ranking.SEASON OPENER: BYU kicks off the season Sept. 3 against Arizona at a technically neutral site, University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona -- the home of the Arizona Cardinals. Glendale is just under 130 miles from the Wildcats campus.PREDICTION: 6-6 ' ' '