The Big Ten is in chaos right now, with every team delivering unexpected results on any given day. In a desperate move, Maryland pulled off a road victory over Illinois, handing the Illini their third loss in four games. The pressure is mounting on Brad Underwood, as critics express growing concerns about the team’s prospects heading into March Madness.

In the recent episode of The Field of 68: After Dark; Rob Dauster mentioned, “You shouldn’t get 20 pieced at home by a Maryland team that can’t win on the road, just because you’re missing one guy like there should be some fight and there was no fight there.”

After an upset 91-70 loss to Maryland, Brad and the team are left grappling with a noticeable decline in their free-throw performance since conference play started. The absence of center Tomislav Ivišić due to illness only added to their challenges, and with 16 turnovers, they suffered their first back-to-back losses since last season.

“I’m really worried about Illinois right now, I think they are one of the few teams that can beat literally” Rob explained, “Like if they beat Duke in Madison Square Garden I would not be surprised cuz that’s how good they can be when they’re good, I just have a very difficult time right now saying I can see them winning even four games in a row and getting to final four in march.”

Illinois currently sits 9th in the Big Ten conference with a 13-6 record, going 5-4 in conference play. They’ve shown their potential, as seen in their impressive 94-69 win over the five-time champions, Indiana Hoosiers. Despite big wins, Illinois has struggled to maintain that level of play consistently, which raises doubts about their ability to string together multiple wins. With this inconsistency in mind, Northwestern will look to capitalize on the opportunity and pull off another upset.

Northwestern looks to upset Illinois again

The Wildcats are currently on the wrong side of the NCAA Tournament bubble; while they’re still in the conversation, they wouldn’t make it if the season ended today. The good news for Northwestern is that they’ve faced a brutal Big Ten schedule in January, but February brings a lighter slate, giving them a real chance to play their way into the tournament. Before that happens, though, they’ll have to face Illinois in a tough road game.

Illinois, under Brad Underwood, is a team with a lot of potential but also a lot of inconsistency. The Illini have the talent to beat any team in the country, as seen in their dominant win at Oregon and their 39-point victory over Penn State. At their best, they’re a Final Four-caliber team. However, when things aren’t clicking, Illinois can struggle, like in their recent home loss to Maryland and an earlier defeat to USC. The challenge for the Illini is to consistently perform at a higher level and eliminate the risk of bad games that make them look mediocre. They’ve shown their ceiling, but they need to raise their floor.

Northwestern already has one win over Illinois this season, pulling off a big upset back in December. While they’ve had a lot of tough losses, that victory against the Illini was a highlight. Now, if the Wildcats can find a way to beat Illinois again, they’ll be in a prime position to make a run for March Madness.

With the Wildcats looking to capitalize on their unpredictability, the pressure is mounting on Brad Underwood and his team. The clock is ticking, and if Illinois can’t find a way to string together solid performances, their tournament dreams may be in serious trouble.