It wasn’t the road trip Michigan State football wanted. Nor was it the response it wanted from a blowout loss two weeks earlier. Another sizeable defeat, this time 38-16 at Illinois, means the Spartans now must win their final two games of the regular season to qualify for a bowl berth.

Illinois is 6-3 and fell out of the top 25 after a home loss to Minnesota on Nov. 2. The Fighting Illini's 3-3 record in Big Ten play puts them one game up on Michigan State, who sits at 2-4 in a crowded middle of the conference. This is a prime opportunity for Michigan State to steal one on the road in its quest for a bowl berth.