For the foreseeable future, Rutgers is the Illinois of the Big Ten West and Illinois is the Rutgers of the Big Ten West.
At least in the eyes of the Big Ten schedule-makers.
Consider this: Big Ten teams get three crossover games per year against opponents from the other seven-team division. There must be some sort of arbitrary rotation, right?
Except Rutgers faces Illinois every year from 2016-21. That CAN'T be a mistake.
Who knows? By 2021, maybe Rutgers and Illinois, led by respective sixth-year coaches Chris Ash and Lovie Smith, are annual bowl participants competing at the top of the Big Ten.