Week 2 of the college football season delivered a major shakeup to the national championship odds, highlighted by a historic comeback from Texas and a stunning upset loss for Oregon. Texas entered the fourth quarter against Ohio State trailing 23-3 before pulling off a historic comeback to take down the ... Read more

At the top of the list is serious questions about the Illinois defense ... Read more

Senior wide receiver set career highs in catches, receiving yards and touchdowns in loss to Duke ... Read more

Illini have plenty of corrections to make before SIU comes to town ... Read more

Expected running back play with better quarterback effort helped Duke pick up an upset win on the road ... Read more

Disappointing second half results in first loss of the season for Illini ... Read more

This one's going down to the wire ... Read more

Blue Devils bolster lead with a field goal of their own ... Read more

Blue Devils take their first lead of the game ... Read more

Blue Devils back within a single score — again ... Read more

Blue Devils back within a single score ... Read more

Katin Houser to Collin Dixon remains undefeated ... Read more

Illini take early lead on Houser-to-Dixon touchdown ... Read more

Can the Illini handle the Blue Devils' run game? ... Read more

'90s pair way past due ... Read more

The Western Illinois Leathernecks visit the Wisconsin Badgers on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026 at 7:15 p.m. ET from Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. Western Illinois is 1-1, having lost to Illinois State 41-10 last week, and Wisconsin is 0-1, having lost to Notre Dame 41-13. Western Illinois has moved ... Read more

The Duke Blue Devils visit the Illinois Fighting Illini on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026 at 3:30 p.m. ET from Gies Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois. Duke opened its season with a 17-3 win over Tulane to move to 1-0, and Illinois is also 1-0 by way of a 42-23 win ... Read more

Illinois defensive coordinator Bobby Hauck provides perspective before the Illini face Duke on Saturday afternoon ... Read more

Beat writer Scott Richey previews the Illini’s showdown with Duke ... Read more

Two enter Illinois Hall ... Read more

Illinois golfer returning to the scene of his freshman breakout this weekend ... Read more

A look back at the former Courier sports writer ... Read more

Well done, Rajeev Ram. ... How many rushing yards does former Illini Chase Brown have with the Bengals? ... Containing Duke's run game is vital for the Illini today. ... Read more

No, this isn't a men's college basketball game. These two teams are meeting on the football field for the second straight season. The Illinois Fighting Illini take on the Duke Blue Devils on Saturday in a Week 2 college football matchup on FS1. Illinois dominated Duke 45-19 in Week 1 ... Read more

Was Michigan’s controversial victory against Western Michigan a fluke, or a bad sign for a team about to face No. 11 Oklahoma? Who has the upper hand in the second meeting of Arch Manning and Julian Sayin, when Texas and Ohio State face off in September once more? Which college ... Read more

Former Illinois guard helped revitalize program during three years on campus ... Read more

Defense shows up too ... Read more

Illinois misses out on five-star guard NaVorro Bowman Jr. ... Read more

Illinois coach weighs in on topic before Duke comes to town on Saturday ... Read more

Illini open Big Ten action with draw against Badgers ... Read more

Illinois, Wisconsin leave Thursday night's match with a 0-0 draw ... Read more

Some positive updates on a couple of Illinois Football starters, who didn't play in week one from coach Bret Bielema ... Read more

Illinois Football and Duke are about 48 hours away from a sold-out showdown in Champaign, with coach Manny Diaz and the Blue Devils looking to avenge last season’s 45-19 blowout on their home turf. A year later, though, neither team looks exactly like the one that took the field in Durham. ... Read more

It’s time for this week’s Sportsbook Whispers. As indicated in last week’s story, the whole world was indeed on SMU -3/-3.5 against Florida State in the Week 1 finale and any contrarian Seminoles bets pushed at +3 and cashed at +3.5. All early movers on SMU at smaller numbers got ... Read more

Will Texas avenge last season's loss to Ohio State? Can Michigan bounce back against Oklahoma after a shocking and controversial near-upset? Which teams will prove that their Week 1 performance wasn't a fluke, but a trend to rely on? The college football season rolls on, and Week 2's lineup is ... Read more

A year ago, Ohio State and Texas collided in a massive Week 1 showdown, with the Buckeyes notching a 14-7 home victory. It was among the most-bet college games all season. So oddsmakers know what to expect when these two teams meet again, in easily the biggest game on the ... Read more

Sign up for our daily Illini football newsletter here ... Read more

Expectations remain high for Estonian guard in his first season in Illinois ... Read more

The Mahomet-Seymour football team is one of seven area programs in the Top 10 of their respective class in Wednesday's Illinois Media statewide rankings ... former Illini and Danville native ... Read more

Illinois avoided the need for judicial intervention with 2026-27 team ... Read more

Here's an update on the 27 players representing their school with NFL franchises ... Read more

Senior defensive back looking to continue making impact at safety and as returner on special teams during 2026 season ... Read more

Four former Illinois Football players kickoff the 2026 NFL Season tonight in a Super Bowl rematch between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots ... Read more

