Despite all the doom and gloom surrounding a recent two-game spinout, Illinois probably had more going for it entering Saturday's matchup with Michigan State than it had going against it. A bye week,

The loss to Indiana dropped the Spartans' record to 4-5. In Year 1 of Jonathan Smith’s tenure, many had the goal of making a bowl game. In order for Michigan State to gain bowl eligibility, it needs to win two of its remaining three games.