Gameday Central Illinois at Maryland, 11 a.m. (FS1)

Good morning from College Park, Maryland where the Illinois Illini are aiming to extend their midseason winning streak to three games. Standing in their way is a Maryland team that recently fired coach Mike Locksley during his bye week. Could this change provide enough chaos for the Terrapins to break their 12-game Big Ten losing streak? We'll have to wait and see this afternoon at SECU Stadium.

Vestiges of Maryland's past still loom large even though they are now part of the ACC. The team has nine ACC championships to their name, with the most recent victory coming in 2001. Illinois, on the other hand, is currently riding a two-game winning streak. Freshman quarterback Michael Clayton II led the Illini to an overtime triumph against Michigan State, while their run game and defense secured a home victory over Oregon.

Can Illinois make it three wins in a row? This is a crucial question as they will face Nebraska, UCLA, Iowa, and Northwestern in upcoming games. A win today against Maryland would give the Illini a 5-3 overall record, meaning they only need one more victory to secure a third straight bowl berth, which hasn't happened since John Mackovic coached at Memorial Stadium. Today's game in the DMV area is therefore of significant importance.