You may have missed this, but the Iowa football team and Illinois are tied for third in the Big Ten West division at 3-3, and the Fighting Illini sit just one game behind the Hawks in wins.
Qualifying for a bowl game for the first time since the 2014 season, this isn’t the same old Illinois team that Kirk Ferentz and the Iowa football program have beat up on over the past five seasons.
They’re actually a talented bunch, and former NFL Head Coach Lovie Smith has this team buzzing with momentum. After beating the previously undefeated Wisconsin Badgers, Smith’s team has churned out three more wins in a row to go from 2-4 to 6-4.