2. Lovie Smith: Illinois – Loser
Losing to Penn State doesn’t set Lovie Smith’s seat ablaze. The Nittany Lions are a great program and won as they were expected to on Friday night. However, it’s a second-straight loss for Illinois and more or less about what could be a big trend coming.
The Fighting Illini picked up two wins to begin the year which got them off on the right foot. Dropping a home game to USF took away an opportunity for Smith to really buy himself some time.
At 2-2, the Fighting Illini could really go either way from here. With just five wins in his first two seasons, it feels like Smith has to coach his guys to a bowl appearance this season if he wants to remain with the program.
Fortunately for him, he has Rutgers on the schedule next. The Scarlet Knights have been getting blown out by every program they face this season and are exactly what the Fighting Illini need to get back on track.
In the event of an upset, Smith might as well pack it in if he loses to Rutgers. The odds of that happening seem very slim though. The beard looks great though.