By Woodrow Carroll
The University of Illinois football program has an opportunity to rid itself of two curses in a two-week span when the Illini will play host to Iowa Hawkeyes at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8.
Saturday, Oct. 1 in Madison, Wis. the Illini put a 34-10 victory hurt on the Wisconsin Badgers. Illinois’ Big Ten Conference victory marked only the second for Illinois (4-1 and 1-1 in the Big Ten) in the last 13 games between the two schools.
Iowa has been just as cruel to the Orange & Blue as Wisconsin in recent seasons. Other than a 27-24 Illini victory in 2008, the last 14 games between the two schools have gone Iowa’s way. Let us not forget visiting Iowa’s 63-0 trouncing of the Illini in 2018. The outcome still rankles Illini backers.
For the fifth time in five outings, Illinois’ running back Chase Brown gained more than 100 yards rushing in a game against Wisconsin. Brown through the victory over Wisconsin was the NCAA rushing leader with 733 yards gained. Brown gained more than 1,000 yards last season and, short of an injury, will do so again this season.
At the start of this season, the consensus was Illini would come up short in the quest to play in a bowl game. That changed. The victory over Wisconsin moved the Illini into bowl projections.
• The picture gets brighter for Illinois football, the same may not be said for Northern Illinois.
Facing Ball State on the road in its Mid-American Conference (MAC) opener Saturday, Oct. 1, Northern Illinois fell 44-38 in double overtime. Northern Illinois led 31-14, only to have Ball State score a game-tying touchdown in the final minute of regulation to send the game into overtime which was not pretty for either team. Ball State scored a touchdown in the second overtime to end the game!
The bowl picture for Northern Illinois is dicey to say the least. Northern Illinois was 1-4 overall prior to playing visiting Toledo at 2:30 p.m. Saturday , Oct. 8. A loss to the Rockets (3-2, 2-0 MAC) in MAC action would leave NIU 0-2 in Conference and likely doom the Huskies chances of repeating as MAC champion. The Huskies will have to step it up to see the light of a bowl game this season.
• Northwestern (1-4, 1-1) fell 17-7 to Penn State Saturday, Oct. 1.
Northwestern will be host to Wisconsin, at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, and, there is a story line.
Wisconsin (2-3, 0-2 Big Ten) is last in the Big Ten West Division. The Badgers after losing back-to-back games to Ohio State and Illinois sacked head coach Paul Chryst.
Chryst, obviously, had been an abject failure in Madison. In seven-and-a-half seasons as the Wisconsin head coach, Chryst’s record was an anemic 67-26 (kidding).
Worse yet, Chryst had only won six of the seven bowl games. .
Kirk Ferentz beware! You may be next to go!
Ferentz has been the head coach at Iowa since 1999. Under Ferentz, the Hawkeyes have compiled an 181-112 overall record. When you look at Ferentz’s winning percentage at Iowa, you notice it is inferior to Chryst’s. If the Hawkeyes are thumped by the Illini, heads may roll.
• Southern California (USC) and UCLA will become Big Ten members August 2, 2024. That includes all sports. We are well aware of the football factor. In 2022 both teams are playing well.
Through week five both teams remained unbeaten at 5-0 each and lead the Pac-12 Conference race. Addition of UCLA and USC to the Big Ten can cut both ways. Two featured schools will be formidable in most sports. Is that good or bad for the other Big Ten schools?