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Friendly coaches ready to square off as No. 9 Illinois and No. 19 Indiana try to stay unbeaten
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Indiana wide receiver Jonathan Brady (0) celebrates a touchdown catch with tight end Riley Nowakowski during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Indiana State , Friday, Sept. 12, 2025, in Bloomington, Ind. - photo by AP Photo/Darron Cummings
Bret Bielema and Curt Cignetti don't have a long relationship but it is clear they admire each other's work. They sat together at last year's Big Ten spring meetings, crisscross one another's recruiting paths and have built budding powers in the Big Ten, Bielema at No. 9 Illinois and Cignetti at No.