Bret Bielema is having more fun than ever in his return to the Big Ten — and he has No. 24 Illinois ahead of schedule in Year 2

Bret Bielema immediately has No. 24 Illinois wanting like a Massive Ten West contender in his second 12 months since changing Lovie Smith because the Illini’s coach.

They’re ranked for the primary time since 2011. They beat Iowa and Wisconsin in the identical season for the primary time since 1989. And so they’re rolling behind a stingy protection and productive offense.

Bielema is not any stranger to success within the Massive Ten. He led Wisconsin to 3 consecutive convention titles and Rose Bowls earlier than departing for seemingly greener pastures at Arkansas within the Southeastern Convention.

The 52-year-old Bielema has modified since his days as a hotshot teaching prospect in Madison. He’s maybe wiser after spending 5 years with the Razorbacks and going 29-34 earlier than being fired in 2017.

“I draw on on a regular basis from my experiences,” he mentioned earlier this week.

Champaign might be seeing the most effective model of Bielema. Early outcomes point out he could also be taking the Illini (5-1, 2-1) from Massive Ten afterthought to a formidable contender within the wide-open West Division.

“I feel our guys are extraordinarily hungry,” Bielema mentioned. “They’re enjoyable to be round. I don’t know if I’ve loved teaching both earlier than the sport, in the course of the recreation or after the sport as a lot as I’ve (with) this group.”

He and up-and-coming defensive coordinator Ryan Walters wasted no time turning an often leaky protection below Smith right into a unit that’s permitting an FBS-best 3.72 yards per play and the fewest factors per recreation (8).

A once-listless offense has was a productive unit behind FBS speeding chief Chase Brown (879 yards) and switch quarterback Tommy DeVito.

When wholesome, DeVito is a top quality decision-maker along with having a proficient and correct arm. An ankle damage he sustained within the 9-6 win over Iowa final week might restrict this workforce, however the working recreation could properly proceed to dominate after Brown put up 146 yards in opposition to a rock-solid Iowa entrance.

“Generally you’ve obtained to win issues in ways in which you don’t plan,” Bielema mentioned.

Already, the Illini are a win away from bowl eligibility. That feat is especially spectacular contemplating it took Smith 4 years to achieve a bowl and Illinois has made solely six bowls this millennium.

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Ron Zook obtained the Illini off to a 6-0 begin in 2011, this system’s final seven-win season, earlier than stumbling out of the rankings with six straight losses and getting fired earlier than a win over UCLA within the Kraft Combat Starvation Bowl.

However this begin feels sustainable.

“When that (No. 24 rating) got here via, I actually simply sat there for a second and form of digested it and considered it, thought it was an excellent factor,” Bielema mentioned. “I grew up and performed for Coach (Hayden) Fry (at Iowa). Coach Fry used to all the time say, ‘Accomplice, when you’ve finished it, you ain’t bragging.’”

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This system’s upward mobility within the Massive Ten West since Bielema’s arrival — particularly after Smith went 4-26 in opposition to the division — comes as packages resembling Wisconsin and Iowa idle or regress.

Whether or not Bielema can flip on-field enchancment into wins on the recruiting path additionally will likely be pivotal.

“Profitable impacts the whole lot,” he mentioned. “It impacts your program, it impacts your recruiting, it impacts your retainment of your personal roster.”

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Smith didn’t depart the cabinet naked, however a lot of the remaining expertise is in its ultimate 12 months of eligibility or could depart to the NFL this spring.

“That’s why I wish to trip this wave as lengthy and as excessive as we probably can, as a result of it would undoubtedly assist us sooner or later,” Bielema mentioned.

He credit his gamers, most of them Smith recruits who might have darted after both of the final two seasons. Offensive lineman Alex Palczewski and security Kendall Smith, each sixth-year gamers, are contributors who purchased into his imaginative and prescient as an alternative of leaving.

“Like a 12 months in the past, I used to be frightened guys may bail,” Bielema mentioned. “That they had belief and religion in us.”