Now, what’s the yardstick to measure a head coach’s success? A ticket to the college football playoffs. Normally, the first two years are considered a dead period for the head coaches to prove themselves. For the Illinois Fighting Illini head coach, Bret Bielema , the final bell has rung since he took the head coaching seat in the 2021 season. But can Bielema be blamed? After all, since the inception of the playoffs in 2014, Illinois has not yet punched the playoff ticket. Forget making it to the playoffs, wrapping up a back-to-back eight-plus-win season has now become history. Now, in case Bielema is thinking of writing a success story in 2025, here comes a verdict from a college football analyst.

Illinois football experienced a big glow-up under Bielema. From being at the bottom of th

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