Illinois Football
Illinois is an NCAA Division I FBS football program in the Big Ten, based in Champaign, IL. The 2026 record stands at 5-3. The Cooper Predictor rates Illinois at +6.8, No. 42 of 138 FBS teams and No. 13 of 18 in the Big Ten. The model projects a 5-7 finish, with CFP Odds of 0.4%. The model's pre-game picks are 5-3 in Illinois games this season. Most recent result: beat Maryland 20-17 on Oct 31. Next up: vs Nebraska on Nov 6 — the model projects Nebraska 28-27, giving Illinois a 43% chance to win.
Open Illinois in Cooper Predictor U →Updated Nov 2, 2026 · power ratings compare teams within NCAA Division I FBS.
2026 schedule, predictions & results
| Date | Opponent | Projection | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 3 | vs UAB | W 45-17 95% ✓ | W 42-23 |
| Sep 12 | vs Duke | W 34-28 64% ✗ | L 27-31 |
| Sep 19 | vs Southern Illinois | W 38-14 95% ✓ | W 48-10 |
| Sep 26 | @ Ohio State | L 20-41 10% ✓ | L 19-42 |
| Oct 3 | vs Purdue | W 41-27 83% ✗ | L 17-24 |
| Oct 10 | @ Michigan State | W 27-24 52% ✓ | W 38-37 |
| Oct 24 | vs Oregon | L 24-35 23% ✗ | W 21-10 |
| Oct 31 | @ Maryland | W 34-27 67% ✓ | W 20-17 |
| Nov 6 | vs Nebraska | L 27-28 43% | — |
| Nov 13 | @ UCLA | L 21-31 30% | — |
| Nov 20 | vs Iowa | L 21-27 38% | — |
| Nov 27 | @ Northwestern | L 24-31 31% | — |
Projection = the model's pick, projected score and Illinois's win probability. For games already played it is the pick frozen before kickoff, with ✓ or ✗ beside it — every pick stays public.
Big Ten by power rating
| # | Team | 2026 | Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Ohio State | 6-2 | +23.5 |
| 2 |  Indiana | 8-1 | +21.1 |
| 3 |  Oregon | 5-3 | +17.3 |
| 4 |  Iowa | 6-2 | +14.5 |
| 5 |  USC | 7-2 | +12.6 |
| 6 |  Nebraska | 5-3 | +12.1 |
| 7 |  UCLA | 8-0 | +12 |
| 8 |  Northwestern | 6-2 | +11.5 |
| 9 |  Penn State | 4-4 | +11.2 |
| 10 |  Washington | 5-3 | +8.1 |
| 11 |  Wisconsin | 5-3 | +8.1 |
| 12 |  Michigan | 5-3 | +7.5 |
| 13 | Illinois | 5-3 | +6.8 |
| 14 |  Minnesota | 5-3 | +3 |
| 15 |  Purdue | 3-5 | +1.1 |
| 16 |  Michigan State | 2-6 | +1.1 |
| 17 |  Maryland | 2-6 | -2.4 |
| 18 |  Rutgers | 2-6 | -3.8 |
High schools on the Illinois roster
From publicly published rosters, for the high school states the Cooper Predictor covers. Some rosters do not list a high school, so a player may be missing.
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