When a coach takes over a losing college football program and dramatically changes it, you hear two words in the analysis of the rebuild over the years: “culture” and “identity.”
What is the culture? What motivates this team? What principles are they committed to and what do they believe in with respect to how to play football?
What’s their identity? What offense do they run? What defense do they run? What’s the thing you need to know about this football team under this coach?
These questions have been asked about Lovie Smith’s Illinois Fighting Illini from day one, and after Saturday’s win against the Wisconsin Badgers, the answer for both emerged in one phrase.