Bret Bielema has come a long way since he signed with Illinois in 2020. The former Wisconsin coach now finds himself coaching his old team for the first time against his old team, with Illinois favored by nearly two touchdowns on the road at Camp Randall Stadium.
It's a stark contrast to the past, when Wisconsin and Illinois took opposite turns in October 2022. In that game, Wisconsin was heavily favored but lost 34-10 to Bielema's new school. Fast forward three years, and Bielema is now the one calling the shots for his old team, which has won six games so far this season.
The Illini are looking to tie their record for wins over a two-year period with a victory at Wisconsin, a feat last accomplished in 1902 and 1903. They will need to shut down the Badgers' struggling offense to achieve that goal.
Bielema is focusing on the present rather than past expectations. "I knew starting November what we could accomplish if we did what we needed to do," he said. The Illini are averaging 32.2 points per game, a number in range of their school scoring record.
Wisconsin, on the other hand, has struggled all season and is facing another disappointing end to the campaign. If they lose, it will be their second consecutive bowl-less year, a first for the program since the 1985-1992 stretch.
This weekend's matchup at Wisconsin promises to be an exciting one, with Illinois looking to pull off a convincing victory against its old rival.
It's a stark contrast to the past, when Wisconsin and Illinois took opposite turns in October 2022. In that game, Wisconsin was heavily favored but lost 34-10 to Bielema's new school. Fast forward three years, and Bielema is now the one calling the shots for his old team, which has won six games so far this season.
The Illini are looking to tie their record for wins over a two-year period with a victory at Wisconsin, a feat last accomplished in 1902 and 1903. They will need to shut down the Badgers' struggling offense to achieve that goal.
Bielema is focusing on the present rather than past expectations. "I knew starting November what we could accomplish if we did what we needed to do," he said. The Illini are averaging 32.2 points per game, a number in range of their school scoring record.
Wisconsin, on the other hand, has struggled all season and is facing another disappointing end to the campaign. If they lose, it will be their second consecutive bowl-less year, a first for the program since the 1985-1992 stretch.
This weekend's matchup at Wisconsin promises to be an exciting one, with Illinois looking to pull off a convincing victory against its old rival.
sounds like Bret Bielema has got his team on track after that tough 2022 season. I love how he's focusing on the present and not getting caught up in past expectations... it shows he's grown as a coach 
. The Illini are looking strong, averaging 32.2 points per game - they're definitely gonna need to keep that up if they wanna tie that record 
. Wisconsin's defense is gonna be put to the test on Saturday 
. Can't wait to see how this one plays out!
he was literally getting roasted as the new coach of illinois just 3 yrs ago and now he's back at wisconsin calling the shots 
. it's crazy to think about how much his program has turned around, especially considering those blowout losses they took from illinois in 2022 
. now il is all about shutting down badgers' offense and tying their record for wins over a 2-yr period... that'd be huge 
. it's gonna be an epic matchup this weekend, illinois looks like the clear fav but wisconsin's struggles all season make u think they might pull off an upset 
I gotta say, Bret Bielema has been on quite the journey! From being the new kid in town at Illinois to now having his foot in the door with his old team... it's a whole different vibe this time around. The Illini are looking strong, averaging 32.2 points per game - that's some solid offense. But let's be real, the Badgers have been struggling all season and they're gonna need some serious turn-around magic to keep up with the Illini.
, I mean Bret Bielema has come a long way and it's crazy how far his team has come since that 2022 loss 
, but now he's coaching the Badgers, which is like full circle right? and can you believe Illinois is favored by nearly two touchdowns?! they've been on fire this season averaging 32.2 points per game 
.
. Can't we just have some live chat or something? I mean, I've been waiting for like 5 minutes to post this comment and it's still stuck in moderation 
.
. Those Badgers have been struggling all season and it's hard to see them bouncing back.
, so it's gonna be tough for them to come back from behind. On the other hand, Illini's been scoring points left and right - maybe they're due for an early season slump? 
Either way, this game should be a blast to watch! 
It sounds like they're trying to hide their past struggles, you know? 32.2 points per game is pretty impressive, but what about the defense? How are they gonna stop Wisconsin's offense when it's struggling too? 
I need some stats on that one before I fully buy into this.
...guess you can't always stay on top and sometimes you gotta rebuild 
[ image of a meme showing Bret Bielema as a "cool cat" ] 
[ animated GIF of money going into the pocket ] 
32.2 points per game, whoa! 
That's some serious scoring power!
. This could be a big test for Bielema to prove that he's the right coach for his old team. If Illinois can shut down the Badgers' offense, I think they've got this 
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i feel bad for the badgers fans, they've been through so much since the bowl-less years started... it's like, what even is success anymore? does it have to be winning or can it just be about personal growth & learning from our mistakes? bielema's focus on the present is really interesting too... are we just chasing wins at all costs or can we find meaning in those victories too? 
. Now he's their coach and is expected to pull off a huge upset against his old team? That's a pretty big leap in my opinion 
meanwhile wisconsin's offense is just...meh 
, averaging 32.2 points per game, and I think that's gonna give them the edge they need to beat the Badgers 
, so I'm thinking he'll get his team to pull off this big upset 
. Wisconsin's just not having their best season, but you never know, maybe they'll turn it around 
. Either way, this game is gonna be a great one to watch 
!