Column: Once in the driver’s seat, Illinois needs an unlikely win at the Big House to stay alive in the muddled Big Ten West

The Large Ten season as soon as once more ought to come right down to The Sport, a positive signal normalcy has been restored in Center America.

However earlier than No. 3 Michigan takes on No. 2 Ohio State on Nov. 26 in Columbus, Ohio, each groups are obligated to play this weekend, with the Wolverines internet hosting Illinois in Ann Arbor, Mich., and the Buckeyes touring to Maryland.

Barring twin catastrophes, the battle of Large Ten unbeatens needs to be set and the game’s best rivalry will resume within the Horseshoe, similar because it ever was.

Solely a few weeks in the past, the Michigan-Illinois sport regarded like one of many weekend’s greatest. The Illini had been No. 16 within the preliminary Faculty Soccer Playoff rankings, their first look within the nine-year historical past of the CFP ballot, and tailback Chase Brown’s identify was being whispered in Heisman speak.

However that was earlier than the Illini flopped in back-to-back dwelling losses to Michigan State and Purdue, turning the orange crush into a lot pulp. As an alternative of securing a Large Ten title sport matchup in opposition to Ohio State or Michigan, the Illini now need to upset the Wolverines this week, beat Northwestern within the regular-season finale and hope Purdue stumbles in one in all its last two video games in opposition to Northwestern or Indiana. Illinois has the tiebreaker over Minnesota and Iowa, the opposite West Division co-leaders with Purdue.

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The Large Ten East winner could have a digital bye within the Dec. 3 title sport, during which it will likely be a heavy favourite irrespective of who comes out of the West.

Michigan has just one spectacular win — manhandling Penn State 41-17 in Week 7 — on a comparatively weak schedule. The Wolverines can’t afford to miss the Illini whereas serious about Ohio State, however that’s most likely one of the best probability Illinois has Saturday.

Along with the disappointing losses, Brown, the nation’s main rusher, injured his proper leg within the fourth quarter of Saturday’s 31-24 loss to Purdue. Coach Bret Bielema stated at Monday’s press briefing that Brown was “trending in the suitable path,” however it’s wait-and-see.

Illinois hasn’t performed at Michigan Stadium since 2016 and hasn’t gained in Ann Arbor since a 45-20 shellacking in 2008, when quarterback Juice Williams handed for 310 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 121 yards and two extra TDs. Bielema took a web page out of “Hoosiers” when discussing his group’s probabilities on the iconic stadium.

“Our guys sort of embrace the second to enter anyone else’s place and stay in that second,” he stated. “I identified to them we’ve got a 74-man journey roster that may match their 74-man resort roster. We play on the identical discipline. Now we have the identical tunnel — as I’m positive everyone else has heard, proper?

“So we’ve got loads of the identical issues. It’s nearly who strains up and performs nicely on Saturday.”

Bielema was referring, in fact, to the tunnel incident on Oct. 29 at Michigan Stadium after the Wolverines beat Michigan State. Eight Spartans gamers had been suspended indefinitely for separate assaults within the tunnel on two Michigan gamers. Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh referred to as for legal prices, and police have referred the case to prosecutors after investigating.

Whereas Illinois and Purdue had some skirmishes Saturday, Bielema stated sharing the infamous tunnel with Michigan isn’t a giant concern.

“I actually don’t foresee any issues,” he stated. “I simply actually haven’t involved myself with these (issues). I don’t suppose anybody desires a head coach fearful about tunnel administration. I believe our guys will know the protocol.”

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That ugly brawl was the lowlight of the Large Ten season, which in any other case has performed out near type. Large Ten officers can’t be pleased in regards to the likelihood of a title sport blowout in Indianapolis, however they’ll relaxation straightforward understanding the present lopsided state of its two soccer divisions needs to be a factor of the previous when USC and UCLA arrive from the Pac-12 in 2024.

Whether or not the 2 California faculties will be part of the West, as geography dictates, or the convention will go along with a non-divisional format stays to be seen. Nonetheless, the possibilities of a mediocre group advancing to the Large Ten title sport needs to be considerably lessened in two years.

At 7-3, Illinois is assured of a bowl sport it doesn’t matter what occurs on the Large Home, and as an 18-point underdog, not a lot is anticipated. If the anticipated butt-kicking happens, the Illini could have blown their probability to win the Large Ten West and certain will accept a second-rate bowl such because the Assured Fee, ReliaQuest or TransPerfect Music Metropolis bowls.

It nonetheless can be a serious step ahead for this system. A bowl is a bowl to bowl-deprived Illini followers. It additionally can be a tribute to Bielema, the second-year coach who has made the group related faster than anybody anticipated. The Illini haven’t completed with a successful file since going 7-6 in 2011.

But it surely gained’t appear that approach for some followers after having management of the division earlier than the brutal losses to the Spartans and Boilermakers.

“As a head coach I’m dissatisfied within the outcomes, however I’m not dissatisfied in the place we’re at,” Bielema stated. “That’s a key factor. It’s paying off for us in recruiting.”

Whereas Bielema appears to be like to make progress, Harbaugh hopes to tug off a Dusty Baker-style journey to his first nationwide title and Michigan’s first since 1997, when it cut up the 2 polls with Nebraska.

Like Baker with the 2022 Houston Astros, Harbaugh has a historical past of powerful endings and several other twists and turns over his faculty and NFL teaching profession.

He’s one in all faculty soccer’s most attention-grabbing personalities and has a more-than-respectable 71-14 file in eight years at his alma mater. Most alumni can be ecstatic if their faculty’s coach had a file like Harbaugh’s, however he at all times has been tough to like, even for a lot of Maize and Blue die-hards.

Harbaugh hasn’t gained a bowl sport since Michigan beat Florida within the 2015 Citrus Bowl, going 0-5 since, together with final yr’s 34-11 Orange Bowl loss to eventual champion Georgia in a CFP semifinal.

This may very well be his greatest shot at a nationwide title — and in the end, vindication.