Illinois started the season ranked No. 8 in the country. After three losses to Baylor, Missouri and Rutgers, the Illini have fallen to No. 18 in the AP Poll less than a month after the season began on November 25.

All three teams Illinois has lost to are now ranked in the top-15 with a combined record of 16-0 and all of those games were played away from the State Farm Center.

“Playing on the road is hard anywhere,” Illinois Head Coach Brad Underwood said on Tuesday. “I don’t care, fans, no fans. Teams play better at home, there is a comfort level. It’s still a real challenge on the road. You are in a hotel, you travel different, now you have the COVID factors and the testing is different and all that is completely different, so it’s much different on the road.”