Illini Inquirer Podcast: An Illinois Fighting Illini athletics podcast

Illini Inquirer's Jeremy Werner chats with Ryan Easterling and Isaac Trotter about Illinois firing football coach Lovie Smith after five seasons. The guys talk about AD Josh Whitman's decision, what went wrong with the Lovie Smith experiment and the coaching market available to the Illini. Then the guys break down their most intriguing candidates for the position. Extra reading Hot board v1.0: Ill...

Illini Inquirer publisher Jeremy Werner chats about Illinois athletics' terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. He chats with former Illinois guard Mike LaTulip about Illini basketball's 81-78 loss at Missouri. Then Jeremy gives his thoughts on the Illini football program and Lovie Smith's status following a 28-10 loss to rival Northwestern. Extra reading Werner: Waiting on Whitman's path forwa...

Illini Inquirer's Jeremy Werner chats with PowerMizzou.com's Mitchell Forde to preview Saturday's Braggin' Rights basketball game. Forde breaks down the biggest improvements for 4-0 Mizzou, how much this game means to the team and individual performances of Mark Smith, Jeremiah Tilmon, Javon Pickett and Xavier Pinson. Then Jeremy chats with Illinois men's basketball PA announcer and Champaign resi...

Illini Inquirer's Jeremy Werner chats with former Illinois guard Trent Meacham about what impressed him most from No. 6 Illinois basketball's 83-68 win at No. 10 Duke, Ayo Dosunmu's improvement, Giorgi Bezhanishvili stepping up yet again and impressive performances by freshmen Andre Curbelo and Adam Miller. Then the guys chat about the rivalry with Missouri and preview Saturday's Braggin' Rights g...

Illini Inquirer's Jeremy Werner and Derek Piper react to Illinois basketball's convincing 83-68 win at No. 10 Duke, during which the Illini never trailed and led by double digits most of the way. The guys talk about why Illinois was able to dominate a Duke team full of five-star underclassmen, what they learned from Baylor and what stood out most from big-time performances from Ayo Dosunmu, Giorgi...

Illini Inquirer's Jeremy Werner chats with The 200 Level Podcast's Mike Carpenter about Illinois football's loss to Iowa and a big week ahead for Illini basketball. The guys chat about how 35 unanswered points by Iowa affects the view of the football program going into a showdown against No. 15 Northwestern with a 2-4 record. Then the guys discuss Illinois basketball's loss to Baylor and how they...

Illini Inquirer's Jeremy Werner and Mariah Guzman discuss Illinois football's 35-21 loss to Iowa and what it means for the program. They discuss how the Illini's early 14-0 lead turned so quickly and decisively. Then they discuss if Lovie Smith can take the program to the next level.

Illini Inquirer's Jeremy Werner chat with HawkeyeInsider.com's David Eickholt to preview Saturday's matchup between Illinois and No. 19 Iowa. The guys break down both teams' slow starts and current win streaks, discuss who has the QB advantage, the teams' somewhat similarities and where the Hawkeyes have had the edge this season. The guys also discuss what this game means for each program.

Illini Inquirer's Jeremy Werner talks with former Illinois guard Mike LaTulip about the No. 5 Illini basketball team's 82-69 loss to No. 2 Baylor. The guys break down struggles for Ayo Dosunmu, Kofi Cockburn, Adam Miller and Trent Frazier but also some bright spots in Giorgi Bezhanishvili, Andre Curbelo and Coleman Hawkins. Mike also discusses why he might be more optimistic about what he saw from...

Illini Inquirer's Jeremy Werner chats with Illinois great Deon Thomas about No. 5 Illinois basketball's 3-0 start and Wednesday's matchup vs. No. 2 Baylor. The guys break down what they've seen thus far from the Illini, including Ayo Dosunmu's stardom, early returns from the freshmen guards, Da'Monte Williams stepping up and Kofi Cockburn's sophomore start. Then the guys discuss the matchup with N...

Illini Inquirer's Jeremy Werner chats with BearsIllustrated.com's Tim Watkins to preview Wednesday's matchup between No. 5 Illinois basketball and No. 2 Baylor. Watkins breaks down the history of the prgoram under Scott Drew; the Bears' deep, talented, experienced backcourt led by Jared Butler; who the Bears are counting on in the post; and what this game and week means for Baylor.

Illini Inquirer's Jeremy Werner chats with The 200 Level's Mike Carpenter on a newsy Monday. The guys chat about the hapless Chicago Bears and where the franchise goes from here. The the guys chat about top Illinois basketball recruiting target Mac Etienne committing to UCLA and what it means for the Illini's big-man pursuits. Then the guys discuss the crazy Ohio State cancellation conspiracy theo...

