This is the seventh in a 12-week Friday series looking at the Wisconsin football team's 2013 opponents.
Year 1 of the Tim Beckman era was so bad at Illinois, all parties involved probably wish they could hit the re-set button and pretend it never happened. For those who thought Illinois' six-game losing streak under Ron Zook in 2011 was the program's low point, try a nine-game losing streak in 2012 under Beckman.
Not surprisingly, the statistics bear out just how putrid Illinois was offensively last season. The Illini ranked last in the Big Ten in scoring offense and 119th out of 120 FBS teams nationally (16.7 points per game). They also ranked last in the Big Ten in total offense, first downs, third-down conversions and turnover margin.
Add that up, and it's enough to make Illini fans long for the days of Zook, whose teams reached three bowl games in seven seasons.
Sports Illustrated college football writer Stewart Mandel went so far this week as to proclaim Beckman one of the five worst coaches in college football, noting Beckman had "done little to inspire confidence either on the field or on the recruiting trail with the Illini."
No pressure, right?
Illinois, which finished 2-10 last season and 0-8 in the Big Ten, will have to show some improvement in 2013. Otherwise, don't be surprised if Beckman finds himself out of a job in November. In the world of big-time college football these days, a win-now attitude permeates across the country. And fans will be clamoring for Beckman's ouster with another bottom-of-the-barrel finish.
Realistically, Illinois would do well to win five games this season. But with a Big Ten schedule that includes Nebraska, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Penn State, Ohio State and Northwestern, there will be little margin for error anywhere else.
Personnel: Quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase enters 2013 as one of the most battle-tested signal callers in all of the Big Ten. The senior has been through a rollercoaster career that has included two bowl game appearances, a six-game losing streak and a nine-game losing streak.
Scheelhaase regressed during his junior season in 2012, when he threw for a career-low 1,361 yards with four touchdowns and eight interceptions. During his first two seasons in charge of the Illini offense, he averaged 1,968 yards passing with 15 touchdowns and eight interceptions. But blaming him for Illinois' struggles would be unfair because the players around him hardly stepped up as go-to threats.
This season, Illinois will rely heavily on its backfield. Junior Donovonn Young returns after leading the team in rushing yards (571) and scoring three touchdowns. He also caught a team-best 38 passes for 172 yards and a touchdown.
Josh Ferguson, also a junior, was second on the team in rushing a year ago (312 yards). And sophomore Dami Ayoola could get more touches after scoring a couple touchdowns in limited action as a freshman.
Scheelhaase doesn't have a ton of playmakers to work with, but he'll likely look for receiver Ryan Lankford in bunches. Lankford caught 37 passes for 469 yards and five touchdowns a season ago. Spencer Harris added 21 catches for 252 yards and two touchdowns.
Of course, it will be impossible for Scheelhaase to find his receivers -- or gain any positive yardage -- if he doesn't have more time to throw. Last season, the Illini ranked 111th nationally in sacks allowed (39), which also caused Scheelhaase's rushing statistics to plummet. In his first two seasons, he averaged 746 yards rushing. Last season, he tallied just 303 rushing yards.
On defense, Illinois had better figure out how to keep games close. Of the Illini's 10 losses last season, only one was closer than 14 points.
Defensive end Tim Kynard (18 tackles last season) will be the most experienced player up front. But Illinois will miss Akeem Spence and Michael Buchanan, who combined for 129 tackles and were both selected in the NFL Draft. Linebacker Mason Monheim, a junior, led the team in tackles a season ago (86), so he'll be counted on even more in 2013.
In the secondary, junior Ernest Thomas (69 tackles) likely will start at strong safety. The rest of the secondary, however, is up for grabs. And it's never a good thing to be this unsettled at so many defensive positions in a league as tough as the Big Ten.
Fun fact No. 1: Wisconsin and Illinois have met 79 times over the years, yet the series history is split. The Badgers are 36-36-7 and evened the series last season with a 31-14 victory in Madison. Since 1993, Wisconsin is 12-3-1 in games against Illinois.
Fun fact No. 2: Illinois ranked 11th out of 12 Big Ten teams in scoring defense (32.08 points per game), ahead of only Indiana last season. Nationally, Illinois ranked No. 93 out of 120 FBS teams. The Illini surrendered at least 45 points five times, which included an embarrassing 52-24 loss against Louisiana Tech.
Worst in the state? Based on Sagarin Ratings for the 2012 season, Illinois turned out to be one of the worst college football teams in the state at the FBS or FCS level. The Illini ranked No. 126 in the country, behind Northwestern (21), Northern Illinois (39), Southern Illinois (102), Illinois State (105) and Eastern Illinois (119). Only Western Illinois (191) ranked worse among in-state schools. Ouch.
Prediction: Wisconsin 31, Illinois 14
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