College football: Predicting the last place team from every conference

College football: Predicting who finishes in last place of every conference

CHICAGO, IL - JULY 24: Illinois Football head coach Lovie Smith speaks to the media during the Big Ten Football Media Days event on July 24, 2018 at the Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

4 of 12

CHAMPAIGN, IL – NOVEMBER 25: Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Lovie Smith looks on during the game between the Illinois Fighting Illini and the Northwestern Wildcats on November 25, 2017 at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Big Ten: Illinois

Lovie Smith could be coaching for his job in 2018 after suffering back-to-back losing seasons at Illinois and struggling to win in the Big Ten.

Lovie Smith is on the hot seat for 2018. When it comes to making the transition from the NFL to college, some coaches struggle with the recruiting process. Smith is becoming another statistic. While the third-year promised at Big Ten Media Day results will come, he needs to follow through or he may be out of a job.

In Smith’s first two seasons, the Illini have only won five games, two in conference play. The team fell hard last year, going winless in Big Ten Play. Illinois struggled statistically, finishing second to last in the conference in total offense and third to last in total defense.

The passing game struggled mightily in 2017 and to make matters worse, the team’s two best quarterbacks are gone. Jeff George Jr. led the way with 1,273 yards and seven touchdowns but announced after the season he will transfer to Michigan as a graduate student. Chayce Crouch is gone too, abruptly announcing his decision to quit football with one year of eligibility left. That leaves sophomore Cam Thomas as the only quarterback left on the roster who attempted a pass last season. With a new quarterback in a tough conference, it does not too promising for Coach Smith.

Fortunately, the team will retain some offensive and defensive leaders. Leading rusher Mike Epstein and receiver Ricky Smalling will both be returning after strong true freshmen seasons. Linebacker Del’Shawn Phillips is also returning, fresh off leading the team in tackles with 85, well enough for eighth in the conference. While retaining young talent is refreshing, the question remains if it will be enough to prevent Illinois from falling into the Big Ten cellar again.

While Illinois could start the season 2-0 with winnable non-conference games against Kent State and Western Illinois, the schedule only gets tougher from there. Including South Florida, the team faces six teams who went to a bowl game last year. While one to two conference wins seem possible, it may not be enough to keep Smith in the orange and blue.