Western Illinois Football
Western Illinois is an NCAA Division I FCS football program in the OVC, based in Macomb, IL. The 2026 record stands at 5-4. The Cooper Predictor rates Western Illinois at +2.6, No. 53 of 127 FCS teams and No. 4 of 8 in the OVC. The model projects a 7-5 finish, with Playoff Odds of 34.7%. The model's pre-game picks are 6-2 in Western Illinois games this season. Most recent result: beat Charleston Southern 42-35 on Oct 31. Next up: at Eastern Illinois on Nov 7 — the model projects Western Illinois 31-28, giving Western Illinois a 55% chance to win.
Open Western Illinois in Cooper Predictor U →Updated Nov 2, 2026 · power ratings compare teams within NCAA Division I FCS.
2026 schedule, predictions & results
| Date | Opponent | Projection | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 27 | vs Northwestern (IA) | no pick on record | W 65-14 |
| Sep 5 | vs Illinois State | L 20-45 7% ✓ | L 10-41 |
| Sep 12 | @ Wisconsin | L 7-49 0% ✓ | L 9-36 |
| Sep 19 | vs Morehead State | W 34-27 74% ✓ | W 59-2 |
| Sep 26 | @ North Alabama | L 24-28 38% ✓ | L 20-23 |
| Oct 3 | vs Tennessee State | W 31-17 84% ✓ | W 28-21 |
| Oct 17 | @ Southeast Missouri State | L 21-28 33% ✓ | L 30-40 |
| Oct 24 | vs UT Martin | L 27-28 47% ✗ | W 55-24 |
| Oct 31 | @ Charleston Southern | L 24-31 31% ✗ | W 42-35 |
| Nov 7 | @ Eastern Illinois | W 31-28 55% | — |
| Nov 14 | vs Gardner-Webb | W 28-27 50% | — |
| Nov 21 | @ Lindenwood | L 28-31 46% | — |
Projection = the model's pick, projected score and Western Illinois's win probability. For games already played it is the pick frozen before kickoff, with ✓ or ✗ beside it — every pick stays public.
OVC by power rating
| # | Team | 2026 | Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Charleston Southern | 5-5 | +6.2 |
| 2 |  Gardner-Webb | 3-6 | +5.4 |
| 3 |  Southeast Missouri State | 5-4 | +3.7 |
| 4 | Western Illinois | 5-4 | +2.6 |
| 5 |  Lindenwood | 4-4 | +1.8 |
| 6 |  Eastern Illinois | 3-6 | -1.3 |
| 7 |  UT Martin | 3-6 | -2.6 |
| 8 |  Tennessee State | 2-7 | -9.3 |
High schools on the Western 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.
Get the rankings & picks every week
Free. One email a week during the season with the updated rankings, the Super Six and the biggest movers. Unsubscribe anytime.
More college football
NCAA Division I FCS power rankings · Every division · Weekly predictions & matchup predictor