Illinois is a disaster and there may not be an end in sight

One inch.

Illinois couldn’t gain one inch. At the goal line. At home. Against a program in the first year of a rebuild. IN TWO TRIES.

If you ever needed an encapsulation of how 2023 has gone for Illinois, the end of its game-opening drive on Friday night was it. Two attempts. One inch. Stonewalled.

And that was just one on a long list of embarrassing developments against the Cornhuskers in a performance that felt like rock bottom, a place frequented by Illini fans for decades.

For starters, Barry Lunney and the Illini offense were completely broken. Every single positive play was a struggle. We’ve heard at every media availability about how they’re trying to find their identity. We’re halfway through the season and I think the identity is actually pretty clear: it’s a disaster.

Illinois ran 19 times for 21 yards on Friday night. Yes, that’s right, a Bret Bielema team — a head coach who’s made a career off strong run games and physical offensive line play —…