Not the original poster, but I don’t think losing next 2 will lead to Lovie’s departure. The Wisky game was a bad, no excuse watch, but the next two Illini we’re undermanned, playing 4th string QB. Get second stringer back and squeak by Rutgers, and then pretty much have full team and have big win against Neb. Iowa and NW are both ranked. Maybe if Illini get trounced by both and it truly looks like team has quit then Lovie goes, but so just don’t see that happening and still not a sure thing. Maybe if after the season Lovie seems less than 100% committed during conversations with JW, the idea of stopping down comes up. But I really think it would need to be more a mutual thing for Lovie not to be HC next year. I don’t think this is out of the question. This had to have been a difficult year to coach, Lovie will have fulfilled his commitment to his first class, and I think you can argue (I know a lot on here would disagree) that the program is at least on more solid ground than it was prior to his arrival. Will all that lead Lovie to entertain moving on?
I do think that a bad season next year would lead to Lovie being gone. Lovie would have had 6 seasons to turn things around (hopefully 5 of them relatively Covid restriction free), and I think JW and any others that need to be convinced would be. Hopefully by then fundraising and athletics revenue have returned to some normalcy, which I’m guessing would make it easier to move on.