Everything one slightly less than middling team beats some slightly more than middling team it seems some want to come out and say "woo doggy! that team is hot!" convince yourself all you want that Illinois, PSU and Minnesota are better than average. they aren't. Minnesota maaaaay be...but if so then just barely.
The fact is nobody in the big 10 is anywhere near dominant and therefore, outside of Rutgers beating someone, no result is really all that shocking.
Whether Illinois is "hot" or the overall quality of the Big 10 wasn't the point. Had more to do with the inaccuracy of predictions that the team would somehow quit. It is exceedingly rare at this level for athletes to pack it in and quit. It can happen (See Pitchford, Walter), but it is by far the exception. The resiliency of these guys (whether Illinois, Nebraska or anyone else) to come back from devastating, hard luck losses and keep fighting is remarkable. Just labeling situations as "checking out" and "lame duck" is pretty simplistic and lame, and when inaccurate, worthy of mention.