Mario Cristobal turned down major - conference overtures in the offseason, and
Bill Cubit was supposed to lead his experienced Broncos pretty far in the MAC West title race.
An Illinois win would earn bowl eligibility for interim coach
Bill Cubit's Fighting Illini.
After an abundance of mediocrity and scandal under Tim Beckman /
Bill Cubit, the program captured headlines in March with the hire of former NFL coach Lovie Smith.
In the Tim Beckman era (which bleed into the one - year
Bill Cubit era), we actually saw some semblance of stability.