Illinois Football: The Secret Behind Its Struggles in the Big Ten

Illinois Football.

It's rare to find two words that can have such different meanings for the various audiences who hear them.

In Champaign, those words conjure up feelings of extreme frustration, heartache, hope, disappointment and confusion. 

In a place like Happy Valley, PA, Penn State fans look on those words with a slight grin, and reminisce on their 15-4 all-time record against the Illini, or on Joe Paterno's final and 409th win in 2011.

Even in Columbus, Ohio, feelings drastically differ. Hearing those words might make a Buckeye fan yawn in boredom over the prestige-less Illibuck rivalry trophy that the two teams play for. Or it might remind them of one of the few bright spots in Illinois' football history—the upset over No. 1-ranked Ohio St. in the Horseshoe in 2007.

Fortunately for Buckeye fans, that loss didn't affect their team's ability to make it to the national championship game—so it's really just viewed as an insignificant stain on an otherwise impressive season.

Indiana doesn't even seem to care enough to show up for football games (Illinois won 41-20 this year). They must be too preoccupied waiting for basketball season.

The Big Ten as a whole sees Illinois' football team as a constant bottom dweller. The team's finishes in the Big Ten standings over the past decade have been as follows:

'00-Ninth

'01-First

'02-Fifth

'03-Last 

'04-10th

'05-Last

'06-10th

'07-Second

'08-Sixth

'09-Ninth

But there is a question that resonates throughout all of this inconsistency. Why can Illinois never seem to get over that hump and perform as they are supposed to perform year in and year out?

When the team is supposed to lose...they win. And when they finally have something good going, they always seem to fall apart and lose. 

It hasn't been a lack of talent.

Ron Zook managed to bring in multiple Top 25 recruiting classes early on in his career at Illinois.

The school sent numerous players to the NFL in that time, many going in the first couple rounds of the draft.

Maybe it's been coaching?

Although many of Illinois' past struggles could be attributed to an inept leadership core, head coaches have come and gone, but the problems have remained consistent. So the coaching staffs cannot simply be the primary parties at fault.

So maybe it is university leadership. What if the athletic director and president have not taken the steps necessary to promote the program and spin it in a positive light to alumni and recruits?

No, that can't be the answer. Millions have been spent on renovating Memorial Stadium and on advertising campaigns to help with the program's image. The old AD is gone and a newer, bolder one has taken his place, but the team still managed to free-fall in the second half of its season.

I propose an answer that won't sit well with many of us in Illini Nation.

Yes my fellow Illini supporters, I believe the that issue lies with us, the fans.

We have grown so used to mediocre play that we view each and every season as another painful reminder of our inability to produce on the gridiron. As a result, I have seen fans grow more and more tepid in their support of the Orange and Blue. We all know what it feels like to turn off the TV in the third quarter, saying "here we go again" when Illinois goes down three scores.

We have breed an atmosphere losing.

As fans, we have accepted that Illinois will forever remain mediocre, and I believe that that idea is the web that is holding the program back.

Unfortunately, that attitude is contagious. It spills over to the fans, to the administration, to the coaching staff and even the players. They all know that the fan support is so fickle that even one sign of faltering will break the spirit of the people in the stands, and ultimately, the spirit of those kids in the helmets and shoulder pads.    

Until we as a fanbase step up and begin to keep the faith in the good times—and, more importantly, in the bad—the program will continue to struggle.

There is no time better than now to begin to change our mindset regarding this team. Have faith in this new, high-energy coach. Have faith in the arms and legs of Nathan Scheelhaase. And please, have faith that this fanbase can change the fortunes of its team by changing itself.

If Illini Nation can do that, I assure you that there will be consistently brighter days on the horizon.