Matthew Bailey

The healthy return of Matthew Bailey will be important to the Illinois defense in 2024.

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Greetings from "Can't Wait For Saturday," your morning morsel of college football, courtesy of longtime Illini beat writer, AP Top 25 voter and Heisman state rep Bob Asmussen. He'll give you his views each day on the game he loves

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It's Tax Day. Fortunayely, the smart woman I married almost 30 years ago has it covered.

So, her diligence and the nice accounting firm she selected to help, allows me to concentrate on the non-financial side of life.

Like, what do I need to find out in the final week of Illinois spring football practice?

A few questions that pop into my head:

1. How set is the offensive line?

2, Who will be the player/players who fill the void left by the departures of Johnny Newton/Keith Randolph?

3. Is Bret Bielema's fourth Illinois team capable of reaching a bowl game? Competing for the Big Ten title?

Saturday's spring game is the first chance to watch the team in person. But some of the key players won't be participating.

I want to know what's on your mind about Illinois football. Send me your most pressing questions and I will take a shot at answering them in this space. Please include your name, where you life and anything else you want. With Tax Day out of my head, I've got the time to answer.

Bob Asmussen can be reached at 217-393-8248 or by email at asmussen@news-gazette.com.

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