Illini Inquirer Podcast Ep. 891 | How Illinois football finishes season strong
Brad Underwood’s brad underwood sitting with his head in his hands
Illinois hasn’t had a football season this bad since 1997, when Lou Tepper chucked three head coaches at the wall to see if one would stick. So far, three assistant coaches have been fired. We discuss how a program that has won at least six games in each of Lovie Smith’s first four seasons could possibly suffer a historic collapse and what it would take to salvage something positive from the final four games of the season.Can Illinois finish 6-6 and become bowl eligible?
This was the goal entering the season. Now it’s a pipe dream. But there’s still a mathematical chance, however slim. Illinois has to win four straight to finish 6-6 and become bowl eligible. That includes road games at Purdue and Nebraska, where Illinois hasn’t won since 2007 and 2014, respectively.The Illini have a five-game losing streak and haven’t won since Sept. 17 at Chattanooga. They’ve been outscored 138-42 in those five losses. So, it’s not just that Illinois is 3-6. It’s that they’re playing their worst football of the season right now.
Illinois has been outgained by an average of 125 yards per game during its five-game losing streak. They’ve also lost the turnover battle by a margin of 10-2. Those are two big reasons why they’re 0-5 in that stretch.
The Illini have a lot of problems to fix. They need to find a way to generate more offense, and they need to stop turning the ball over. They also need to play better defense. But if they can do those things, they have a chance to win four straight games and become bowl eligible.
What are the chances of Illinois winning four straight games?
The chances are slim, but they’re not zero. Illinois has a lot of talent on its roster, and they’ve shown flashes of being a good team at times this season. But they’ve also shown a tendency to beat themselves.If Illinois can clean up its mistakes and play to its potential, they have a chance to win four straight games and become bowl eligible. But it’s going to be a tough task.
The Illini have a tough schedule remaining, with games against Purdue, Nebraska, Michigan State, and Northwestern. But they’ve shown that they can compete with anyone in the Big Ten. So, it’s not impossible for them to win four straight games and become bowl eligible.
What would it mean for Illinois football to finish the season strong?
It would be a major accomplishment for Illinois football to finish the season strong. It would show that the Illini are making progress under Lovie Smith. It would also give the Illini a chance to build some momentum heading into next season.Finishing the season strong would be a big step in the right direction for Illinois football. It would show that the Illini are capable of competing in the Big Ten. It would also give the Illini a chance to build some momentum heading into next season.
The Illini have a tough road ahead of them, but they have a chance to finish the season strong. If they can do that, it would be a major accomplishment for Lovie Smith and his program.
