CHAMPAIGN – Illinois began laying the groundwork for 2020 three years ago, when the wins were hard to find.

The Illini were 2-10 that season after losing their final 10 games. It was a tough one in Lovie’s second year on campus, as everyone figured, because the leftovers from the previous staff were already gone. The Illini were searching for a quarterback in the midst of a roster overhaul.

With an eye on 2020, the school broke ground on a new football complex. It didn’t have a name yet, but the Illini were preparing to reenter the arms race in college facilities. On the field, the baby-faced Illini were taking their lumps with plans of pay back three years later.

The process was painful, throwing kids out there against developed Big Ten Conference programs. The seven-point loss to Minnesota was the only defeat during an 0-9 conference season that came by single digits, but there was method to the madness.

The Illini were preparing for the future.

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