Illinois football is searching for a win in efforts to push the Fighting Illini to their first bowl appearance since 2019 after starting the season 3-1 with a lone loss to Indiana in Week 2.

Wisconsin, on the other hand, is just trying to right the ship. The Badgers have lost 2 straight to Washington State and Ohio State, losing out on their Top 25 ranking for a .500 record heading into Week 5.

For what it’s worth, The Badgers are projected to end the losing streak at 2. ESPN’s FPI projections have the Badgers defending home turf against the Fighting Illini, giving the Badgers a 74.3% chance of winning.

Braelon Allen is a tough ask for any defense this season, and the Fighting Illini are no exception. Allen, Wisconsin’s star running back, has amassed 497 yards and 6 trips to the end zone through just 4 games.

You could say that about Chase Brown, too. Illinois’ star running back leads the nation in rushing yards with 604 and 3 touchdowns to boot.

Tommy DeVito and Graham Mertz have been on the same wavelength, too. DeVito has played best between the 2, having passed for 951 yards, 9 touchdowns and a pair of interceptions. Mertz has 3 interceptions with 791 yards and 7 touchdowns through the air.

The game is slated for Noon in Madison on Big Ten Network.