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Loren Tate: Hard work in selling a winning message

"We Will Win!"

Josh Whitman's motto rings an optimistic bell ... but can become the object of mockery in the wake of seemingly unending losses.

As it stands, the UI's two money sports are languishing. In Big Ten play, the football team has lost 12 straight and 47 of 57. Men's basketball has dropped the last six league games and hasn't had a winning conference season since 2010 (10-8).

Worse yet, the women's basketball team has dropped 16 conference games in a row.

Somehow, Whitman is resolute in his insistence that the glass is half full.