It's an oversimplification, but I feel like this time of year everyone always thinks the teams with bad coaches and an institutional culture of losing are going to overtake the teams with good coaches and an institutional culture of winning because the winning teams lost a lot of guys and the losing teams are bringing back all the players that have been losing. And then it never happens.
Obviously that thought is in direct conflict with my optimism about this Illini team. So....we'll see I guess.
Valid point. I think the only two programs in the league that you can pretty much pencil in as contenders year in and year out regardless of who suits up for them are Michigan State and Wisconsin. Programs like Maryland and Iowa haven't quite earned that reputation yet, although the media tries to grant them that reputation prematurely.