It has been a long time since the last time the Illinois Fighting Illini football team was the best team in the state. 2019 has been a historic and memorable year for the Fighting Illini led by head coach Lovie Smith. Multiple school records have been broken throughout the season as the team will now be playing in its first bowl game in over five years.
When Smith was hired by Illinois Athletic Director Josh Whitman in 2016, many saw the hire as a way to bring respectability and professionalism to a program that had been mired in controversy and mediocrity. Many wondered when that respectability would come as Smith's football team would win a combined nine games with just four conference games from 2016 to 2018. All has been forgiven as the program has completed turned itself around this season with a current four-game winning streak against Big Ten opponents.
The first and the last game of the current four-game winning streak that made the Illini bowl eligible are the two that will define this season outside of the bowl game. Their upset win against the sixth-ranked Wisconsin Badgers was the biggest upset in school history and could be the biggest upset in college football in 2019 given the circumstances. This past Saturday's come from behind win against Michigan State was the biggest in school history as the Illini scored 27 points in the fourth quarter to win 37-34.
Illinois has two more games left this season to better their bowl bid as they will play the 18th ranked Iowa Hawkeyes in two weeks and host the Northwestern Wildcats in their season finale. If the Illini can pull another upset and defeat the Hawkeyes, they will have a chance to win eight wins and have their best season since the 2007 Rose Bowl team. The difference between being a six-win team and an eight-win team is huge when it comes to bowl season, especially for a program like Illinois.
If the Illini lost their last two games they will most likely play in the Quick Lane Bowl in Detroit the night after Christmas. Their opponent will be the MAC Conference champion and will be an easy game for Illinois fans to travel to. As good as it is for the program to be in any bowl game, this would be the least anticipated game of the possible options.
If they can win out to finish with eight wins and two upset victories over ranked opponents, the Illini may be a sought after team by many bowl invites. There is a good chance that Illinois would be low ranked team heading into Bowl selection Sunday increasing their odds for a better bowl game. The Bowl possibilities include the New Era Pinstripe Bowl, the Tax Slayer Gator Bowl, and the Redbox Bowl. All of which would a great destination for Illinois fans to travel to and would be a more in-demand game to watch also.
A Bowl victory at the end of December or the beginning of January would be the icing on the cake to a terrific season for the Fighting Illini. Football season in the state of Illinois is better when Illinois football is good. With the surprising letdowns from the Northwestern Wildcats and Chicago Bears, Illinois football has been the saving grace for football fans this season.
