New 7th seed helps Bears 8 years too late for Lovie Smith
Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy watches during the first half of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)While Matt Nagy gets to coach Chicago in the playoffs despite a middling 8-8 record that could help save his job, former Bears coach Lovie Smith can only wonder if the extra team in the postseason could have helped him eight years ago. Smithโs Bears teams from the beginning of last decade are near the top of that list. Chicago lost five of six and missed the postseason as the seventh seed with an 8-8 mark. The tough-luck missing playoff team that season was the Giants, who missed out the year before Eli Manning and Co. won their second Super Bowl under coach Tom Coughlin.
Illinois hires Bielema as coach to lift struggling program
Bielema is returning to the Big Ten and his home state to coach Illinois. Illinois hired the former Wisconsin and Arkansas coach, hoping he can turn around a program with nine straight losing seasons. Illinois said Bielema will receive a six-year contract with an annual salary starting at $4.2 million, and begin work immediately. He became the third coach in NCAA history to win 12 games in his rookie season when Wisconsin went 12-1 in 2006. In January, the New York Giants and new head coach Joe Judge hired Bielema as outside linebackers coach and senior assistant.
Illinois fires coach Lovie Smith after 5 seasons
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. โ Illinois fired coach Lovie Smith on Sunday with a game left in its ninth consecutive losing season. Smith became Illinois' first Black head football coach when he was hired by athletic director Josh Whitman in March 2016. The longtime NFL coach went 17-39 in five seasons at the school. Smithโs original deal was for six years and $21 million, but he received a two-year extension through 2023 after Illinois went 4-8 in his third season. The slide continued into this year, with Illinois losing its first three by a combined 117-45 score.
Michigan State football vs. Illinois: Time, TV schedule, game preview, score
EAST LANSING, Mich. Michigan State looks to snap a three-game losing streak when it hosts Big Ten rival Illinois on Saturday. LINE: Michigan State -14.5Illinois' run began with an upset over previously undefeated Wisconsin three weeks ago, and Lovie Smith's team has been cruising since. ABOUT MICHIGAN STATE (4-4, 2-3)The Spartans have been known for their running game for a number of years, but Michigan State is 13th in the Big Ten, averaging 112.9 yards per game on the ground. Michigan State WR Darrell Stewart is second in the Big Ten in receiving yards (694) and third in receptions (47). PREDICTION: Michigan State 24, Illinois 20
Illinois football vs. Rutgers: Time, TV schedule, game preview, score
The Fighting Illini rode the wave of momentum from their thrilling 24-23 upset win over No. LINE: Illinois - 20.5"To put two Big Ten games together like that is big for our program," Illinois coach Lovie Smith told reporters. "I was really happy to see them have the opportunity to go out and celebrate and enjoy a win," Rutgers interim coach Nunzio Campanile told reporters. Isaih Pacheco added 107 rushing yards and two touchdowns while Eddie Lewis and Isaiah Washington each caught the first touchdown passes of their college careers. Fighting Illini LB Dele Harding is ranked fifth nationally in tackles per game (11.8).
Illinois football vs. Purdue: Time, TV schedule, game preview, score
Head coach Lovie Smith of the Illinois Fighting Illini watches as his team takes on the Northwestern Wildcats at Ryan Field on November 24, 2018 in Evanston, Illinois. Northwestern defeated Illinois 24-16. - Illinois pulled off arguably the biggest upset of the college football season last week when the 31-point underdog Fighting Illini rallied to stun No. Illinois will now try to make it two wins in a row when it travels to Purdue on Saturday in the battle for the Cannon Trophy. PREDICTION: Purdue 34, Illinois 24More college football scoresCopyright 2019 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved.
Illinois football vs. Akron: Time, TV schedule, game preview, score
AJ Bush #1 of the Illinois Fighting Illini runs the ball during the game against the Kent State Golden Flashes at Memorial Stadium on September 1, 2018 in Champaign, Illinois. The Illini lost their final game in 2018 to Northwestern to finish the season with six losses in their last seven games. ABOUT AKRON (2018: 4-8)The Zips lost their final five games last season and coach Terry Bowden lost his job after seven years, replaced by Tom Arth of Tennessee-Chattanooga. Illinois finished with a losing record in 14 of the past 17 seasons and hasn't appeared in a bowl game since 2011. PREDICTION: Illinois 31, Akron 21More college football scoresCopyright 2019 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved.