If you asked anyone on campus at the beginning of the year if Illinois football would be 4-1 at this point, tied for first place in the Big Ten and favored – yes, favored, by three points – against the No. 5 team in the country, I doubt there would be too many believers.

As implausible as it may seem, this is just the case going into this weekend’s game against the Wisconsin Badgers. But then again, this season seems to be chalked with improbability.

From the team’s sterling record, to drastic improvement brought in by Coach Wolford on the offensive line, Will Davis becoming a sack machine and even the emergence of Eddie McGee, things have been surprising for Illinois football to say the least.

Unfortunately for the Illini, they are facing a Wisconsin team with a dynamic offense that features one of, if not the, best running backs in the Big Ten in P.J. Hill. The Badger passing game isn’t too shabby either, capped by another challenging tight end for the Illini to contend with in Travis Beckum. In addition to Beckum, Wisconsin’s deep threat comes in the form of Luke Swan, who is averaging 18.3 yards per catch.

The balance of the Badger offense is what worries me. While Illinois does have a superb running game, the passing game lacks balance and consistency, stalling at very inopportune times.

Juice Williams did start off extremely well against Penn State, but he was taken out for a reason: He wasn’t passing nearly as accurately as needed. McGee’s entrance and subsequent 53-yard run was one of the biggest plays of the game and provided the spark the offense needed. Although he only had three attempts, McGee did not complete a pass against the Nittany Lions, adding to the frustration.

Wisconsin’s Tyler Donovan, conversely, has been extremely efficient in the Badgers’ five games. He has completed 62 percent of his passes and thrown for nine touchdowns. His performance so far has kept teams from keying on Hill too much, allowing the offense to operate more smoothly.

But as much as the Badgers have in their favor, there does seem to be some credence to the thought that Illinois may be ready for another “upset.”

The Badger defense has been porous at times this year. It allowed 31 points to The Citadel of the Championship Subdivision, and last week Michigan State, namely the explosive Javon Ringer, ran for 241 yards on the Badger defense.

While Ringer is an exceptional back, Rashard Mendenhall has played as well as Ringer and outrushed him on the season. Mendenhall likely has a bit more power than Ringer and should be able to get to the second level to disrupt the Badgers’ defense.

In addition to the running game working in Illinois’ favor, the Illini defense is likely better than the Badgers’ unit. Both groups have experience, but the Illini have a definite edge in their linebacking corps. With both team’s running games so potent, the linebackers will have their hands full this week.

The Illini defensive backs will likely have an edge over their counterparts, too, because Wisconsin’s best cover corner, Jack Ikegwuonu, may not be 100 percent this week after sitting out most of last weekend’s game with migraine headaches. Facing Arrelious Benn probably won’t alleviate those headaches, either.

It seems that yet again, the onus will fall upon the Illini quarterbacks this week. Eddie McGee is a good option to go to if Williams has fits of inconsistent play, but isn’t a solution right now. Williams needs to break out of his funk of starting well and regressing as the game goes on. He doesn’t need to throw for 250 yards and three touchdowns; rather, as he has said in the past, he must let the game come to him.

While the season may have surprised campus and the media, it isn’t anything that has shocked the Illini team, especially junior linebacker Brit Miller. Miller has had full confidence in the Illini all season and knows that a victory this week would vault the Illini into even more improbably elite company.

“We plan on going out there and getting a victory,” Miller said on Tuesday. “If that does happen, I’m definitely saying we’re top 15 in the nation. Going out there this week and getting an opportunity … It’s what college football should be about instead of what we’ve been going through the past couple of years.”

Daniel Johnson is a junior in Communications. He can be reached at [email protected].