By Woodrow Carroll
Thanks to Illinois’ 27-26 Big Ten Conference road football victory over Minnesota Saturday, Nov. 4, all three of the State’s FBS teams, Illinois, Northern Illinois, and Northwestern, have 4-5 record entering into their final three games of the regular season. Given that it usually takes six overall victories to make it to a bowl game, there is work ahead for each of the three programs in pursuit of a bowl-game invitation.
A total of 82 teams will be needed to fill 41 bowl slots. It is possible that one or more teams with 5-7 records, and in good standing in the NCAA academically, will be called upon to play in one of the bowls. It’s called Academic Progress Rate. It means get those student athletes to class.
Northern Illinois played at Central Michigan last week in a key Mid-American Conference battle and dropped a 37-31 decision. The Northern Illinois defeat ended the Huskies’ three-game winning streak. The loss to the Chippewas left Northern Illinois (4-5, 4-3 MAC) and in need of victories. The Huskies home games include Tuesday of this week (Ball State) and the following Tuesday (Western Michigan) before closing closes out at Kent State, Saturday, Nov. 25. Those three games will determine Northern Illinois postseason fate.
- In the Big Ten West Division, nothing is far from settled.
Illinois (4-5, 2-4) is back in the running for a bowl berth after beating Minnesota. The Fighting Illini have been far from consistent with a big win on the road at Maryland followed by a disheartening loss to Wisconsin in Champaign. Then the victory at Minnesota.
Illinois will play host to Indiana at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 11. The visiting Hoosiers are coming off a big win over Wisconsin. Indiana is only 3-6, 1-5. Yet, Indiana’s final three regular-season foes are Illinois, Michigan State, and Purdue. Each of Indiana’s aforementioned foes have losing records which gives the Hoosiers a shot, albeit a long one, at making it to a bowl game. Heading into this week’s action’ only Purdue, among the Big Ten brethren with its 2-7 overall record, appears out of the running for a bowl invitation.
Northwestern (4-5, 2-4) lost 10-7 to Iowa (7-2. 4-2) in a game played at Wrigley Field in Chicago Saturday, Nov. 4. Think about it! A low-scoring game played at the home of the Chicago Cubs was bound to elicit humerus comments, and it did! An Iowa field goal in the waning seconds of the fourth quarter gave the Iowa Hawkeyes the victory. It was expected to be a low-scoring, and was!
Northwestern plays at Illinois, Saturday, Nov. 25, in the final regular-season game for both teams. The idea of one, or both, of those teams needing a victory in that game comes to mind to reach a bowl game. Not exactly Ohio State at Michigan which takes place the same day. Still, for those in Champaign, or Evanston, a potentially interesting and meaningful match up.
Getting a grip on Iowa football is not easy. The Hawkeyes are 7-2 and on target to win the Big Ten West. Yet, the team’s lack of offensive punch continues to frustrate and confound. And, a 31-0 loss to Penn State, one of the Beasts of the Big Ten East, stands out on the Iowa resume.
Good news for Sam Houston State Bearkats fans. The pride of Huntsville, Texas is no longer without a victory.
Thanks to a comeback 24-21 victory over the Kennesaw State Owls Saturday, the Bearkats are no longer alone in the ranks of the winless. Now, all 133 FBS teams have a victory to their credit. True, Kennesaw State is a FCS member searching for its own identity with a 2-6 record. Still, a victory is a victory.