Saturday night sees the Iowa Hawkeyes hitting the road to take on upstart Big Ten West opponent, the Illinois Fighting Illini. The matchup, which looked rather mundane preseason, has morphed into a bit of a turning point for each team in Week 6.
Iowa is 3-2 overall with a 1-1 Big Ten record. The Illini are 4-1 with a 1-1 Big Ten record. The two are in the thick of things in the Big Ten West and this one could give the winner an early leg up in chasing that crown.
Iowa, while they may not outwardly say it, will be playing with a sense of urgency in this matchup. They know the massive difference 4-2 versus 3-3 in the standings. Illinois is coming off of a dominant showing manhandling Wisconsin in their own home and wants to make another statement to put the Big Ten on notice.
This game has the recipe for a slugfest with two physical, defensive-minded teams and is likely going to be close the entire way. College Football News provided thoughts on how each team can win with a prediction. I also offer a prediction on how this one shakes out.