The Illini are faced with a huge challenge this week: playing on the home territory of the No. 1 team in college football. After a 21-7 win against reigning NCAA champion Michigan, the energy is there for Illinois. Oregon, on the other hand, is coming off a road win (35-0) against Purdue.
New Big Ten opponent
Saturday marks the fourth matchup between Illinois and Oregon in their football history. The last time these Big Ten rivals played was in 1995. Oregon is also the only new school to the conference on Illinois’ schedule for the year. It will be interesting to see how Illinois plays when they travel West in the new conference alignment.
Losing isn’t terrible
Nobody likes to lose, especially not head coach Bret Bielema. But even with a loss to the Ducks, the Illini could continue to prove themselves a force to be reckoned with. In recent years, SEC schools like Alabama or Georgia have held the No. 1 spot in the AP Poll, making it a rare occurrence for a Big Ten program like Illinois to compete against them.
Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!
However, in this new era of college football, moving from the Power 5 to the Power 4 gives schools even more of a shot. Specifically, the Illini get their chance this weekend against the Ducks.
No. 1 ranked and coaching
The Illini do not have the best track record when it comes to No. 1 opponents. Historically, they have a 3-14 record when facing the top team. It’s been nine years since the Illini faced a similar challenge and 17 years since they came out on top against a No. 1 team. The Illini are the underdogs this weekend, with Oregon favored by 21.5 points.
Bielema explained earlier this week how “silly” it is for him to ignore Oregon’s status.
“There’s a reason they’re No. 1,” Bielema said. “They’re a very good football team. They execute very, very, well.”
On the other hand, Oregon’s head coach Dan Lanning, said “who cares” when asked about the rankings.
“There’s a lot of things that we still want to accomplish,” Lanning said. “So that doesn’t really matter for us.”
Last big challenge
Statistically speaking, this weekend also marks the Illini’s last big competitor and challenge of the regular season. While there is no guarantee of what will happen during the rest of the regular season, the Illini will not play any other ranked opponents.
On the road again
Saturday marks the third away game of the season. While they are 5-0 at home, the Illini are 1-1 on the road. This includes an overtime win in Lincoln, Nebraska, and an unfortunate loss at University Park, Pennsylvania.
The fact the Illini are playing in Eugene this week only lowers their chances of winning. Oregon is undefeated at home and an undefeated team overall.
Both teams enter this week on a win streak, but only one will come out on top. No. 20 Illinois will take on No. 1 Oregon at Autzen Stadium at 2:30 p.m. on CBS.
