Throughout its storied history, Illinois football has faced a considerable number of opponents. However, three stand out as being the most hated by the team and fans alike. Whether it’s an in-state team or a long-time Big Ten foe, these teams have deep-rooted rivalries with the Illini.
Purdue, Northwestern and Ohio State are some of Illinois’ biggest rivals. So big, in fact, that there is a trophy for the winner of each matchup between the teams.
Illibuck
The oldest of the three, the Illibuck, has been awarded to the winner of Illinois-Ohio State matchups since 1925. The victor received a living turtle, named Illibuck, until it died in 1926. After that, the trophy became a carved wooden turtle in honor of the original.
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The trophy has remained largely unchanged throughout the last century. Unfortunately for the Illini, neither has the rivalry. The Buckeyes lead the series 65-23-2. Illinois hasn’t won since 2007 when it beat then-No. 1 Ohio State 28-21.
Illinois will have an opportunity to flip the script next season. The Buckeyes will travel to Champaign in early October, as the Illini will have a chance to recapture the Illibuck.
Land of Lincoln
Northwestern and Illinois conclude every regular season with a battle for the Land of Lincoln trophy. While the series is old, the trophy is relatively new.
From 1945 to 2008, the winner acquired the Sweet Sioux Tomahawk trophy. The Illini held the edge over the Wildcats during that stretch, with a record of 33-29-2. The Land of Lincoln trophy, a top hat set on a wooden base, was introduced in 2009. The Illini have had less success with the reconstructed trophy, going 6-10 against the Wildcats.
However, head coach Bret Bielema has brought Illinois back from the dead. He is 3-1 against Northwestern and broke a six-game losing streak in his first season as head coach in 2021. At the end of this past season, Illinois beat Northwestern 38-28.
The Illini will get their next chance against the Wildcats on Nov. 29 at home.
The Cannon
Last but not least is arguably the most intense rivalry across all Illinois sports. The winner of Illinois-Purdue takes home the Cannon. Much like the rivalry, the trophy has a lengthy history.
A group of Purdue students brought the Cannon to an Illinois-Purdue game in 1905. They intended to fire it after a Boilermaker win. While Purdue did win, they never got a chance to fire the Cannon. It was left at the stadium and found by Illinois student Quincy Hall.
Hall brought it to his home and left it there, where it survived a fire before being found years later. He donated the Cannon to Illinois in 1943, and it has symbolized the rivalry between Purdue and Illinois ever since.
Purdue has dominated the series with a record of 42-31-2. In the last decade, Illinois has only won three times, with the third being this past season.
In a thrilling matchup, Illinois bested Purdue in overtime 50-49. Despite leading by two scores in the fourth quarter, Illinois let Purdue take the lead with less than a minute left in regulation. But after kicking a field goal as time expired, the Illini sent the game to overtime.
The Illini were on offense first and scored almost immediately, as did the Boilermakers when they got a chance. As expected, Purdue lined up to go for the two-point conversion and win the game.
Yet, Purdue didn’t stand a chance. Junior linebacker Dylan Rosiek flew down the middle and sacked Purdue redshirt freshman quarterback Ryan Browne to seal the victory.
