Illinois beat Minnesota on Oct. 6, 2001, the first of seven straight Big Ten wins as the Illini rolled to their first outright conference championship since 1983 and fourth-ever 10-win season. They didn't win four straight Big Ten games in 2002, nor did they win four straight Big Ten games in any of the following 16 seasons.
On Saturday in East Lansing, Illinois stunned Michigan State by erasing a 25-point deficit to win 37-34. It was their fourth straight Big Ten win, their first four-game conference winning streak since 2001. With the win, Illinois is bowl eligible for the first time since 2014.
Shockingly, with only three weeks remaining in the regular season (and two Illinois games), the Illini can finish second in the Big Ten West.
We discussed the possibility on this week's High Motor podcast:
