Regardless of what happens with the University of Illinois football team this season, its biggest loss won't come on the field.
It already happened in the home Lovie Smith when the Illini head coach shaved off his beard.
Here's what Smith's beard looked like:
Illinois Footballud83dudde3 Hey, #Illini Nation Help us wish our leader, @LovieSmith, a happy birthday! ud83cudf89ud83eudd73 https://t.co/T7aDG0tTq6
Here's what he looks like now:
It's truly an incalculable loss for the program.
In the world of college football, where tensions run high and consensus comes along as often as a postseason without Alabama, Smith's beard was one of the few things football fans could agree upon.