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Illinois will kick off its season on September 3 against UAB. Expectations are modest for the Illini this season following back-to-back nine-win seasons, but another eight-win regular season is not out of the question.
The Illini have to replace numerous talented players from last season, but they are still expected to win around seven or eight games according to the Las Vegas odds. There are multiple swing games on the schedule, but I have highlighted the five most important games for Illinois to reach at least eight wins.
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Oregon and Ohio State might be the biggest games of the year, but I view these as the most important games because they could go either way.
1. Nebraska
Nebraska should be in the middle of the pack in the Big Ten next season in Matt Rhule’s fourth season as head coach. UNLV transfer Anthony Colandrea is expected to take over the quarterback duties and try to lead the Cornhuskers to their first eight-plus-win season since 2016.
According to ESPN’s Power Index Rankings, Nebraska is ranked No. 9 and Illinois is No. 10 in the conference, so this game could go either way. These two teams had an instant classic back in 2024, and I expect another close one inside Memorial Stadium. A win here would give the Illini a victory against an evenly matched opponent and momentum heading into other winnable games to end the season.
Illinois vs Nebraska fo
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2. Northwestern
Northwestern will host Illinois on the final day of the regular season inside its new stadium. The highly anticipated, recently built stadium should attract fans of both the Wildcats and the Illini. The spread opened at -3.5 points in favor of Illinois, so this should be a back-and-forth battle in Evanston.
The Illini have controlled the rivalry in recent years, but this year’s matchup will likely be the most even it has been in a few seasons. It is always a must-win against the in-state rival Wildcats, but it feels like this one could be the difference between a good season and a…
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Publish date : 2026-08-12 12:00:00
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