Let’s set the scene a little bit here. The date is Nov. 6, 2021. The Fighting Illini football team is in Minneapolis to face off against the Minnesota Golden Gophers, who have just been ranked No. 20 in the first set of rankings from the College Football Playoff Committee.
In the previous two weeks, we’ve seen this Illini team beat No. 7 Penn State on the road, only to drop a home contest with Rutgers the very next week. After that disappointing loss, you’re watching this Minnesota game thinking—there’s no way this is the same team that just lost to Rutgers.