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Illinois Football: Next two games for the Illini are crucial

By Rees Woodcock

CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 15: Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback M.J. Rivers II (8) throws the football in action during a game between the Illinois Fighting Illini and the South Florida Bulls on September 15, 2018 at Soldier Field in Chicago, IL. The South Florida Bulls defeated the Illinois Fighting Illini by the score of 25 to 19. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 15: Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback M.J. Rivers II (8) throws the football in action during a game between the Illinois Fighting Illini and the South Florida Bulls on September 15, 2018 at Soldier Field in Chicago, IL. The South Florida Bulls defeated the Illinois Fighting Illini by the score of 25 to 19. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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The Illinois football team started the 2018 campaign off with two wins, but the winning stopped when they ran into the South Florida Bulls.

Illinois should have won the South Florida game but failed to hold them down as the Illini gave up a fourth quarter lead. That loss really hurt. The Illini were then only down four points heading into the game against Penn State and failed to close that one as well. Now the program sits at 2-2 on the season.

The next two contests will define how the rest of the season will go for this young, but hungry, Illinois squad. Their next game is at Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights have struggled immensely this season. They sit with a 1-3 record, and their last three games have a combined score of 149 for the opponent and 30 points for Rutgers. The game against the Scarlet Knights isn’t just about getting another win this season, it is about winning the games we should win. That hasn’t happened in the Big Ten in a while.

Purdue would be the next team up for the Illini after the Rutgers contest. They take on the Boilermakers in Champaign for what could be a bowl buster game for both teams. Purdue is a solid team who just beat a ranked Boston College program this past week. They are a team on the rise, but so is Illinois and winning this game is crucial for the Orange and Blue.

Yes, there are still quite a few games after the next two against Rutgers and Purdue. Illinois has a chance to win in every game this season. But, the next two games will determine the fate of this team. They need to at least win the Rutgers game and if they want any chance at bowling, they will need to win both of the contests.

5 observations from the Illini loss to Penn State. dark. Next

I think Illinois has a chance to do something special this season. If they can get to a bowl game, it will help validate everything this coaching regime has been preaching for the last few seasons. It would also help with recruiting as well. But, the next two games will tell us the story for what happens the rest of the 2018 season.

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