 The Illini then swept through the rest of their games including defeats of #4 Iowa, a 17–13 win over #6 Ohio State, and a 16–6 win over #8 Michigan.They became the first team in Big Ten Conference history to defeat all nine of their conference opponents.This was the fourth appearance for the Illini in the Rose Bowl, with previous appearances in the 1947 Rose Bowl, 1952 Rose Bowl, and 1964 Rose Bowl.