After going 8-4 and fielding one of the better defenses in college football last year, Illinois has had to swallow a tough dose of reality in 2023. The Fighting Illini sit at 5-6 with a 3-5 conference mark, and Bret Bielema’s team has varied greatly on a week-to-week basis. Following a narrow loss to No. 16 Iowa, learn more about the team Northwestern faces to end every regular season from Adam Rosen, The Daily Illini’s assistant sports editor.
INU: Illinois was expected to regress slightly following so much talent departing, but not to this degree.