'You learn to beat Michigan 365 days a year'

What happened

Illinois and Michigan turned back the clock on Saturday afternoon in Champaign. Really leaned in to celebrating Red Grange and 100 years of football at Memorial Stadium with a pair of offenses more successful running the ball than throwing it. The Illini, of course, weren’t a complete disaster through the air like the Wolverines (who got some late, meaningless stats) and a Luke Altmyer touchdown pass was one of two for the Illinois quarterback in a 21-7 win.

What it means

Saturday’s win means Illinois is bowl eligible for the second time in the Bret Bielema era and just the eighth time this century. Kind of a big deal. With postseason eligibility secured, of course, now the question becomes just how good of a bowl game the Illini will wind up landing. The College Football Playoff isn’t out of the picture just yet. Not for a Big Ten team with only one loss and now three wins against opponents that were at least ranked at the time.

Illinois’ first foray to the Big Ten’s new furthest west reaches won’t be an easy one. Oregon is the No. 2 team in the country with arguably one of the biggest wins in the country with its 32-31 victory against Ohio State two weeks ago. Slowing down Heisman Trophy candidate Dillon Gabriel and the Ducks’ high-powered offense will be the toughest challenge the Illini have faced so far this season.

What was said

“I did stress to our guys on Sunday you’re going to get a million questions about how you beat Michigan or how you prepare for Michigan. I told them, ‘Listen, I learned this from a very wise man — my mentor Barry Alvarez. You learn to beat Michigan 365 days a year. You do the things you do every day to take advantage of moments like this.’ It was really, really rewarding.” — Bielema after the Illini did, in fact, beat Michigan