Will Illinois Football be ready for Nate Sheppard and the Blue Devils ground game? Illini D-Lineman Joe Barna is confident the unit will be ready to go. ... Read more

League has noting to lose ... Read more

Starting right guard Brandon Henderson could be out as long as 4-6 weeks ... Read more

Illinois running back coming off strong performance in season opener ... Read more

Wolverines fall out of rankings ... Read more

Illinois center Tomislav Ivisic has made it back to Champaign from Croatia ... Read more

Quick breakdown of what you need to know for Illinois Football vs Duke in Week Two. (9/12 at 2:30 on FS1). ... Read more

3 Key Players Illinois Football must slow down, if they want to take down Duke in week two. ... Read more

Week 1 of the college football season is in the books, and what a week it was. From thrilling and controversial finishes to stunning upsets and incredible individual performances, the opening week delivered plenty of memorable moments. With that, let's dive into the top offensive performances from Week 1 of ... Read more

First five remain steady ... Read more

Current Illinois group ready for 'awesome' atmosphere ahead of marquee nonconference test against Duke ... Read more

Blue Devils' run game a focal point for an Illini defense that didn't tackle well in season opener ... Read more

Illinois football is 1-0 after a 42-23 win over UAB, but the Illini have plenty to clean up before Duke. Here are three bold predictions for Week 2, including a defensive touchdown, Aidan Laughery and a big special-teams play. ... Read more

Credit Broncos for stellar effort ... Read more

Geoff Alexander making the international rounds this month ... Read more

Hats off to Hoosiers, too ... Read more

Ayo Dosunmu and James Augustine will be inducted into the Illinois Athletics Hall of Fame next weekend ... Read more

Everything’s bigger in Big Ten country. Literally. There are 18 teams in the conference. And when it comes to college football’s biggest stage, the Big Ten has been hard to beat. One of its schools has won the national championship in each of the last three seasons, while three Big ... Read more

Some areas Illinois Football needs to progress quickly, if they want to take down Manny Diaz and the Blue Devils ... Read more

Tamera McDaniel and the team of plant experts take your calls and texts on planting grass seed, toilets (?), bulbs & squirrels, tree selection, leaf colors, fertilizing in the heat and care for Hydrangeas. ... Read more

Beware of Southern California, Washington ... Read more

Which Illinois football players could you see run the court at the ARC? ... Read more

The Northern Illinois Huskies visit the Iowa Hawkeyes on Saturday, September 5, 2026 at 4:15 p.m. ET from Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City, IA. Iowa opens the season ranked No. 22 at home against Northern Illinois. The Huskies enter at 0-0 with Brady Davidson at quarterback, while Iowa has not yet ... Read more

Bielema joins Zuppke in elite Illini company. ... Gordon starting for Rockies against Cardinals on Sunday. ... Illini soccer tries to remain unbeaten this weekend. ... Catching up with Fisher/GCMS ... Read more

Urbana native became standout soccer player at Illinois and will become part of school's next athletics Hall of Fame class next weekend ... Read more

Student section bears heat The Block I student section cheer for T-shirts to be thrown during the Illinois vs. UAB game on Sept. 3 at Gies Memorial Stadium. (Sarah Slattery) Despite alarmingly high temperatures Thursday night, Illinois’ (1-0) students showed out. The student section was nearly full, as was the ... Read more

Illinois football opened the 2026 season with a 42-23 win over UAB. Katin Houser impressed, but defensive tackling and the running game remain concerns. ... Read more

Illini will play road game at Ball State and a pair of games in Bahamas against Marquette and Saint Joseph's. That's all we know so far. ... Read more

Kiffin adds to the 'fun' ... Read more

Illinois is targeting some of the top talent in the country across multiple classes ... Read more

Converted tight end, four-star freshman offensive lineman enjoying opportunity to spend season together with Illini ... Read more

Illini knock off Blazers in season opener despite tackling issues ... Read more

Seemingly every time UAB (0-1) redshirt junior quarterback Ryder Burton dropped back to pass on Thursday night, Illinois’ (1-0) new 3-3-5 defense hounded the signal-caller with suffocating pressure.  Despite the constant presence of an orange-and-blue-clad defender barreling towards him, Burton and the Blazers’ offense managed to turn the pressure back ... Read more

First play for transfer a doozy ... Read more

Veteran quarterback's confidence was clear to his teammates, coaches in 42-23 win against UAB ... Read more

First-year transfer quarterback leads Illinois past UAB in season opener ... Read more

Beat writer Scott Richey breaks down the Illini's season-opening win against the Blazers ... Read more

Bielema on season-opening win: 'We saw some flashes in all three phases' ... Read more

Late defensive touchdown will seal season-opening win for the Illini ... Read more

At halftime of the first game of the football season, front-row Illini fans agreed on two things: the team's defense could use some work, and that big TV in the stadium is pretty neat. ... Read more

