There is a long-standing Big Ten rivalry on the basketball court between Indiana and Illinois, but the meetings on the football field between the Hoosiers and the Illini have not garnered much of hatred as of late. This is partially due to neither school having sustained much success in recent years as well as the Big Ten’s divisional structure.
Only a three-hour drive separates the schools, but this will be the first football game between them since a 24-14 win by the Hoosiers in Champaign during the 2017 season. This will be Illinois’ first trip to Indiana since 2013, a game Indiana won 52-35. Three meetings in the last decade is a massive shift for a rivalry that saw both programs play every season from 1995 to 2013.
Indiana has had the better run of results as of late, winning the last three meetings, but Illinois controls the all-time series with a record of 45-24-2.
Illinois vs. Indiana: Need to know
This is already a crucial game for both teams: Both Indiana and Illinois hope to go bowling this season, but neither is guaranteed to get there. When fans of both teams looked ahead at their respective schedule in the offseason, this game was circled as one of the potential six wins needed. So while there’s no such thing as a “must win” this early in the season, this is a “probably should win” if they want to have a realistic shot of playing this postseason.
Indiana has lost nine straight Big Ten games: The Hoosiers were one of 2020’s biggest surprises, going 6-2 overall and 6-1 in the Big Ten during a shortened season with the lone conference loss coming to Ohio State. Indiana couldn’t carry that success into 2021 despite starting the year ranked in the major polls, going 2-10 and winless in Big Ten play. That included eight straight losses to finish the season. A win Friday would not only end its conference losing streak, but it would be the team’s first win since a 33-31 victory over Western Kentucky on Sept. 25.
Illinois has yet to win consecutive games under Bret Bielema: Last year in Week 0, the Illini surprised people with an upset win over Nebraska. They followed it up with a 37-30 home loss to UTSA, the first of four consecutive losses. Last week, Illinois again won its Week 0 home opener, crushing Wyoming 38-6. It’s hoping history doesn’t repeat itself and looking to kick a trend of inconsistency. While last year’s Nebraska win was the only one to be…
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