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Once upon a time, Illinois was in the Rose Bowl and on the cusp of becoming a Big 10 power. Seven and a half years later, the story is quite different for the Fighting Illini. Though the team has certainly improved record wise under head coach Tim Beckman, the program is still far behind what the athletic department envisioned three years into his tenure. Entering his fourth season, 2015 should be Beckman’s final chance to prove his worth.
Inconsistency and struggle are the most appropriate adjectives to use when describing the Beckman era at Illinois. The Illini have only 12 wins in the last three seasons, with low points including a 20-game conference losing streak and an inept performance most recently in the Heart of Dallas Bowl.
With three consecutive seasons under 500, Beckman has finally run out of excuses. It is now time for Beckman to deliver a winning season punctuated with a bowl victory, or else say farewell to Champaign.
Outside of the inconsistency and constant struggle in the win-loss category, the Illini have chronically underperformed on both sides of the ball under Beckman. The biggest struggle for Illinois the last two seasons has been the performance by the defense. The team ranked second to last and last in total defense in 2013 and 2014 respectively.
The incredibly porous Illinois defense over the last two seasons has had a penchant for blowout losses against the upper echelon of the Big 10. Notable blowout losses during the Beckman era include a 45-point shutout loss to Michigan in 2012, a 42-point loss to Michigan State in 2013 and a 41-point loss to Ohio State, in 2014. Needless to say, the worrying trend of getting blown out has not corrected itself over the last three seasons and will likely continue in 2015.
Though the defensive struggles can be just as easily pinned on defensive coordinator Tim Banks, they nonetheless reflect negatively on Beckman’s tenure as head coach.
Illinois has fared relatively better offensively, especially starting in Beckman’s second season following the hiring of Bill Cubit as offensive coordinator. That said, the improvement is still not enough to ensure that Beckman’s job will be safe after this upcoming season. The team ranked as high as eighth in scoring offense and fifth in total offense in 2013.
Though players such as Josh Ferguson and Steve Hull had strong seasons in 2013 and Mike Dudek emerged as the wide receiver of the future last season, productive campaigns from various offensive players have yet to manifest in a consistent offensive attack for the Illini. Having a few players break out is not enough to redeem Beckman from all of his other struggles in his three seasons thus far.
Adding extra heat to the seat that is only getting increasingly hotter for Beckman were a series of Twitter allegations from former players last month alleging mistreatment by Beckman. The athletic department has since announced an internal investigation regarding the claims. Though it remains to be seen what comes of these allegations, this potential controversy does not serve to benefit Beckman’s case to remain the long-term option at head coach for Illinois.
With touted transfer Wes Lunt entering his second season with the team, Beckman has enough tools to improve on 2014’s win total of six. The ability of Beckman to transform Lunt’s physical strengths into a strong season under center will go a long way in deciding his future with the team.
2015 is going to be a year in which Illinois football gets a better idea of its future, and the success or failure of the 2015 edition of the Illini will be an important piece of that puzzle. Whatever that future is, this upcoming season should decide if Beckman is part of it or not.
Dan Escalona is a Big 10 Football Beat Writer for www.RantSports.com. You can follow him on Twitter @danescalona77.
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