5. Illinois needed to win in this fashion
It has been an uncomfortable last couple of weeks, to say the least. Illinois looked pretty bad against Washington, and they gave up too many points against Ohio State. The defense was on its heels quite often.
Illinois needed a get-right game. We needed a team we could manhandle just to get the confidence back. Rutgers seemed like that team, but they just beat Purdue in close fashion. Greg Schiano is always a tough coach, too.
The Illini went into this game and didn’t play with our food. We took care of business early and often, and it resulted in a 35-13 victory over the Scarlet Knights.
This win over Rutgers was great, but the way the Illini won the game is what I needed to see the most. Illinois winning in a nail-biter would have been a bad result, considering this team is more talented. The Illini didn’t let that happen.
Everyone on the program is still bought in, too. No one is packing their bags and just waiting for the season to end. Bret Bielema has done a good job rallying the troops and keeping the team engaged.
Illinois has three more games left in the 2025 season. With the win over Rutgers, it gives me confidence that the Illini can win the final three and notch nine wins. A 10th win in the bowl game would give Illinois back-to-back 10-win seasons for the first time in program history.