Bill Cubit didn’t dance around the issue.

He was asked a question and he answered honestly.

Following Illinois’ 28-3 loss to No. 3 Ohio State on Saturday, the interim Illini coach was asked about whether or not the university should shed his interim tag at season’s end.

He made his case:

Cubit took over the program following Tim Beckman’s firing a week before the start of the season. On Monday, Illinois athletic director Mike Thomas was fired following the release of player abuse reports.

In a time of uncertainty, Cubit cited the fact that’s he’s provided stability. It’s hard to argue with that. Cubit was one of the few guys that came out of the Franczek Radelet report clean.

Cubit also referenced the increasing attendance, as shown by the 51,000 fans that showed up for Saturday’s game against the defending champs.

Illinois will have a chance to clinch bowl eligibility with a win at Minnesota next week. Cubit would certainly further boost his case by locking up a bowl in a season of complete turmoil.