With big wins, like the Illinois football team had on Saturday, comes speculation about a potential bowl berth.
I know, I know, calm down it is only one win. Yeah, yeah, we only have three wins. But let’s call it like it is, with the win against No. 6 Wisconsin, the Illini are still alive for a bowl berth and it isn’t that far of a stretch to think we can see the postseason this year.
Illinois now sits at 3-4 overall and 1-3 in Big Ten play. If we could have just held on against Nebraska we would be 4-3 overall and 2-2 in the Big Ten but I digress. Let’s focus on the schedule ahead.
This week is a big game at Purdue. The Boilermakers have been surprisingly tough despite what their 2-5 record shows. Jeff Brohm has done a great job with this team considering all of the injuries they have endured throughout the season. This won’t be an easy game for the Illini, but it is winnable.
Illinois them comes back home on November 2 to play Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights are the worst team in the Big Ten. They are currently 0-5 in the conference and in those five contests, they have lost by a combined 207-14. This should be a win for the Illini and if it isn’t, the sky will be falling in Champaign.
We travel to Michigan State the following week. The Spartans have been a confusing team this season. They have looked good at times, but their offense continues to be their bugaboo. Their last two games, albeit against Ohio State and Wisconsin, have been losses by a combined 72-10. I would say this will be a pretty good matchup when the Illini come to town. This will be a tough game, but it is winnable.
The one game that I think will probably be a loss the rest of the season is at Iowa. The Hawkeyes always seem to have Illinois’ number. Their running game is strong and their defense is even stronger. Going on the road to Iowa is a tough test that we are likely to not win.
Illinois’ final game of the season is, of course, against Northwestern. The Wildcats have been a solid team the last couple of seasons, but it looks like they have come back down to Earth this year. They haven’t won a Big Ten game yet. Their offense isn’t doing so hot either. This is a very winnable game for the Illini.
So, breaking down the rest of the Illinois schedule, four out of the final five contests are winnable. We just need three wins to become bowl eligible. Getting to the postseason is a real possibility. This would be one great coaching job by the Illini staff this year.