Katin Houser-to-Collin Dixon connection is a real thing ... Read more

Hail Mary actually works for Illini ... Read more

Second quarter off to a slow start ... Read more

Valentine breaks 51-yard touchdown run ... Read more

Wild scramble at the top ... Read more

Class of 2028 forward has September trip scheduled ... Read more

Illinois offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. provides perspective from his side of the ball before the Illini open the 2026 season against UAB ... Read more

Beat writer Scott Richey previews the Illini’s season opener against UAB as the sixth season of the Bret Bielema era kicks off ... Read more

Mahomet-Seymour football moves up state rankings. ... Houser, Illini ready for their debut tonight. ... Gordon to start on Sunday for Rockies. ... Catching up with Champaign Central boys' soccer ... Read more

Former star receiver tuning in as Illini kicks off season tonight ... Read more

Illinois unranked, but among the teams receiving votes in national polls. ... Read more

Bret Bielema recruited Mack Sutter to Illinois until the very end. ... Read more

Plenty of news lately for Illinois' 2026-27 opponents ... Read more

From tailback to tight emd ... Read more

Transfer quarterback's self-organized mini camp in California this past spring helped him connect with some key teammates: 'We really got closer' ... Read more

Strong Big Sky influence ... Read more

Thursday’s season opener against UAB marks the start of a 12-game slate for Illinois. An opportunity for the Illini to build off the success from the previous two seasons. Beat ... Read more

Illinois football kicks off the 2026 season Thursday night against UAB. Here’s everything Illini fans need to know, including kickoff time, TV channel, betting odds and the biggest storylines heading into Week 1. ... Read more

Hurricanes need one extra step ... Read more

From Houser to the new defense to even the naming of the stadium, our esteemed columnist weighs in ahead of the 2026 season kicking off ... Read more

Great catching up with Mike Dudek. ... How many career interceptions does Xavier Scott have? ... Illini football opener is three days away. ... How many wins does have Bielema ... Read more

From Houser to the new defense to even the naming of the stadium, our esteemed columnist weighs in ahead of the 2026 season kicking off ... Read more

Second-year wide receiver likes new Illini starting quarterback: 'You come out of your breaks, you've got to get your head around. That's what you're going to get with a good ... Read more

Memphis might be best bet ... Read more

Illinois' preference for three-pointers hasn't gone away ... Read more

San Jose State transfer impressed in opening weekend of the season ... Read more

San Jose State transfer impressed in opening weekend of the season ... Read more

Illinois has a brand-new reputation to uphold. Back-to-back bowl game wins and 19 victories over the last two seasons have placed the Illini firmly in the spotlight. Eight draft picks in the last three years have only strengthened the idea that Illinois is a serious football program. Now, head coach ... Read more

Broncos looking to rebound ... Read more

Mullen off to good start ... Read more

If recent Illini history continues next Thursday, an Illinois victory should be expected in this rivalry-beginning game against UAB. ... Read more

Barry Lunney Jr., Art Sitkowski and Mike Neu all pitch in with Illini signal callers ... Read more

With the opener against UAB less than a week away, it's one final free weekend for the Illini players before the start of the 2026 season ... Read more

Houser, Herendeen receive recognition. ... DeVito has solid preseason. ... Altmyer, Lions kick off today in Indy. ... Catching up with Mahomet-Seymour two-sport athlete Keeley Miller ... Read more

Bearcats' strong serve a serious issue for Illini in reverse sweep ... Read more

Napier returns to old stomping grounds ... Read more

Fewer ball screens, more driving and cutting could be the plan in Champaign this season ... Read more

Chicago native played in nine games across two seasons at Arizona State ... Read more

Beware of the Broncos ... Read more

Illinois hasn't had to deal with fifth-year uncertainty ... Read more

Mahomet-Seymour football makes the biggest jump in latest statewide Illinois Media poll ... Champaign native Tanner Gordon earns his first win of the 2026 season ... Illinois soccer back in ... Read more

The Illini Football team is less than 9 days away from Kickoff ... Read more

Company's logo will be placed on the 25-yard lines at Gies Memorial Stadium ... Read more

Will Liberty bounce bacl? ... Read more

Illinois football has 9 days until kickoff vs UAB. ... Read more

Someone asked on Slack about how many more revisions I'd be making to the 88 Illini list (I change it CONSTANTLY all summer) and I wanted to share my answer here as well as there. This year, once reaching the starters, I've gone to the list to make ... Read more

I think I'm realizing that I wear three Illini hats. I'm going to tell you about those hats in this post. As always, when I'm talking directly to subscribers, I let you know in the intro that there's nothing Illini past this point. This would probably ... Read more

NEWS: Bret Bielema strengthens Jared Elliott's TE depth late in fall camp... Could the San Diego State grad-transfer quickly make a name in Champaign? ... Read more

This isn't an official NERDstats post. Those will start up again after the UAB game. This is just gonna be a quick peek at the final preseason SP+ that came out last week. I listened to a podcast with Bill Connelly the other night while mowing the lawn and ... Read more

I've gone back and forth over the years regarding the month of August. It was so much simpler when football camp was open and I could just go to practice and then write an article about what I saw at practice. Fall camp was eventually closed off with only ... Read more