At this point in the season, it’s apparent the Illini won’t be doing much damage against teams with good rushing attacks. Even against average to below-average rushing attacks, the Illini have struggled. This weekend, Illinois travels to Madison, Wis., to take on the Badgers, and Wisconsin runs the ball effectively. 

Illini defense vs. Melvin Gordon

In 1996, Wisconsin running back Ron Dayne broke the record for most rushing yards in a game for the Badgers with 339. Sorry Ron, but your record might be in jeopardy. Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon is a Heisman Trophy candidate this year. He has rushed for 871 yards and scored nine touchdowns.

Reilly O’Toole vs. Aaron Bailey

It is still unknown who will be starting at quarterback for the Illini on Saturday. After Wes Lunt went down with an injury, the team has quarterback competition between senior Reilly O’Toole and sophomore Aaron Bailey. Early in the season, it was thought that Bailey might redshirt, but that might no longer be the case after Lunt’s injury. By all accounts, Bailey is talented, but questions have come up about how well he can lead Bill Cubit’s offense. O’Toole knows the plays, but has trouble executing and makes poor decisions while under pressure. However, it’s likely O’Toole will get the start. 

Tim Beckman vs. The World

Ok, so not the world, but there are few people who think the Illinois head coach should still be coaching this team. In his press conference earlier this week, Beckman showed us he knows how to count, stating that if the Illini win the rest of their games, they would have nine wins. That is true, but ridiculously unlikely.

Sam can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @Sam_Sherman5.