Badger of Honor
Fansided

Wisconsin football has a case to move up in Big Ten power rankings

By Tanner Nestle

IOWA CITY, IOWA- SEPTEMBER 22: Wide receiver Kendric Pryor #3 of the Wisconsin Badgers runs up the field in the second half in front of defensive back Michael Ojemudia #11 of the Iowa Hawkeyes, on September 22, 2018 at Kinnick Stadium, in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images)
IOWA CITY, IOWA- SEPTEMBER 22: Wide receiver Kendric Pryor #3 of the Wisconsin Badgers runs up the field in the second half in front of defensive back Michael Ojemudia #11 of the Iowa Hawkeyes, on September 22, 2018 at Kinnick Stadium, in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images) /
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CHAMPAIGN, IL – SEPTEMBER 21: M.J. Rivers II #8 of the Illinois Fighting Illini looks to pass the ball during the game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Memorial Stadium on September 21, 2018 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

Illinois beat out Minnesota, Rutgers, Indiana, and Nebraska to bring up the rear of this week’s rankings. There isn’t much reason for it besides the Fighting Illini were able to scrap their way through the first three quarters of play against Penn State. It even held a lead at one point after halftime.

The fourth quarter was a completely different story as the wheels totally fell off and Penn State put up 35 points in the final fifteen minutes.

Illinois gave it everything they could and played admirably through most of the game against one of the best teams in the entire country. That’s more than some other teams in the Big Ten can say.

If Illinois was able to pull off this upset it would have been insane. I’m not into moral victories but Illinois should take everything it can from this game. It’s important to build off of that performance for a program in such an uneasy place and its coach on the hot seat.

Illinois has a bye week before it hosts Rutgers the following week. If Illinois is able to take any positives from the game against Penn State we’ll see it on display against the Scarlet Knights. After that, the Fighting Illini go to Madison where, as of right now, that game doesn’t seem favorable to Illinois. That fact is unlikely to change, but I’ll wait and see.