No. 21 Illinois hosts Purdue with division title on the line
Purdue wide receiver Charlie Jones (15) misses a pass during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Iowa, Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022, in West Lafayette, Ind. (AP Photo/Marc Lebryk)
(AP) — Control of the Big Ten West is on the line with the Boilermakers trailing the Illini by one game with three games to go for each team.
While Illinois faces a tough road trip at No. 3 Michigan next week before wrapping up against last-place Northwestern, Purdue hosts the Wildcats next week before closing at struggling rival Indiana.
If the Illini win at home on Saturday, they can afford to lose one of their remaining two games and would still hold the tiebreaker if Purdue closes with a pair of victories.