The most melancholy of bowl games brings in the new year as Illinois takes on heavy-hearted Mississippi State, who lost their head coach and pirate captain Mike Leach back on December 12th in a tragic heart attack. It is an unfortunate situation for Illinois who only made two bowls in the the last decade and haven’t won a bowl since 2011. They would be a popular team to support given their long history but won’t happen here as the whole country hopes Mississippi State gives the old pirate one last sword swing.
How did Illinois get here?
Having an impressive six game winning streak bookended by an opening day win and knocking off their rival in the finale. The winning streak saw them slay Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota. When UI is successful their offense uses a dominating ground game to set up the pass and then a stingy defense to old the opponent to very few points.
How did Mississippi State get here?
Avoiding any massive losing streaks. State started 2-0 then dropped a game to LSU but they won their next three. After back-to-back losses they stepped up and took down struggling Auburn to clinch a bowl. After George blew them out, MSU again righted the ship and won their final two games, including knocking off archrival Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl. Unlike most Leach teams, MSU has a real defensive identity. Of course they aren’t afraid to move the ball and quarterback Will Rodgers is very effective at doing just that.
Why should we watch?
Obviously the emotions surrounding MSU and Leach’s passing make this a strange watch but we all want those kids to end the year strong make this compelling, so what about the Xs and Os? Well Illinois’s stout D versus Will Rodgers definitely gets me excited. It is a shame Illinois’s star back Chase Brown is sitting out to prep for the NFL but that’s the era we live in, wish him nothing but the best as he embarks on his pro career.
Who should win…and should you bet?
I’m worried without Chase Brown, Illinois’s ground game won’t be good enough to dictate the pace of play or time of possession like Bret Bielema wants to do so I’d lean towards Mississippi State. Do I trust things enough to bet on this game? Nope.
How to watch?
- Date: Monday, January 2nd
- Time: 11:00 am, central
- TV: ESPN 2
- Location: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
Random Tidbit:
Despite having more wins, a better winning percentage, national titles, and conference titles, most of Illinois’s success came before the advent of the AP poll. As a result Mississippi State actually boasts more weeks ranked in the poll (208 to 186) and more weeks ranked number one in the nation (5 to 0).
Big Ten and Counting 