Has Illinois Wasted Luke Altmyer's Greatness?

That’s not because Illinois has been bad. In fact, this year's Illini roster is one of the most talented and competitive in decades. But the question has to be asked: Are the Illini wasting a special season from Luke Altmyer? The senior quarterback was brilliant in Saturday's win over Rutgers, carving up the Scarlet Knights' defense and extending what has quietly become one of the best-ever seasons from an Illinois quarterback. Altmyer has been the engine of this team all year, keeping the offense rolling even as other units have faltered.

Coming into the season, the bar was higher than it had been in years. With a wealth of returning starters - including stars like Altmyer, Gabe Jacas, and Xavier Scott – and a favorable schedule, Illinois entered the year as a legitimate Big Ten contender and a dark horse playoff threat. Ten weeks later, those hopes have faded. The Illini have looked flat against top-tier opponents (aside from a thrilling home win over USC). Losing to Ohio State was expected; getting dominated by Indiana and run off the field in Seattle was not.

What makes it all sting so much more is how exceptional Altmyer has been throughout it all. Illinois doesn’t get quarterback play like this often – maybe once in a generation. Altmyer has been everything the Illini hoped for and more: calm under pressure, clutch and efficient, despite working behind an inconsistent offensive line and with an entirely new group of receivers. He has thrown just four interceptions all year, three of which have come off tipped passes. Week after week, Altmyer has given Illinois a chance to win, even when the defense hasn’t.

And that defense has been the story of the missed opportunity . Once considered the backbone of Bret Bielema’s program, it has collapsed in big games, giving up touchdowns on seven straight drives to Indiana and six of seven to Washington. For all the offensive progress, the Illini have too often been undone by defensive lapses and a lack of physicality when they had to have it.

Still, the season isn’t over. The win over Rutgers was a good first step. The defense finally showed life, bottling up a capable Scarlet Knights attack. If the Illini can close out the regular season on a run, they can log the first back-to-back nine-win seasons in the program's 134-year history. A nine-win campaign followed by a marquee bowl victory would make it back-to-back 10-win seasons.

All of it would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. And if that’s how this season ends, Luke Altmyer will have left Illinois football in a far better place than he found it. That, with or without the College Football Playoff, is a legacy worth leaving behind.