The state of Illinois football has long been declared a disaster area. FEMA will be sending aid soon to clean up the wreckage created my Superstorm Tim Beckman. Actually, the true creator of this mess is Athletic Director Mike Thomas, but that’s another column for another time. Clearly, Beckman is in way over his head, and Thomas had no clue what he was doing when he hired him.

I’ve seen NFL mock drafts with four Illini defenders being taken in the first three rounds. And what has Beckman been able to do with that talent on defense? 31.5 ppg against. second to last in the Big Ten.

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Tim Beckman isn’t the only reason the Illinois Fighting Illini are completely atrocious this season. Sure, he’s the main reason; as he’s clearly over-matched every week and in over his head.

However, the main driving force behind the Illini being awful is the complete ineptitude of the offensive line. More than halfway through the season, the Illini are dead last in the Big Ten (and a very weak Big Ten at that) in rushing yards per game and also dead last in sacks allowed. They can’t open holes nor can they protect the quarterback.

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The Illinois Fighting Illini are 2-3, but those two wins came courtesy of a MAC and FCS team. They’ve been absolutely destroyed by every FBS team they’ve faced this season, even getting routed at home by a non power conference team in Louisiana Tech. In their three losses, the Illini have surrendered an average of 44 ppg.

Yesterday, Illinois, not Penn State looked like the team on sanctions with nothing to play for. The Nittany Lions didn’t gain many more yards than Illinois, but they didn’t make all the mistakes that the Illini did. PSU can’t go to a bowl, but looked like a bowl team. Illinois looks like 3-9, 4-8 at best. Considering that Illinois still has talent on the roster how did this happen?

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University of Illinois Director of Athletics Mike Thomas announced that the Fighting Illini will play the Washington Huskies at Soldier Field in Chicago on Sept. 14, 2013. It will mark Illinois’ second game at the historic home of the Chicago Bears.

“This is a great opportunity for our football team to play in one of the most historic football venues in the nation,” Thomas said. “Soldier Field is in an incredible location that will allow our fans in the Chicagoland area and from around the state an opportunity to watch the Fighting Illini take on an outstanding Pac-12 opponent in Washington.”

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