Reason No. 1 is that the players are unproven.

In the only meaningful game they’ve played all season, the Illini lost by 25 points to a Washington team that isn’t in the top 25.

Even though sophomore quarterback Wes Lunt has shown BCS-level talent, he can be inconsistent at times.

There aren’t many problems offensively, but defensively there are plenty. The team has struggled, especially against the rush, where it ranks 12th in the Big Ten. In a conference where a good defense is key to wins, Illinois has an average defense at best.

That’s not a good sign as Illinois travels to Lincoln, Nebraska, this weekend to take on No. 21 Nebraska and Ameer Abdullah. The Cornhuskers’ running back leads the conference in rushing with 625 yards and five touchdowns.

Right now the defense is the main concern for Illinois and with conference play starting to heat up, it is really the wrong time for mistakes.

Illinois will play both Wisconsin and Minnesota, both featuring strong running games that should run through the Illini defense, unless something dramatic changes between now and then.

Illinois’ tough schedule is another reason for the difficult road to the postseason. The Illini have a record of 1-15 over the last two years in Big Ten play, and with how the defense is playing, that trend may continue.

The Illini also have road games at Wisconsin, Ohio State and Northwestern, and history shows the Illini have not played their best at those venues. Northwestern is the only team of the three that the Illini stand a chance against.

The third reason for Illinois’ tough outlook is the coaching staff.

Like the players, this coaching staff has zero bowl experience at Illinois. Before head coach Tim Beckman took over, Illinois was a bowl contender most seasons. Now times have changed and Illinois has worsened rather than grown under Beckman.

With three wins already in the bag, the Illini are halfway there, but who else can they beat?

Nebraska, Wisconsin, Ohio State and Northwestern on the road seem like longshots for wins, so that leaves home games against Purdue, Penn State, Minnesota and Iowa.

On paper, the Illini should be able to top the Boilermakers and the Nittany Lions, but the Gophers are a toss-up and beating the Hawkeyes seems like a stretch, even at home.

Illinois will get five wins, an improvement to say the least, but not enough to get the job done.

Alex is a junior in Media. He can be reached at [email protected] and @AWallner93.