Bret Bielema always knew what Illinois could be
Illinois is 6-1, and the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Next up: A trip to No. 1 Oregon, where the Illini hope history repeats itself.
This fieldstorm felt different. This walk through the Northeast tower sure did, too.
Bret Bielema has coached in big wins before, most notably against No. 1 Ohio State while coaching Wisconsin in 2010. But to beat Michigan, even this Lite version of the Wolverines, and to do it in an environment teeming with history, brought an appreciation that the now 54-year-old head coach couldn’t quite soak in back when he was 40.
“100 percent,” Bielema told The Inside Zone. “I think time changes all of us, right? And my wife literally after the game, she made a conscientious effort to get to me with all those kids around, trying to get my two girls so we could walk to that tower.”
The clip of Bielema, one daughter in hand, the other by his and his wife Jen’s side, went viral among the Illini faithful. The Prophetstown, Ill., native came back to the Land of Lincoln to restore the state’s flagship program, and at 6-1 with a manageable schedule remaining, Illinois could be primed for a 10-win season.
Of course, Illinois looked like a runaway favorite to win the Big Ten West two years ago after a 7-1 start, then let a golden opportunity slip through its fingers by losing three straight games, two of which it was favored in. (The other defeat, ironically enough, was a last-second loss to a Michigan team that ended up winning the Big Ten.)
Of course, a trip to Oregon is on-deck — the newly-anointed No. 1 Ducks — and there is no more Big Ten West to metaphorically hide in.
Conference expansion has brought its own unique challenges, which for Illinois means flying out one day early (Thursday). Bielema has his way of doing things. He says it’s easier to hold firm in Year 16 as a head coach than it was in his younger days, and it’s hard to argue with the results so far.