Illinois' Bret Bielema drops truth bomb message toward Wisconsin football entering Week 13

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Illinois' Bret Bielema drops truth bomb message toward Wisconsin football entering Week 13 originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Illinois Fighting Illini coach Bret Bielema continues to take it one game at a time. Amid a 7-3 start with two games remaining in the regular season, Bielema recognizes the importance of securing a good bowl game, but also facing the inevitable: a return trip to Madison to coach against his former team.

Bielema told reporters following a 24-6 win against the Maryland Terrapins this past Saturday that the "narrative" about his return trip would be a vocal point from the outside world. Still, he would rather shift the focus to his team's current task: a third-straight win and his first win against the Badgers since 2022.

"There are a lot of things that have nothing to do with the game that have everything to do with Wisconsin," Bielema said. "It's just another game, but I get it, I have a lot of great memories up there. My wife and I obviously got married Madison."

Bielema said he wants to erase all doubters, preconceived notions, or other factors that aren't distinctly about the game itself.

"I know it will be a narrative, but I think it's more about just Wisconsin playing Illinois on a Saturday afternoon," Bielema said. "It's just another Big Ten football game."

The game will take place under the lights at Camp Randall, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network.

Unlike the Illini, the Badgers are stumbling at 3-7. They failed to secure their second Big Ten win this past Saturday, falling flat in a road loss to the No. 2 Indiana Hoosiers, 31-7.

Should the Illini come away victorious, an opportunity to clinch a 9-3 regular season again will be on deck when they try to retain the Land of Lincoln Trophy against the Northwestern Wildcats (7:30 p.m. ET, Fox) from Gies Memorial Stadium next Saturday.

The Badgers, meanwhile, attempt to play spoiler in an already underwhelming season for coach Luke Fickell.

Something has to give.

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