Fighting Illini · Big Ten
Head coach Bret Bielema Year 6 with Illinois
No remaining game changes Illinois's playoff odds. Make playoff 0%
Full 2026 slate. Tap a row for the matchup breakdown.
| Week | Opponent | Result or win prob.Result or win probability |
|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 Sep 4 | vs UAB American Athletic | Win, 42-23 Final |
| Wk 2 Sep 12 | vs Duke ACC | Loss, 27-31 Final |
| Wk 3 Sep 19 | vs Southern Illinois Non-FBS | Win, 48-10 Final |
| Wk 4 Sep 26 | at Ohio State Big Ten | Loss, 19-42 Final |
| Wk 5 Oct 3 | vs Purdue Big Ten | Loss, 17-24 Final |
| Wk 6 Oct 10 | at Michigan State Big Ten | Win, 38-37 Final |
| Wk 7 | Bye | |
| Wk 8 Oct 24 | vs Oregon Big Ten | Win, 21-10 Final |
| Wk 9 Oct 31 | at Maryland Big Ten | Win, 20-17 Final |
| Wk 10 Nov 7 | vs Nebraska Big Ten | Win, 24-13 Final |
| Wk 11 Nov 14 | at UCLA Big Ten | |
| Wk 12 Nov 21 | vs Iowa Big Ten | |
| Wk 13 Nov 28 | at Northwestern Big Ten | |
More coming. Per-team pages get the full treatment in Phase 3: current rating, season projection histogram, schedule with win probabilities, and live overlays on Pylon stream days. For now, this page exists so stories and news have a permanent home as content rolls in.
33 score
Share of last season's production each unit returns. Higher means more continuity: 70%+ is healthy, 45–70% a normal rebuild, under 45% a major turnover.
+0.6 rating
18 proven transfers in, carrying the production below from their prior school.
| Player | From | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Alex PerryWR From Florida International | Florida International | 153 |
| Katin HouserQB From East Carolina | East Carolina | 145 |
| Jayshon PlattWR From Florida Atlantic | Florida Atlantic | 138 |
| Will HolmesDL From Utah State | Utah State | 88 |
| Darrell PraterDL From Jacksonville State | Jacksonville State | 84 |
| Robert EdmonsonLB From Colorado State | Colorado State | 65 |
Impact scores offensive skill additions (QB/RB/WR/TE) — prior-season production normalized within position (100 ≈ a 90th-percentile producer at that spot) and discounted for non-FBS competition, so a top back counts alongside a top quarterback. Defensive and O-line additions count as transfers but aren't box-score measurable, so they carry no impact score. The rating figure is this class's portal contribution vs. the FBS average, capped at ±2.5.
Percentile is across all FBS teams with play-by-play data for the season. "Late & close" is yards per play in Q4+ with a one-score margin — a proxy for clutch offensive performance.
