Let's go bowling (maybe)

Among the many cornfields and farms that reside in the countryside of Illinois lies the university, another Big Ten school that places much more emphasis on basketball than football. This weekend, the Hoosiers travel to Champaign to face the Fighting Illini on the Illini's Senior Day. \nThough the teams have similar records, the Hoosiers are looking to continue to scrap their way to a .500 record and a possible bowl game while the Fighting Illini are just hoping for, well, anything resembling a win.\nIt wasn't long ago that Illinois won the Big Ten championship in football, but in recent years the program has tapered off to the tune of three wins in the past two seasons combined. So far this year, where there have been many signs of improvement for the Hoosiers, there have been only a few for the Fighting Illini. \nSuffice to say, it really doesn't matter what the team's records are entering this game because it's important to both teams.\nOffensively, the Hoosiers have taken off. Last week against Minnesota, IU gained 399 total yards on offense, highlighted by the 254 rushing yards gained by the Green-Ellis, Taylor and Washington committee. But more important than the total number of yards was the excellent play of the offensive line which will be extremely important for the Hoosiers if they want to beat Illinois. The Fighting Illini employ an attacking defense that boasts a lot of speed, so the IU offensive line will need to pick up everybody that's rushing Matt LoVecchio.\nOn the defensive side of the ball, the Hoosiers were finally able to put together four solid quarters of defense, limiting the potent Minnesota rushing attack to just 169 yards while turning an interception into a touchdown. The defense has fought through injuries and inconsistent play through the help of its leaders, Kyle Killion and Herana-Daze Jones, both of whom are among the top 10 leaders in tackles in the Big Ten. In order to earn a win over Illinois, the Hoosiers will need Killion and Jones to be all over the field and keep the defense focused.\nTo the Fighting Illini's credit, the team does have a few playmakers. Sophomore tailback Pierre Thomas currently ranks No. 24 in the country in all-purpose yardage and is always a threat when he touches the ball. Senior quarterback Jon Beutjer is in the midst of his sixth year of college football, so by now you have to figure that he's somewhat decent of a quarterback. But no matter how well Thomas and Beutjer play, they still have to go against an IU defense that's found its confidence.\nThe Hoosiers are very capable of winning this game and moving within one game of a 5-5 mark, though it's not easy to win in Champaign. The last time IU won at Illinois was in 1979, and the Fighting Illini dominate the overall series, 40-18-3. \nThis game is a benchmark in the DiNardo program. Back-to-back Big Ten wins is a serious step in the right direction, but a loss would fill familiar shoes for the Hoosiers.