The similarity I see is not with the 89-90 team, but the 88-89 team.
But only in that they were coming off a horrible season the year before, and improved a great deal, going from 4-14 to 7-7.
Sure, this team has improved from 2-16 to 9-6 so far, could end up with 11-7 or 12-6 record, along with the 5 road wins, being more similar to the 89-90 team's record, but remember, those two late 80s teams had to play against several Top Ten ranked teams, including at least one #1 ranked team, that we beat in the barn in 1989, Illinois. This season the B1G is simply weaker.
But that 88-89 team rose up from a horrible season, and the best part was how much of that team was coming back in 89-90. That is the similarity I see.