After starting the 2021 College Football season with a 30-22 home win over Nebraska, Illinois has since accounted for an overall record 1-5. Illinois is currently 2-5 as the blame for a disappointing season is being shifted around.

First-year head coach Bret Bielema is not afraid to point out publicly what he sees with the Illini. Bielema had this to say about the lack of productivity from his team:

“As a head coach, you’re only as good as your roster. I kind of learned that the first time I went to the Kentucky Derby, right? No one was betting on the jockeys, everyone was betting on the horses,” Bielema explained. “To win the Derby, you’ve gotta have the right horse…as this roster continues to transition, I’ve got to make tough decisions.”

Bielema continued to talk about the ineffective play along the offensive line:

“Particularly on the offensive line, I don’t believe we have a player in the 2-deep that they’ve recruited here over the last 3 years that is really significantly doing anything for us in the playing department, that’s a major concern,” said Bielema.

Regardless of where things are at, Bielema is at the helm and will ultimately be the one responsible for whether or not things get turned around in Champaign. It will be interesting to see if he is able to use the transfer portal to help turn things around quickly for 2022 and beyond.