CHICAGO – There’s sometimes an exhale when Illini football takes the stage at the Big Ten Conference preseason football media days. The collection of reporters based in the Midwest has been watching this for years.

The Illini haven’t been to a bowl game since 2014. They’ve not won a bowl game since Ron Zook’s players filled the roster. So, there’s only one way to change the storyline on this program. It’s not some fancy marketing. It’s winning and climbing the ladder in the Big Ten Conference West Division, where the Illini start from the bottom.

“There’s no slogan I can give,’’ said Illini coach Lovie Smith.

Heading into his fourth season as coach, Lovie has that old man gray beard and a slow, confident way of talking about his team. While the preseason picks haven’t been kind to the Illini, Lovie makes it sound like these Illini are ready to show they’ve grown up.

It’s time to start backing it up. With all the talk about high profile transfers and a recruiting class featuring more quality than quantity, Illinois is talking about making a move this year. Creating a few surprises this fall, scoring an upset and competing with the league’s biggest names would help entertain a fan base that’s losing interest with the Lovie experiment.

After throwing freshmen into the starting lineup two years ago and hiring a new offensive coordinator prior to last season, the Illini look for big improvement from one of the worst defenses in the nation a year ago.

Lovie – and his boss, athletic director Josh Whitman – had the same reserved confidence in front of reporters Thursday during the media scrums in hotel hallways. Those long three years of rebuilding are done, Lovie said. That 9-27 record overall and 4-23 mark in the Big Ten are behind them. It’s time to start competing in the Big Ten and, most importantly, start winning.

“The last part of our overhaul of our program is having a better product on the field,’’ Lovie said. “Across the board, we feel like we’re in position to do that.’’

Whitman already dropped hints and laid some groundwork for this slow improvement paying off perhaps next season (that’s 2020), but there’s only so much shelf life in a coach and his ability to sell hope in the recruiting season.

“It’s a big season,’’ Whitman said. “We all understand that. Every season is big at this level. I’ve been encouraged by the progress we’ve made over the last three years. I’m excited for (everyone) to enjoy some success.’’

Two men tied at the hip – Lovie and Whitman – could both use a boost from this season. Lovie needs to show more improvement after getting a contract extension last winter, one that came with a reduction in buyout money. Whitman’s signature hire has yet to payoff.

It was a bold move to hire Lovie, but his reputation appears to be fading. Winning a few games might help restore the luster.

“I can’t speak to what’s going on with the public,’’ Whitman said. “As I travel with Lovie, you can’t walk down a hallway or through an airport without everyone knowing who he is and wants to be around him. He’s a national presence. I have no doubt the reason we’re in conversations with some recruits – and they don’t always come to fruition – I attribute a lot of that to who Lovie is.

“It’s gone about as what we had hoped. We’d like to have won some more games over the last three years. In terms of what Lovie provides (with) the visibility and the name recognition, that’s still very much a big part of our brand.’’

The brand hasn’t yet helped among the class of 2020. Whitman isn’t concerned about the lack of numbers in recruiting, but the Illini have only three commitments thus far among this year high school seniors, by far the lowest number in the Big Ten. Minnesota and Iowa have 22 commitments apiece. Ohio State and Penn State already have 21 each. Penn State is sitting at 20. Northwestern, the defending Big Ten West champ, has 15.

Only Rutgers and Nebraska have also failed to reach double figures, and they still have eight apiece.

So there’s a need to win this fall to sign to get some commitments, even if it’s not too late already because of the early signing day now in December.

“What I care about is winning football games (this fall),’’ Whitman said. “We’ll see as time progresses how this team starts to develop.’’

With transfers and blue shirts and the different ways to get players these days, “For me, it’s about kicking off on Aug. 31,’’ Whitman said.

The Illini defense will benefit from not having a middleman between Lovie and his players, Whitman said, referring to Lovie serving as the coordinator.

Otherwise, a handful of players from USC and a quarterback from Michigan boosted Lovie’s confidence. The transfers came at a position of need, especially at defensive end, wide receiver and quarterback. Former Michigan starting quarterback Brandon Peters is more of a drop-back passer than any other quarterback on the Illini roster, and Lovie has no concerns how Peters fits into the scheme.

“We wanted a player with experience, a guy who played at a high level,’’ Lovie said. “He started at a top program. Quarterbacks have to be able to throw the football. Brandon can throw it. He brings something different. When you have a bunch of different quarterbacks, you don’t want guys with the same skill set. Brandon will be a better runner than he’s given credit, just like a player like (Isaiah Williams) will be a better passer than he’s given credit.’’

Lovie knows it’s time to win. He can feel it. He’s also showing the confidence that his program has grown up, and it’s ready to compete in the Big Ten West.

“We’re just pumped up,’’ Lovie said. “Year four, we realize how many wins we have, where our program is. We realize our position in the conference, as far as the standings going into the season. As a head coach, you want to be a better football team have a chance to compete better. We’re in that position.’’

Talk is cheap in the preseason, but it’s all we have with college football until the season opener. That’s when the Illini have some convincing to do on the field.