Lovie Smith shouldn’t be on the hot seat in 2017

Welcome to the TCR discussion thread for August 29! Yesterday’s Illinois-related news has been compiled below, along with some other links from the wide world of sports. If another topic catches your eye on today, feel free to post about it in the comments!

Illinois Football

• Our Austin Jabs detailed over the weekend why a slow start in 2017 should not put Illinois head coach Lovie Smith on the hot seat. The Illini’s non-conference schedule is considered somewhat brutal after a game against Ball State on Saturday.

• We also dove into the lessons we learned from Illinois in 2016 following a 3-9 season.

• The Champaign Room’s first edition of 2016 Big Ten Power Rankings was released Monday. Do you think the Illini are too high or too low?

Illinois Volleyball

• Junior middle blocker Ali Bastianelli took Defensive Player of the Week honors in the Big Ten’s first weekly awards this season. The Illini won the Bobcat Classic over the weekend.