Iowa will clinch a spot in the Big Ten championship game if it beats Illinois on Saturday in Iowa City (2:30 p.m., FS1).
The 16th-ranked Hawkeyes (8-2, 5-2 Big Ten) secured a share of the West Division title last week and need a win over Illinois or Nebraska next week to play in Indianapolis on Dec. 2.
The Illini (5-5, 3-4) will be bowl-eligible two years in a row if they beat Iowa a second straight time.
Coach Bret Bielema announced Luke Altmyer has returned from an injury and will be back as the starting quarterback even though backup John Paddock passed for 507 yards in a 48-45 overtime win over Indiana last week.
Illinois pass offense vs. Iowa pass defense
The Illini average 261 passing yards per game to rank third in the Big Ten, and they averaged 21.1 yards per reception against Indiana last week. Iowa has an elite pass defender in Richards alumnus Sebastian Castro, a hybrid linebacker/safety, but took a big blow this week when cornerback Cooper DeJean suffered a season-ending leg injury in practice.
Illinois: QB Luke Altmyer
Bielema named Altmyer the starter after he missed last week’s overtime win over Indiana because of an injury. Paddock passed for 507 yards against the Hoosiers, a week after coming in cold to lead the winning drive against Wisconsin. Bielema adheres to the axiom that a player shouldn’t lose his starting job because of an injury, but his decision shocked a vocal portion of the fan base.
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Iowa: DE Joe Evans
Evans has 23 career sacks, tied for seventh in program history, and this appears to be a matchup that suits him. The way the Hawkeyes have shut down the run the last five games, they should have ample opportunity to crank up the pass rush against an opponent that has thrown an average of 35 times the last two weeks and has given up 37 sacks for the season.
Iowa has won 16 of its last 17 November games. … The Hawkeyes have allowed one touchdown over the last 16 quarters. … Bielema’s 12 Big Ten wins in his first three seasons at Illinois are the most since Lou Tepper won 13 from 1992-94. … Four of Illinois’ five wins have come in the final minute of regulation or in overtime. … The Illini’s 48 points and 662 yards against Indiana last week were their most since a 2018 win over Minnesota.