If one month ago someone told you Iowa-Illinois would be either the championship or consolation game for Iowa-Wisconsin and Illinois-Nebraska, which would you have chosen? Well, against the odds, the Hawkeyes and Illini are both 1-0 in the Big Ten.
How to watch Illinois vs. Iowa on TV or online, plus 3 things to know
Iowa and Illinois are both good? Welcome to 2015.
Iowa went into the season at a crossroads, as the Hawkeyes haven’t been nationally relevant since 2010. But after an impressive 4-0 non-conference season that featured an Iowa we haven’t ever seen, the Hawkeyes got their biggest win since 2009, upsetting Wisconsin in Madison. The defense has been impressive and the offense has been much more dynamic than it has been in years past, helping vault Iowa to co-favorite position in the Big Ten West.
Meanwhile, Illinois has had a surprisingly good start to the season, as well. After starting the season with blowout wins against cupcakes, the Illini looked to be in trouble after being blown out at North Carolina. However, they bounced back to pull out last-second wins against Middle Tennessee and Nebraska. This will be their toughest test of the season, but they’re 1-0 in the conference, which is much better than most people expected after former head coach Tim Beckman was fired the week before the season.
Will the Big Ten West get even more surprising? Illinois will try to pull off an upset in Iowa City to throw the division race even further out of whack.
How to watch, stream and listen
TV: Noon ET, ESPN2
Online streaming: WatchESPN
Spread: Iowa is favored by 10 points.
Make friends: Get to SB Nation’s team blog chats for this game at Black Heart Gold Pants for Iowa fans and The Champaign Room for Illinois fans.
Three big things to know
1. Illinois will likely be without top running back Josh Ferguson. That means quarterback Wes Lunt has to be on top of his game against a secondary that includes arguably the Big Ten’s best cornerback so far this season, Desmond King.
2. Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz likes doing weird things these days. Don’t be alarmed if you turn this game on and see a fake field goal or a fourth down try.
3. If Iowa wins this game, the Hawkeyes might have sole position of the Big Ten West lead heading into a monster game against Northwestern.
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