By Woodrow Carroll
There are memorable victories and there are memorable defeats. For the University of Illinois football program the 25-21 loss Saturday, Oct. 21 to Wisconsin was definitely in the latter category.
Leading 21-7 entering the fourth quarter, the Illini were outscored 18-0 the final 15 minutes in an epic meltdown.
How bad of a defeat was it for Illinois (3-5, 1-4 Big Ten Conference)? Coming off a big road victory over Maryland the previous week, Illinois was set to project itself back into the bowl picture, if nothing else. Now, there is work to be done in Champaign if the Orange & Blue will play a 13th game this season.
Illinois is off until a game at Minnesota Saturday, Nov. 4. That game with the Gophers is the first of four Big Ten Conference games that will determine if Illinois is to make it to a bowl game. Illinois will need to win three of its final four games to reach .500 at 6-6. Six victories is the figure usually needed to make it to a bowl game. It is not an impossible task, but, confidence in the football program is not great at the moment.
Revenge or karma, or both? In Lovie Smith’s five campaigns as Illinois head coach (2016-2020), the Illinois scored few notable victories. Arguably, the best of the lot may have been Illinois’ 24-23 upset of No, 6 Wisconsin in 2019.
Last season, Illinois beat Wisconsin, 34-10, in Madison. The defeat left Wisconsin with a 2-3 record and led to the firing of Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst.
In addition, you might want to consider what Wisconsin survived with its victory Saturday, Oct. 21.
Having lost to Iowa prior to meeting Illinois, the Badgers will confront undefeated Ohio State in Madison, Wis. at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28. Wisconsin could have been staring at a three-game losing streak had the Badgers not pulled out victory in Champaign.
Interesting note! Last Saturday’s game with Wisconsin was Illinois head coach Bret Bielema’s 33rd game calling the shots in Champaign. That loss to the Badgers lowered Bielema’s overall record at the school to 16-17 as he closes out his third season at Illinois.
Similar to Illinois, the Northern Illinois Huskies were at home Saturday, Oct. 21. The Northern Illinois foe was Eastern Michigan in a key Mid-American Conference game. Thanks to another strong defensive effort, Northern Illinois prevailed, 20-13, over the Eagles.
Northern Illinois (4-4, 3-1 MAC) beat Ohio, 23-13, the prior week. The conquest of Ohio was keyed by three second-half interceptions. In the victory over Eastern Michigan, the Northern Illinois defense picked off the Eagles twice the final 30 minutes.
Northern Illlinois and Eastern Michigan were deadlocked 10-all at the halftime break. Northern Illinois only put 10 points on the scoreboard the second half which is seldom enough, however, with the Northern Illinois defense coming through which it has of late, the Huskies prevailed.
With the victory over Eastern Michigan, the bowl picture for the Huskies has brightened considerably. A number of bowl prognostications have projected Northern Illinois as a likely participant in one of the 41 bowl games available. Of course, at 4-4 overall, the Huskies still have some work to do. Yet, when Northern Illinois was 1-4 a few weeks back, most observers thought the final game of the regular season would be the for the 2023 Huskies.
The world of MAC midweek is now upon us. Northern Illinois’ next game will be Tuesday, Oct. 31 at Central Michigan. The Huskies’ next three games will be Tuesdays, Oct. 31, Nov. 7, and Nov. 14 including Ball State and Western Michigan in DeKalb and the Huskies regular-season finale will be Saturday, Nov. 25 at Kent State.
Northwestern was on the short end of a 17-9 score at Nebraska Saturday, Oct. 21. The Wildcats (3-4, 1-3), who are on the fringe in the jumbled Big Ten West picture, will be host to Maryland, at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 28.