But make no mistake about it. If Bret Bielema and the Illini can escape Indiana with a win, this will not be an upset. It will simply be a reminder of what programs like Illinois should do in seasons like this. By the numbers, this Illini squad is more prepared for a foe like this than in recent memory.

Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti previewed Illinois and discussed quarterback Fernando Mendoza's progress, among other things, at his radio show Thursday.

How long has it been since the Illini and Hoosiers met with so much at stake? Try October 1950, when No. 12 Illinois beat No. 19 Indiana 20-0 in Champaign.

Advertisement Because last week’s three ranked games were heavy on name power — Notre Dame, Georgia, Miami, Tennessee and Texas A&M — with interloper South Florida. This week, we’re looking at Illinois-Indiana.

The No. 9 Illinois Fighting Illini (3-0) are 6.5-point underdogs in a road Big Ten matchup against the No. 19 Indiana Hoosiers (3-0) on Saturday, September 20, 2025 at Memorial Stadium (Bloomington, IN). The game's point total is set at 52.5. The Hoosiers ...

Illinois visits Indiana on Saturday in what has traditionally been a Big Ten snoozer but this year as the Hoosiers and the Illini have built their programs into elite contenders and top-20 teams, it is arguably the best game of the entire college football weekend.

Illinois all-conference defensive back Xavier Scott is likely to miss Saturday's Big Ten opener at No. 19 Indiana following an injury last week, coach Bret Bielema said Thursday.

The Illini and Hoosiers' meeting is the biggest in series history – we know. But the season isn't over for the loser.