The Week 11 Preview: Indiana Hoosiers vs. Illinois Fighting Illini

Last Week's Recap: For the sake of my own sanity, I'll keep this one brief. Minnesota beat IU 42-39. Any other details of this game can be found be looking at other articles here, and other game recaps elsewhere, because I'd rather not take half this article ranting about it. Thank you.

Game Info: This Saturday, the Hoosiers host the Illini at our Memorial Stadium in the 3:30 timeslot. Paul Burmeister, Chuck Long, and Eric Crouch have the coverage for the BTN.

Series History: Illinois leads the series 45-23-2, leads the series in Bloomington 15-13-1, but lost last year in Champaign 31-17. The teams are 5-5 in their last 10 meetings.

Indiana Notes: For the second time this season, IU running backs Stephen Houston and Tevin Coleman both broke the 100 yard mark in the same game; the last time IU backs accomplished the feat in a Big Ten game was 2003 against Northwestern (BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Brian Lewis). K Mitch Ewald has yet to miss a field goal or extra point this season, and is IU's all-time leader in pretty much all kicking stats at this point. Finally, Indiana has the third fewest 3-and-outs in the country, which tells you exactly how much that stat is worth.

Illinois Notes, courtesy of OTE's own hail2orngeNblue: Illinois has reached their "do or die" tipping point for a bowl game. The Illini need 3 more wins to become bowl eligible and have Indiana, Ohio St, Purdue and Northwestern left. Purdue is certainly a winnable game and Northwestern is in complete disarray but Illinois has no chance verses a Buckeye team looking to impress and light up the scoreboard and I can't see them even slowing down the Hoosier's offense. Also have to wonder how much of a grip Tim Beckman has left on the locker room after blaming Scheelhaase for the poor clock management at the end of the 1^st half of the Penn St game and throwing Cubit under the buss for throwing out of their own endzone because of lack of faith in the run game. He's been in "job Save" mode all year telling anybody who'll listen how the cupboards were bare when he got here and it's not his fault. This week it's been about Kevin Wilson's success in year 3, wink wink.

Predictions: [CfB] Despite my doom and gloom predictions for IU all week, I'd like to think this team is good enough to beat Illinois at home. If Saturday proves this thought incorrect, I reserve the right to say "I told you so" and officially give up on this season. Until then, Indiana 45, Illinois 24.

[hail2orngeNblue] I think Illinois runs ball control trying to slow Indiana down, will wait till their down 21 to rev things up and will lose 59-22.