Notebook: Injuries mounting for Illini; Bielema wants 'clarification' on penalties

Two games. One win. Indianapolis. There are two games remaining in the 2023 season for Iowa -- a Senior Day showdown with Illinois and a Black Friday game at Nebraska. The Hawkeyes need to win just one of those two games to lock up a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis in two weeks. But the degree of difficulty for Iowa continues…

A program with an offensive coordinator set to be fired at season's end with injuries that continue to plague the roster is in sole possession of its own destiny. A win against Illinois on Saturday would secure Iowa the Big Ten West division title for the second time in three seasons. Kirk Ferentz has put together what is perhaps the best coaching…

Maryland football's homecoming game will take place this Saturday at 3:30 p.m. against Illinois. The Terps are fresh off their first loss of the season to No. 3 Ohio State, 37-17. After a strong start, the Terps crumbled as a result of all-too-common mistakes and a second-half outburst from Ohio State's offense. According to DraftKings Sportsbook,…

Illinois Fighting Illini @ Purdue Boilermakers Current Records: Illinois 2-2, Purdue 1-3 When: Saturday, September 30, 2023 at 3:30 p.m. ET Where: Ross-Ade Stadium -- West Lafayette, Indiana TV: Peacock The Purdue Boilermakers will look to defend their home field on Saturday against the Illinois Fighting Illini at 3:30 p.m. ET at Ross-Ade Stadium.…

Kansas head coach Lance Leipold leads his team onto the field before an NCAA college football game against Missouri State Friday, Sept. 1, 2023, in Lawrence, Kan. Illinois coach Bret Bielema knows how much Friday's game means to his opponent. As he put it in a press conference Tuesday, "Kansas has targeted this game for a long time.

We're three weeks into August and for the first time under Bret Bielema, Illinois does not have a Week 0 game. Nope, they'll just have to be normal. Normal? Does that mean...they can't win games? What is "normal" for Illinois Football anymore? Let's find out. Last year, IT HAPPENED. After fifteen long years compromising virtually my entire Illini…

Editor's note: Saturday Tradition's annual Crystal Ball series continues today with Illinois. We'll work through every B1G West team this week, after covering every East team last week. There's a case to be made for Illinois as the most intriguing Big Ten team in 2023. Allow Bret Bielema to explain. "We could win all 12 games on our schedule, and…

The Bulldogs enter the ReliaQuest Bowl with heavy hearts, following the sudden passing of Mike Leach. Nothing defined Leach - on the field, at least - like an explosive offense, and it'll show up here. Our Mississippi State vs. Illinois picks have more. Some games are not really about football. This year's ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa will not be…

College football's regular season has come to a close after an exhilarating final weekend of action. Five Big Ten teams saw their seasons come to an end, but nine qualified for a bowl game and will have one final chance to tie a bow on the 2022 campaign. Most notably, there's a new No. 1 team for the rest of the field to chase. Here's how all 14…

The Wolverines are edging closer to a second consecutive College Football Playoff appearance, but that involves taking care of business in this game against the Illini. So, what do our Illinois vs. Michigan predictions say? One side of the argument calls for a dominant Michigan victory. The Wolverines are outscoring opponents by over 30 points per…

With two games left in the regular season, Michigan will host its final game in the Big House on Saturday. The Wolverines will welcome 7-3 Illinois into Michigan Stadium in hopes of keeping their undefeated season alive. Michigan, 10-0, has been dominant on both sides of the ball for most of the season. The Wolverines have a top-five run offense…

Illinois Fighting Illini are looking to curb a two-game skid and reclaim the Big Ten West lead when they visit the Michigan Wolverines at noon ET Saturday at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. Illinois (7-3, 4-3) was one play away from being undefeated before suffering recent losses at Michigan State and versus Purdue. However, they still have a chance…

Facing the Illinois Illini (7-3, 6-4 ATS) as a double-digit point favorite, those big numbers are proving to be no big deal for the Michigan Wolverines (10-0, 6-3-1 ATS) this season. Michigan is 5-2-1 against the spread as the 10+ point chalk. Last week, the #3 Wolverines covered as a 30.5-point pick in a 34-3 home victory over the Nebraska…

