For the first time in six seasons, Illinois will make the trip north to Ann Arbor to take on No. 3 Michigan, a team the Fighting Illini have not faced since 2019.

The Wolverines are unbeaten thus far, but the Illini are no strangers to pulling off big road upsets under head coach Bret Bielema. Illinois took down No. 7 Penn State in a historic nine-overtime upset and No. 20 Minnesota away from home last year.

"There's a lot of guys on our team that played at Penn State, so it's similar in nature – 110,000 or whatever the number ends up being on Saturday," Bielema said. "Our guys embrace the moment to go into someone else's place and live in that moment. I pointed out to them, 'We have a 74-man travel roster that'll match their 74-man hotel roster. We play on the same field. We share the same tunnel, as I'm sure everybody has heard.' We have a lot of the same things, but it's about who lines up and plays well on Saturday."

The Illini will close its regular season with two consecutive road games, and they are 2-1 in contests outside of Champaign this year. That stretch includes wins at Wisconsin and Nebraska, two venues in which Illinois has historically come up empty.

Let's run through some talking points ahead of the team's penultimate 2022 Big Ten game.

Offense: Keep the quarterback on his feet

Tommy DeVito boasts the highest completion percentage in the Big Ten, and while he typically gets the ball out quick, it's important that he has time in the pocket if needed.

The Michigan defense ranks first in sacks in the Big Ten this season with 31 and consistently finds its way to the quarterback, which will be a big challenge for the Illinois offensive line, which has ranked among the best units in the country.

The Illini offensive line has allowed 12 sacks this year, and with the statuses of two key Illinois running backs unknown heading into Saturday, Illinois will need a big day from the O line to give it a chance at pulling off the road win.

Defense: Watch the run game – but be wary of the pass

It's no secret that Michigan features one of the highest-ranked offenses in the conference, as it averages 41.4 points and 251.4 rushing yards, the latter of which leads in the Big Ten.

The Wolverines notch 17.5 passing attempts per game compared to 44.7 rushing attempts, and they have a trio of running options that allow them to be successful on the ground. Blake Corum leads Michigan in nearly every rushing statistic, averaging 134.9 yards and 22.7 carries per game and 5.9 yards per carry. He also ranks second in the FBS in rushing touchdowns with 17.

Donovan Edwards serves as a complement to Corum. He averages nearly nine carries and 58.9 rushing yards per game and 6.7 yards per carry, a figure that ranks first in the Big Ten among qualifying rushers.

Illinois has kept several high-caliber opposing rushers quiet this season, and with the defense that holds opponents to 85.9 yards on the ground per game, the Illini will need to continue that trend on Saturday.

Know the foe: The Michigan offense

The Wolverine rushing attack ranks among the best units in the conference, but the rest of their offense also features several weapons that the Illini defense will need to keep tabs on. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy ranks second in completion percentage – right behind DeVito – in the Big Ten, though he has completed less than 50% of his passes in each of his last two games.

Wide receiver Ronnie Bell leads Michigan in receptions and receiving yards, while the Wolverines also effectively use tight end Luke Schoonmaker.

Michigan's offensive line was one of nine semifinalists, along with Illinois, for the Joe Moore Award, and the unit is a big factor behind the team's success in the run game.

"Offensively, I always think when you have three areas that you have to defend, it's a hard deal," Bielema said. "They obviously have an offensive line that's very good, very talented, big, long, athletic, moves extremely well. Behind them is a running back that I think can be as good as anybody in the country: strong, powerful, has the ability to run through you, has the ability to run around you, has some shiftiness to him. On top of that, you have a play-caller in the backfield, a quarterback that's being coached by an incredibly great player in his own right. That quarterback plays at a high level. He's got an extremely live arm, and then they have two or three answers on the perimeter and a good tight end. It's a very tall task to defend, but I think our guys are aware of it. 

"They'll have to win their moments. Be the best you on Saturday, and we'll have a chance."