Illini Inquirer's Jeremy Werner and Derek Piper react to Illinois basketball's closer-than-expected 77-75 win over Ohio and what it means for the Illini heading into next week's matchup vs. No. 2 Baylor. The guys chat about Ayo Dosunmu's heroics and Da'Monte Williams' growing his game but also chat about some struggles from Kofi Cockburn and the rest of the Illini supporting cast.

Illini Inquirer's Jeremy Werner and Derek Piper react to Illinois basketball's dominant 122-60 win over North Carolina A&T in the 2020-21 season opener. The guys discuss Adam Miller's freshman debut-record performance (28 points on 6-for-8 from three) and why he and Ayo Dosunmu (28 points, 10 rebounds) are such good match. The guys break down the performanes of all the other Illini, including...

Illini Inquirer's Jeremy Werner chats with The 200 Level's Mike Carpenter about Illinois football's win at Nebraska and how a two-game win streak has created conflict for Carp, a diehard Illini fan. The guys dive into Brandon Peters' performance and what his return means for the rest of the season, as well as what the team can expect with three tough games remaining on the schedule. Carp finishes...

Illini Inquirer's Jeremy Werner and Derek Piper give an in-depth season preview of the 2020-21 Illinois basketball season. The guys discuss all the reasons Illinois should be the Big Ten favorite and a national title contender. But the guys also discuss question marks about Illinois that could prevent them from reaching such heights.

Illini Inquirer's Jeremy Werner and Gavin Good react from Lincoln (Neb.) to Illinois football's 41-23 win over Nebraska. The guys break down Brandon Peters' big day leading the offense, the defense going full Lovie Ball and some big special-teams plays, including Blake Hayes' fake-punt run. Then the guys chat about what back-to-back wins mean for the program and hot-seat talk in the Big Ten. Extra...

Illini Inquirer's Jeremy Werner previews Saturday's matchup at Nebraska with Husker247 writer Mike Schaefer. The guys discuss third-year coach Scott Frost, Nebraska's quarterback change, defensive improvements and the keys to Saturday's 11 a.m. kickoff. Extra reading Preview & Picks: Illinois at Nebraska Werner: Choose your own Illini QB adventure at Nebraska

Illini Inquirer's Jeremy Werner chats with former Illinois QB Reilly O'Toole about the dynamics of a Big Ten quarterback room and the Illini's current dilemma of whether the Illini roll with senior starter Brandon Peters or talented freshman Isaiah Williams heading into the Nebraska game. The guys also talk about the challenges of rotating quarterbacks or making a starter change.

Illini Inquirer's Jeremy Werner chats with The 200 Level's Michael Carpenter about the latest in Illini athletics. The guys chat about their concern levels in the Illinois basketball Class of 2021 after missing out on TyTy Washington, who committed to Creighton. The guys then react to Illinois football's win over Rutgers win, what it means for the rest of the season and whether Illinois should sta...

Coming off yet another disappointing recruiting loss, Illini Inquirer's Jeremy Werner and Derek Piper discuss why Illinois basketball has struggled to land priority targets in the Class of 2021. The guys discuss whether the pandemic negatively impacted the Illini's ability to capitalize on a breakthrough 2019-20 season, whether its improved roster has actually hurt them and if Brad Underwood and h...

Illini Inquirer's Jeremy Werner chats with IlliniBoard.com's Robert Rosenthal from New Jersey to react to Illinois football's 23-20 win at Rutgers. The guys discuss what the first win of the season means for the short- and long-term of the program, what Isaiah Williams brought to the offense and whether he should start next week, and how the defense stepped up late with takeaways. The guys then di...

Illini Inquirer's Jeremy Werner chats with Illini great and BTN analyst J Leman about Illinois football's 0-3 start. The guys break down why Lovie Smith's defense has struggled so much during his tenure, why Rod Smith's offense has struggled this season and the overall state of the program. Extra reading Werner: Unprepared, undisciplined and uncompetitive in Year Five Lovie Smith key quotes: 'You...

Illini Inquirer's Jeremy Werner chats with The 200 Level's Mike Carpenter about Illinois football's uncompetitive 41-14 loss to Minnesota and what an 0-3 start to the season means for Lovie Smith's tenure. The guys talk about what could turn the tide in the final six months to change the minds of the fan base before chatting about the latest preseason buzz for Illinois basketball. Jeremy ends the...

Illini Inquirer's Jeremy Werner and Mariah Guzman react to Illinois football's 41-14 loss to Minnesota. They discuss what the uncompetitive loss and 0-3 start means for this season and Lovie Smith's tenure and where the staff and players go from here. Extra reading Quick hits: Illinois uncompetitive in 41-14 loss to Minnesota