But man, they lost a TON on defense and I’m not really sure why we’d expect their offense to be any good.
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Everybody is searching for "this year's Indiana," and they're all pointing at Illinois. It's not quite the same situation; Indiana went 3-9 in 2023 and had a first-year coach in Curt Cignetti. Illinois is coming off a 10-win season, and Bret Bielema will be in his fifth year leading the Illini. But that team that won 10 games last year has damn near everybody back and a manageable schedule. So, while Illinois can't be Indiana because people will see it coming if they reach the College Football Playoff, that doesn't mean Illinois can't make a playoff push. (+3500)