For obvious reasons, there will be no Illini football brutally honest preview this week. They are 33 point underdogs to the #3 Ohio State Buckeyes, so no one and I mean no one wants to read an Illini football game preview right now. But here’s my prediction only so I can get it out of the way: OSU 77, Illini 0. No wait, it’s at home, so let me revise that:
Ohio St. 63, Illinois 14.
Anyways, when it comes to Illini football, the only thing people want to read nowadays is “Tim Beckman fired” or “Will Tim Beckman get fired?”
Sorry, no. He’s back for a third year whether you want him back or not. Whether you want to believe it or not. Illini football Master of Ceremonies asked Beckman to show progress and he has. Mr. WINT has put a better product out there for consumption than he did in 2012. The 2013 team is better than last year. They have a very good chance at being 4-8, and a decent chance of finishing 5-7.
#WINT
Bear in mind, this would be pretty awful, as far as 4-8 teams go. And they would be among some of the worst 5-7 teams in college football history, should they finish 5-7. Which sounds mediocre. That’s a couple game-turning plays away from a bowl!!!!
Well, everyone goes to a bowl just like everyone goes to the prom. Your date may be hideously ugly and/or awkward, but damnit you’re going!
Anyways, #WINT has shown tremendous improvement on one side of the ball, while regressing on the other side of the ball. The 2012 was just beyond terrible at everything. This unit is only beyond terrible on defense (worse than last year), mediocre on special teams and pretty good on offense. They’re actually good on one side of the ball! They actually beat a High-Major program #Cincinnati who are going to a decent bowl game probably #Cincy #Progress. 2012 did not accomplish that. Last year’s team went 2-10, this team started 3-1 #progress before losing seven straight (yes, I’ve already chalked up Saturday as an L) and extending the Big Ten losing streak to 17 games.
The last time Illini football won a league game was 10-8-11 at Indiana. “Grenade” by Bruno Mars was the #1 song in the country. Yes, Illini football is as good at winning league games and playing defense as Katy Perry is at music. It’s not Beckman who will likely lose his job, it’s Defensive Coordinator Tim Banks. The surname Banks means “one who lives near a river embankment.” In his case it means, “one who cannot coordinate a defense.” All but two Illini football opponents have scored 34+ points. You’ve had multiple games where the unit has given up 600+ yards and 50+ points.
So even though the defense has declined severely, the offense has done a 180. And the special teams has improved. So it’s a net positive. It doesn’t feel like a year of progress for Illini football, but it really is.
Catch me Fridays at 7:30 AM Central talking Bears for WAOR Michiana, NBC Sports Radio and Tuesdays at 10:30 AM Central talking Illini and Northwestern for KOZN Omaha, Fox Sports Radio
Paul M. Banks is the owner of The Sports Bank.net, an affiliate of Fox Sports. He’s also an analyst for multiple news talk radio stations across the nation. Follow him on Twitter (@paulmbanks) and RSS