If there's any consolation in the Illini's 1-6 start, it's that at least they've lost to solid teams.

Four of the Illini's losses came to teams that have a combined record of 22-4, all four of which are now ranked.

In fact, for the second week in a row, seven Big Ten teams are ranked in the top 25 nationally. Illinois is in the middle of playing six of those teams in a row. Saturday's test: No. 17 Michigan (11:10 a.m., ESPN regional).

"It's an unbelievable league this year. I can't imagine a conference being stronger, any time in the last (several) years," Illinois head coach Ron Turner said. "I see one team and I think they're a great, great football team, and we go to the next week and I think, 'Ah — this team is just as good or better.'

"We knew that going in. You look at the rosters of the top six or seven teams from last year, and they had everyone back, so you knew it was going to be a lot of very strong, tough teams in this league."

Here's a look at the Illini's next ranked opponent:

The comeback kids...

The Wolverines (5-2, 2-1) are still on an adrenaline high from a school record-setting fourth quarter comeback to defeat Minnesota 38-35 last weekend.

After trailing 28-7 going into the final quarter, the Wolverines put together a 31-point fourth quarter, culminating with a 33-yard field goal by kicker Garrett Rivas with 47 seconds left to win the game.

... But deadlier

when ahead

Michigan is 50-9 (32-1 at home) under head coach Lloyd Carr when scoring first in a game.

That's bad news for the Illini, who haven't scored in the first quarter in their last three games.

Player(s) to watch

Well, there's quarterback John Navarre for one. Navarre earned Big Ten Player of the Week honors after leading the Wolverines in their late-game surge in Minneapolis.

"I know he takes a lot of heat, but I'm not sure why because he's good on film. He's big, he's smart, he's got a huge arm," Turner said. "He makes some clutch plays for them. I don't see really any flaws. I think he's suited for any level. The stats speak for themselves."

Last week, that was a school-record 33 completions for 353 yards. Navarre now leads the Big Ten in passing average.

Senior running back Chris Perry isn't too shabby either, averaging about 123 rushing yards and 32 receiving yards a game. He also has 11 touchdowns.

Defense dominated?

While Michigan boasts the second-best passing defense in the nation, the Wolverines rushing defense, seventh in the Big Ten, got run over by Minnesota last week.

The Golden Gophers destroyed the Michigan defense for 424 yards on the ground. Michigan put up 94 rushing yards.

That's perhaps a comfort to the Illini, who have been looking to put up more rushing yards and will be without the services of starting quarterback Jon Beutjer.

But there is one problem: Michigan still beat Minnesota.

"They rallied when they had to," Turner said after watching the Minnesota game tape several times. "As many yards as they gave up, when they had to get stops defensively, they got stops. And that's the sign of a good team."

Series Standings

Michigan holds a 63-21-2 advantage in the all-time series. Illinois is 2-7-1 in the last 10 meetings (1-3 under Turner). The first game in the series came in 1898 in Detroit, with Michigan winning 12-5.

Big turnaround?

The weekend's contest will take place in Ann Arbor. In the 107,501-capacity Big House. During homecoming.

Not pretty.

But the Illini will foster some hope that the electric atmosphere could spark something for their team that has nothing to lose but more games.

"The Big House — it's a great feeling going up there and playing against 100,000-plus people. It's a great atmosphere," Illini senior offensive lineman Sean Bubin said. "You see some smash-mouth football up there. It's a team you just want to get after. You want to run on them and pass on them, just keep pounding them."

The last time the Illini won in the Big House was in 1999, when Kurt Kittner and the bowl-bound Illini came out with a 35-29 win.

"Hopefully we'll be able to recreate some of that magic that they had that night," said Illini defensive lineman Ryan Matha, who watched the game as a high schooler on T.V. "That was the real turning point for the entire program. Illinois started to win games, and everybody in the Big Ten had to look out for them."