Illinois (8-4) will follow in the footsteps of its basketball team and head to Nashville, Tennessee. The Illini are set to take on Tennessee (8-4) in the Music City Bowl.
“We are excited to accept the invitation to a first-class bowl game against a quality SEC opponent in Tennessee,” said head coach Bret Bielema in a press release.
Same as last year, the Illini will have an opportunity to prove themselves against an SEC team on a national stage. Their win over South Carolina last season played a big part in the Illini’s preseason hype this year.
It won’t be easy, however. All four of the Volunteers’ losses came against ranked opponents, and three of them were against playoff teams. They have a high-scoring offense, averaging 40.75 points per game, the best in the SEC.
However, Tennessee’s defense is near the bottom in points allowed. Given the struggles Illinois’ defense has had against top teams, the Music City Bowl could end up being a high-scoring affair.
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Last year’s Music City Bowl featured Missouri and Iowa. The then-No. 19 Tigers took down the Hawkeyes 27-24.
While it might not have been the season it hoped for, Illinois still found success. It’s the first time since 2010-11 that the Illini have gone to a bowl game in back-to-back seasons.
With a win, Illinois would have nine or more wins in back-to-back seasons for the first time ever. The closest the Illini have ever been to that mark was 1989-90. They won 10 games in 1989 and eight in 1990.
The Music City Bowl will take place at Nissan Stadium on Dec. 30 at 4:30 p.m. CST. The game will air on ESPN.
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