Tim Beckman awoke Sunday morning having notched his second-ever Big Ten win halfway through his third season as the Illinois head coach.

For Mike Thomas, the victory must be good and bad. 

The fanbase needed the victory on Homecoming and it was the program’s first Big Ten win at home since Oct. 1, 2011. It also brought Beckman’s team to 4-4, with a bowl game still within reach. The Illini’s record will stand at 4-5 after they lose to Ohio State (I’m 99.9 percent positive they will). That leaves two home games against Iowa and Penn State, and a third that is an away game only in name, as the Illini will head to Evanston, Illinois, to face “that team up north.”

So yes, if Beckman leads his team to a bowl game, he most likely stays. 

Earlier this year, I thought Beckman should be fired midseason. That obviously won’t happen. I was wrong. 

But, Beckman should not return if his team fails to reach a bowl. And even if it does, Thomas should think long and hard about what to do, because if you remember, Ron Zook was canned after his 2011 team reached a bowl.

I am not confident Beckman can lead Illinois to a new chapter in the program’s history. His teams have yet to notch a program-defining win, partly because there are only 10 wins to choose from. I suppose the dismantling of Cincinnati could count, but that win was forgotten once last year’s losses piled up.

Illinois needs a coach who can turn things around. In Zook’s third season, he coached the Illini to a Rose Bowl.

I can’t picture Beckman coaching the Illini in a College Football Playoff game. I can barely picture him on the sideline of the Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl. He’s always destined to be the MAC coach he was before Illinois hired him. 

Zook wasn’t Illinois’ greatest coach ever, but he could certainly recruit.

Strong recruiting classes and pipeline states are the lifeblood of powerhouse programs. Though Zook compiled four wins in his first two seasons, he and his staff managed to pull in top talent, including Skokie native Rashard Mendenhall. He also grabbed Juice Williams, Arrelious Benn and Martez Wilson, among others. From 2006 to 2009, Zook’s recruiting classes were no worse than 35th in the country. Beckman hasn’t had a recruiting class break the top 40.

Zook kept losing because he couldn’t develop those prospects. His classes suffered. In fact, many blame the lack of talent currently on the team on Zook because he was often a lame-duck head coach. When he was fired, the cupboard was bare.

Beckman and his staff have done an admirable job trying to get talent back in Champaign. Wes Lunt — once a four-star prospect — decided to transfer here. Jihad Ward fills a big need for defensive talent, and Mike Dudek is molding himself into a special player.

But will their talents be fully utilized and can Beckman start to bring in stronger, game-changing prospects? So far, the answer is no. 

Illinois needs to take the next step and hire a coach who not only has a proven background, but who can also bring in the top out-of-state talent.

Again, by no means do I hate Beckman. He has done an admirable job trying to rebuild this program. His off-the-field policies have made the Illini a model in the classroom and in the community, a model that Florida State and Jameis “Crab Legs” Winston should look at. 

If Beckman is let go, though, Thomas better make a bold move, a la Oregon going to New Hampshire for Chip Kelly.

History will most likely frown at Beckman’s tenure in Champaign, but history might also show that his time here ultimately proved to be a turning point.

Erik is a senior in Media. He can be reached at [email protected] and on Twitter @e_prada.