Illinois’ matchup with the Northwestern Wildcats may seem to be somewhat devoid of meaning at first glance: the Illini are already bowl eligible with seven wins, and the Wildcats have long ago lost any hope of even getting to five wins and a possible bowl opportunity through APR. But at least for the Illini, taking the HAT gives Bret Bielema a chance to end the regular season on a high note and move into bowl preparations with momentum. And, of course, an 8-win team is more likely to get picked by a higher quality bowl than a 7-win team.
Illinois needs to go back to what worked
