Interviews with Frenemies: Illinois

Penn State is home against No. 19 Illinois on Saturday, an early season Top-20 showdown for the Lions. How have the Illini gotten off to such a good start and what might help them pull another upset in Happy Valley. We asked Brandt Dolce of The Champaign Room, our sister SB Nation site.

I’ll acknowledge that I didn’t watch much Illinois football in 2023 after mid-September’s Penn State game. But, in looking back at last year’s schedule, the Illini played a ton of close games, especially in the latter half of the year. What lessons were learned there that have led to this hot start for the Illini?

I don’t think it’s the experience of the close losses last year, or what the coaching staff…