The Big Ten season once again should come down to The Game, a sure sign normalcy has been restored in Middle America. But before No. 3 Michigan takes on No. 2 Ohio State on Nov. 26 in Columbus, Ohio, both teams are obligated to play this weekend, with the Wolverines hosting Illinois in Ann Arbor, Mich., and the Buckeyes traveling to…

The Purdue Boilermakers will travel to take on the Illinois Fighting Illini in a Saturday afternoon Big Ten college football matchup at Memorial Stadium. Let's continue our college football odds series and make our Purdue-Illinois prediction and pick. Purdue has gone 5-4 this season, including a 3-3 record in Big Ten play. The Boilermakers have…

Purdue Boilermakers (5-4) vs. Illinois Fighting Illini (7-2) November 12, 2022 12:00 pm EDT The Line: Illinois Fighting Illini -6.5 / Purdue Boilermakers+6.5; Over/Under: +46.5 (Click here for latest betting odds) The Purdue Boilermakers and Illinois Fighting Illini meet Saturday in week 11 college football action at Memorial Stadium. The Purdue…

The Cornhuskers have a tall task ahead of them when they host the Fighting Illini on Saturday. Yes, Nebraska scored 37 points in its last game but that was against a much less daunting defense in Purdue. Illinois should easily contain the Huskers. Photo By - USA TODAY Sports The No. 17-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini head to Memorial Stadium in…

Trey Palmer will lead the Nebraska Cornhuskers (3-4) into their matchup versus the Illinois Fighting Illini (6-1) at Memorial Stadium (Lincoln, NE) on Saturday at 3:30 PM ET. In their last outing, the Fighting Illini knocked off the Minnesota Golden Gophers 26-14. The Cornhuskers are coming off of a loss to the Purdue Boilermakers by the score of…

The Minnesota Golden Gophers will travel to take on the Illinois Fighting Illini in a Big Ten college football matchup on Saturday afternoon in Champaign. With that said, it's a good time to check out our college football odds series, which includes a Minnesota-Illinois prediction and pick, laid out below. Minnesota has surged to a 4-1 record this…

Last week was a frustrating one for this column because a previously unannounced injury to Kentucky quarterback Will Levis caused that pick to go south, underdog Akron couldn't keep up in a track meet with Ohio, and TCU pushed against Kansas despite having numerous cover chances. Only Wake Forest got us to the window by going over its team total,…

Oct. 11, 2022: After a much-needed bye week, the Gophers will look to get their Big Ten Championship campaign back on track against Illinois. -> Follow @ Tony Liebert on Twitter Date: Sat., Oct. 15 TV channel: BTN Time of kickoff: 11:00 a.m. (CST) Broadcast team: n/a (play-by-play) & n/a (color) Betting line: Minnesota (-6.5) @ Illinois, o/u: (38.5…

Coming off a bye week following their first loss of the season, the Minnesota Golden Gophers (4-1) hit the road for a matchup against the No. 24-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini (5-1), in what has suddenly became a critical game for both teams seeking pole position in the Big Ten West. The name you need to know is Chase Brown. The former Western…

IOWA CITY, Iowa - Last week, upstart Illinois overwhelmed Big Ten West Division preseason favorite Wisconsin in Madison. The Illini held the Badgers to two rushing yards in a 34-10 thumping. Saturday, Illinois plays host to the defending West champs, Iowa. The Illini can show the country that what happened in Wisconsin wasn't a fluke. "We came here…

The Illinois Fighting Illini find themselves back in the driver seat of the 2022 football season after a much-needed bye-week this past weekend. Though that does stink for those Orange and Blue-blooded Illinois fans who are ready to watch their team take the field, it provides a fantastic opportunity for this Illinois staff and team to evaluate…

It's Homecoming and a rivalry game as Purdue football hosts Illinois on Saturday in a Big Ten matchup. The Cannon Trophy is up for grabs, and the Boilermakers are hoping to hold it for a fourth straight season. This game pits Purdue coach Ryan Walters against his old boss, Illinois coach Bret Bielema. Walters was Illinois' defensive coordinator…