Illinois has its hands full with No. 14 Wisconsin
Illinois opens its 2020 season Friday night against the opponent that highlighted its 2019 campaign, an upset that by almost any metric was one of the biggest in all of college football.
Wisconsin came to Memorial Stadium ranked No. 6 in the country having not trailed in a game to that point, a 30-point favorite over Illinois, which was 2-4 with a home loss to Eastern Michigan.
Somehow James McCourt's 39-yard field goal as time expired gave the Illini a 24-23 victory, started a four-game Big Ten winning streak and led to their first bowl game in coach Lovie Smith's four years.
"It was definitely a confidence booster," said Illini senior middle linebacker Jake Hansen. "It kind of showed we weren't an old Illinois team that kind of would just roll over. The 4-8 or 2-10 Illinois team that would just accept defeat.
"It showed the work we put in wasn't just for nothing."
Plenty of key participants are back for both sides, including Hansen, Illini quarterback Brandon Peters and nine starters on Wisconsin's defense led by leading tackler Jack Sanborn from Lake Zurich.
The teams will open the 125th season of Big Ten football in an empty Camp Randall Stadium at 7 p.m. (Big Ten Network).
A quick scan of predictions show not many are buying what will be Smith's most experienced Illinois team. Phil Steele, Athlon, Pick Six Previews, College Football News, 247 Sports and The Sporting News all have Illinois tabbed for seventh in the Big Ten West.
So did the Cleveland Plain Dealer's survey of 34 Big Ten beat writers.
"Until we become a consistent winner, this is the position we'll be in quite a few times," said Smith, a 20-point underdog against No. 14 ranked Wisconsin. "Whenever you come into a game and start the football season off and you are 3-touchdown underdogs, it kind of gets you going a little too. We'll be ready to go."
Any chance for Illinois to surpass those expectations starts with Peters, a senior who threw 18 touchdowns last year in his first season after transferring from Michigan.
The Illini are experienced on the line with junior Kendrick Green, senior Doug Kramer, senior Vederian Lowe and senior Alex Palczewski. They have started 24 straight games together.
Kramer, a Hinsdale Central graduate, anchors the group.
"Doug might be a little undersized, but he is one of the hardest workers on our team, one of the smartest guys on our team who knows football really well," Peters said. "I think all the other guys on the offensive line feed off that."
Wide receiver Josh Imatorbhebhe, who transferred from USC, returns after leading Illinois in receiving. So is Valpo transfer Donny Navarro, a Neuqua Valley graduate who caught a 48-yard TD last year against the Badgers. Illinois adds Luke Ford, a former No. 1 tight end recruit in the nation who sat out last year after transferring from Georgia.
While Wisconsin is experienced on defense, the Badgers have several new faces on offense. Last year's star running back Jonathan Taylor is making a quick impact with the Indianapolis Colts, and the Badgers will be starting a freshman QB for just the third time since 1951.
Redshirt freshman Graham Mertz, a prized recruit who picked Wisconsin over Ohio State, Alabama and Clemson, takes over for Jack Coan, out indefinitely after foot surgery.
Hansen, a 2019 Butkus Award semifinalist, fourth-year starting CB Nate Hobbs, DL transfer Roderick Perry II, and LB Milo Eifler are among the players to watch defensively for the Illini. Eifler has to sit out the first half for a targeting penalty in last year's Redbox Bowl.
A second straight bowl game would buck another trend - the Illini have done that just once in the last 28 years.
"As we look at our football team, we made progress last year," Smith said. "And I think we are a stronger football team now. For the most part our best players are back. We are excited to see how we fit in the landscape in 2020."