Lovie Smith just saved his job with Illinois upsetting Wisconsin

Lovie Smith can sit down comfortably now knowing his seat isn’t as hot as it was before upsetting Wisconsin.

Illinois pulled off the biggest upset in college football this year with a stunning 24-23 win over No. 6 Wisconsin with a last-second field goal. The win is the first signature win for head coach Lovie Smith who desperately needed it to get off the hot seat.

The hot seat rumors have circulated around Smith for the better part of the last year or two as Illinois has had a difficult time gaining traction in the Big Ten. Smith managed only nine wins in his first three years in Champaign, including only four wins in the Big Ten.

There were many who wondered if the game had passed him by. Could his Cover-2 defense still work? Could it even work in college football? Could it work with the level of recruit Illinois had?

All those questions were valid but they’ll be put on the back burner for the time being as Illinois football players, coaches and fans can take the rest of the weekend to celebrate and bask in the glory of the massive upset win over the previously undefeated Badgers.

One win against Wisconsin doesn’t cure everything that’s been going on in Champaign, but it does help mask the scent of the stench emanating from the program for the better part of the last decade. There just hasn’t been much to cheer for as an Illini fan. Now, they can celebrate a big homecoming win against a traditional Big Ten power.

The win marked the first over a ranked Big Ten opponent for Illinois since 2007. It’s 2019. That’s a long time between wins over ranked Big Ten opponents, especially when you’re likely facing three-five or so every year.

It’s been a slow rebuild for Smith at Illinois but last year’s recruiting class gave some hope that maybe things are moving in the right direction. It’s still a long way to go, but Illinois should be a little more patient with Smith and give him the rest of the year to evaluate his players and coaching staff and go into the 2020 season needing to get to a bowl game and six-seven wins.

Baby steps. But if Illinois can do that, or even do that this year, it should quiet the hot seat talk surrounding Smith.

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