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No. 20 Illinois enters its Saturday afternoon showdown at Autzen Stadium with No. 1 Oregon (2:30 p.m. CT, CBS) at 6-1, and it’ll face a Ducks team sitting at 7-0 with a 12-game home winning streak.
The Fighting Illini are coming off a win over defending national champion Michigan, but the showdown with the Ducks is the ultimate litmus test: Are Bret Bielema’s Illini truly a contender or a pretender?
This type of stage certainly is what Illinois envisioned when it hired Bielema, who won 3 Big Ten titles as Wisconsin’s coach. In Year 4, Bielema has Illinois in position to win 10 games for the first time since 2001.
There would be no shame in dropping a road tilt to Dan Lanning’s Ducks, who have seamlessly adjusted to life in the Big Ten and are No. 1 for the first time since 2012.
For the Illini, exorcising their Michigan demons (Illinois hadn’t defeated Michigan since 2009) wasn’t a major surprise. What was impressive is the manner in which it was done. The Illini were determined to run on the Wolverines, and they did so. They were averaging just 139.5 yards per game coming into the clash but gained 187 yards on 38 carries against a sound Wolverines front, all without leading rusher Kaden Feagin, who had surgery on his injured hip and is out for the season.
Illinois also received a strong effort from its front seven, notably from outside linebacker Gabe Jacas and lineman TeRah Edwards, who combined for 4.5 sacks and forced 2 fumbles. Special teams were also pretty special, as the Illini converted a fake punt in the third quarter, connected on 2 field goals and blocked a Michigan field-goal attempt.
And remember: quarterback Luke Altmyer completed just 9-of-18 passes for 80 yards. A total team win.
That 21-7 victory over Michigan, the program’s first over a ranked Wolverines team since 1983, looked like a Bielema-coached Wisconsin victory over Michigan. The Illini controlled the line of scrimmage as they notched their third win against an AP Top 25 opponent this season while wearing throwback uniforms and leather-style helmets in celebration of Memorial Stadium’s 100-year anniversary.
This is now the new standard for Illinois football. It may be overlooked all week heading into the showdown with Oregon, but it’s clear Bielema has made his mark on the program. The expectation now is for the Illini to be annual B1G contenders.
The success the program is enjoying certainly can only help attendance figures, recruiting and potentially more money being available for NIL, which is as important as anything else in this new era of college athletics — especially with the B1G becoming even bigger with new prominent programs such as Oregon now in the fold.
This is the first time Illinois will play the AP No. 1 ranked team since a 2007 win at Ohio State. Taking on a top-ranked team is nothing new for Bielema, whether it has been at Wisconsin or Arkansas. His teams have played a No. 1-ranked squad 6 times:
- 2007: 38-17 loss to Ohio State (Wisconsin)
- 2010: 31-18 win over Ohio State (Wisconsin)
- 2013: 52-0 loss to Alabama (Arkansas)
- 2014: 17-10 loss to Mississippi State (Arkansas)
- 2016: 49-30 loss to Alabama (Arkansas)
- 2017: 41-9 loss to Alabama (Arkansas)
“We have to know that’s the No. 1 team in the country,” Bielema told reporters of Oregon. “There’s a reason they’re No. 1. They’re a very good football team. They execute very, very well. How we play is going to be in our hands and how we plan is in our preparation. I think that part doesn’t change very much.”
Heisman Trophy-contending Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel has thrown 15 touchdown passes with 4 interceptions while completing 77% of his passes. He is the best QB in the B1G. Oregon is averaging 34.6 points per game and giving up just 16.6. With its win over Ohio State a few weeks ago, it has emerged as the favorite to claim the league crown. But Illinois is still very much alive in the race.
“A very accomplished football team,” Bielema said. “Good players all over the place. Offensively, a quarterback, in my opinion, who is playing as good as anybody in the country and a guy who really gets rid of the ball. He’s been at a couple different spots but has learned along the way and has made Oregon his home.”
Bielema knows the challenge that awaits, but he believes in his team as well.
“I like our guys. I like our crew. I like the way our guys have responded. I think this is a group that just kind of does what they have to do to get things done. Fortunately (we) have been staying pretty healthy.”
Illinois isn’t on the College Football Playoff radar for many college football fans, but the Illini do have 3 wins against teams ranked in the AP Top 25 at the time, and their only loss was at Penn State, now ranked No. 3. This is a balanced squad that is resembling more and more the teams Bielema had in Madison. And, remember, he won B1G titles at Wisconsin in 2010, 2011 and 2012. He knows how to win in this league, even if it looks a little bit different than what he was used to with the Badgers.
Things might not have worked out for him at Arkansas, but things are looking awfully bright these days in Champaign.
Dave Miller has covered the college football landscape nationally since 2009 with stops at National Football Post and Campus Insiders. In addition to contributing to Saturday Tradition, he can be seen on Stadium Network.