Thanks to
@Indy Illini Fan and
@LvilleILL for stoking this thread. Apparently, we're now reaping substantial dividends from the end of a seven-year construction period that completely mitigated program risk and has produced a consistently humming power plant of a team, renewing itself annually with gleaming, heavy-duty, best-in-class, low-emissions machinery.
It's a month or so late but: laissez les bon temps rouler! Not even 48 hours after the season ended and I can't wait for the opening tip-off in November.