I entered the University as a freshman in 1964, the last season of Butkus and Co. and graduated from the law school in 1972. During the football season in those years, football Saturdays were what everyone that I knew looked forward to during the entire week. That season turned out to be something of a disappointment, but I was hooked.
In the years that have followed, I have watched Illinois football avidly, through the good years and, unfortunately, those many that have not been so good, indeed, some some that have been abysmal.
I can only claim playing high school football many years ago and I have no grasp of current football theory or tactics. But I know one thing, viewing life from my current vantage point. Successful college coaches somehow understand that, while they may be coaching very large, strong athletes, those athletes are still only 18, 19 or 20, etc. years old young people who are, most often, still immature young people. The best coaches in the game, now or before now, know how to motivate those young people, whether by praise or by discipline or otherwise.
My long-suffering wife (a serious college football fan, but not an Illinois graduate) has learned to live with the realization that, for me, college football weekends are usually affected to some degree by Illinois's football fortunes on Saturday. Immature of me, no doubt, but still the case. I don't think I let an Illinois loss spoil the weekends altogether but you might have to ask her.
I have found a solution for now. I will never watch Illinois lose again; I record the games, note the score after the game and, if we are not successful, delete the recording. Easier on me and definitely easier on my family. I haven't given up, but I don't need the Saturday disappointments.
Many of the posts talk about the unfortunately small home game crowds. As observed by others, there are many reasons for this, I suppose, but I suspect that it has much to do with modern student body culture. Not to sound curmudgeonly, but I have the sad feeling that, with a poor football team, the modern Illinois student body just doesn't identify with these traditions much anymore. That can change.
Go Illini.