Illinois Football: Can Illini turn it around against Nebraska in Week 4?
By Ryan Kay
Illinois football lost a tough game against Eastern Michigan on Saturday afternoon, but the Illini have a chance to bounce back in Week 4.
It’s a complicated question but yes, Illinois can still go to a bowl game but the path becomes more difficult after losing on a last second field goal to Eastern Michigan. After three games, the Illini are 2-1 which isn’t shocking but with an efficient and effective passing game and an improved defense, the future is still bright.
Illinois head coach Lovie Smith and his team want to be able to play meaningful games in November. In Big Ten country when the weather becomes more unpredictable and the cold and sometime freezing temps deter more fans from attending the games, having a team in contention for a bowl game even after losing at home to Eastern Michigan is important.
The last time that the Fighting Illini went to a bowl game was 2014 when the played in the Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl where they lost to Louisiana Tech. It was also the last time they played meaningful games in November when they beat Penn State and in-state rival Northwestern.
Many believe, and hope, 2019 will be the year where they are playing meaningful games in November and qualify for a bowl game and if so, they will have an opportunity possibly to win their bowl game and take that momentum into next season.
The hope and expectation is for this year’s Illinois team to mirror that of the 2011 team that went 7-6 and beat a quality Power Five team in their bowl game like they did that season when they beat UCLA. That season they started off with six straight wins and even in their losses that year they lost by only 10 points to Ohio State and on the road they were very competitive against Purdue and Penn State were they lost by seven and three points, respectively.
The ultimate long term goal to for Illinois to have a successful season this year and use it to propel it to what the 2001 Fighting Illini team did by only losing one regular season game and playing in the Sugar Bowl where they played LSU. Smith is starting to recruit top-end talent and he is convincing high end transfers to come to Champaign.
Going to a bowl game this season and winning it will help tremendously in achieving that goal.