The No. 5 Wisconsin Badgers (7-0, 4-0) will take on the Illinois Fighting Illini (2-5, 0-4) on Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, so to get the inside scoop on the Illini we asked Orange and Blue News Publisher Doug Bucshon a few questions - and his answers are included below.

So, we're in to about a year and a half of the Illinois-Lovie Smith pairing in Champaign, and I'm curious as to how you think it's going compared to what people expected when the Illini made that hire. Did they account for what looks like it will be a long rebuild? Or do you think his seat is going to get hotter by the end of the year?

Doug Bucshon: Both the fans and the Athletic Director expected Lovie to have a long rebuild on his hands, so he’s nowhere near the hot seat. AD Josh Whitman believes in Lovie and is going to give him time to get things rolling. Illinois is starting double-digit true freshmen. If they’re still getting bulldozed by Big Ten opponents when members of that class are juniors, then it’s probably time to talk about Lovie’s job security.

Illinois was in a bad place when Lovie took over the program. They were coming of the scandal-plagued tenure of Tim Beckman and one season under his make-shift replacement Bill Cubit. The talent in the program was decimated by poor recruiting classes. It’s going to take some time.

That said, it wasn’t unreasonable to expect a more competitive team on the field this year and an inkling that there’s something positive to look forward to. The initial excitement of the Lovie Smith hire has worn off as Illinois gets pummeled each week. There have been rumblings about the play-calling, the development of some of the more experienced players, and complaints about some of the other on-the-field decisions.

Attendance at Memorial Stadium is sporadic at best, so there’s no doubt that the honeymoon is over for Lovie. Fans expect improvement from this point forward, and the coaches have those same expectations for themselves.

What should Badgers fans expect to see out of Illinois on the offensive side of the ball? Who are the players to watch?

Doug Bucshon: Last week against Minnesota, Illinois rotated quarterbacks Jeff George Jr. and freshman Cam Thomas. We expect to see more of that this week. George is considered the more polished passer, while Thomas gives the offense a spark with his speed and quickness. The juggling of QBs is the first things fans will notice.

Offensive coordinator Garrick McGee uses multiple sets depending on down and distance, and typically tries to first establish the run. You will see two tight end sets on the run downs. Freshman Ra’Von Bonner starts at running back, replacing another frosh Mike Epstein who is out with a foot injury. Bonner is a physical runner, but lacks Epstein’s burst. Bonner will run behind stand-out guard Nick Allegretti.

Freshman wide receiver Ricky Smalling is emerging as a star for the Illini and is leading the team with 343 receiving yards. The Illini get wide receiver Mike Dudek back this week after he missed the Minnesota game with a knee injury. The former freshman All-American returned to the field in 2017 after missing two consecutive seasons with a torn ACL. Senior Malik Turner is another target for the Illini in the passing game, and freshman tight end Louis Dorsey has been a big-play receiver at times.

What kind of scheme are the Illini running on the defensive side of the ball, and are they living up to your pre-season expectations so far?

Doug Bucshon: Smith and defensive coordinator Hardy Nickerson are known for the Tampa-2 scheme. It’s a 4-3, single gap alignment and they will mix up the coverages in the secondary. The Illini want to be physical and force turnovers, and they’ve had some modest success with that. They lead the Big Ten in forced fumbles with 13 FF through the first seven games.

Expectations weren’t high – we expected a very young defense and some growing pains. But it’s hard to say expectations have been met when the defense ranks near the bottom of the Big Ten nearly every category. The central issue is the inability to stop the run. Opposing teams average 210 of rushing per game against Illinois and 4.74 ypc. You won’t win many football games that way, and the match-up against Wisconsin and couldn’t have come at a worse time.

This is kind of a big picture question, but how far away do you think the Illini are from being competitors in the Big Ten West? What needs to happen to take them from where they are now to where you think they can be in the long run?

Doug Bucshon: The Illini are at least two years away from making noise in the division. The Big Ten West isn’t a powerhouse, so there is hope that Illinois can move its way up the standings in the future, despite the lack of recent success.

Recruiting is the lifeblood and Lovie has landed some players. The 2017 recruiting class is proving to be stronger that its ranking and will form a foundation. Now, he needs to string together more good classes and land impact players at key positions.

Getting the right quarterback to lead the offense is huge. That player may be in the pipeline, with Thomas already playing and two QB’s committed in the 2018 class. Another major focus has been getting more physical inside, and a solid group of freshmen offensive linemen bring size and strength to the team. More are on the way next fall.

For a program like Illinois at this point in the rebuilding process, the ability to evaluate high school talent outweighs star-rankings. Illinois won’t consistently land 4-star playmakers until they win games and make bowl appearances. Several Illinois coaches have NFL experience and they appear to have an eye for talent. That’s what fans are laying their hopes on.

Finally, what do you expect to see this weekend? Who wins the game any why?

Doug Bucshon: It’s very hard to envision Illinois staying competitive. They are overmatched on both sides of the ball, especially in the trenches against a typically physical Wisconsin team. Illinois lines up with true freshmen playing key roles on the offensive and defensive lines. They will eventually be pretty good, but are out-manned and out-muscled against a team like Wisconsin.

I expect the Badgers to be on the march offensively the entire game, with Jonathan Taylor putting together a huge day running the football. The Illini would need to win the turnover battle by +3 to have any chance of sticking with Wisconsin. The Badgers entered game week as a 26-point favorite, and they should cover.

Wisconsin 45 Illinois 10

_________________________________________________________________

John Veldhuis covers Wisconsin football, basketball and recruiting for BadgerBlitz.com on the Rivals.com network. Follow him on Twitter at @JohnVeldhuis.