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Illinois Football Schedule: Ranking the Final Seven Opponents

What are the toughest games left on the 2024 Fighting Illini schedule? And when will the team be heavily favored to keep rolling?

Rich Cirminiello

Sep 14, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini wide receiver Pat Bryant (13) stiff arms Central Michigan Chippewas defensive lineman Jaden Davis (95) during the first half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images
Sep 14, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini wide receiver Pat Bryant (13) stiff arms Central Michigan Chippewas defensive lineman Jaden Davis (95) during the first half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images / Ron Johnson-Imagn Images
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Illinois exits its bye week 4-1, ranked in the Top 25, and brimming with confidence. Bret Bielema's fourth season in Champaign is off to a good start, but there's a long way to go before the Illini reaches its goals.

With the Big Ten portion of the schedule now in full swing, what are the biggest landmines left on the schedule? We ranked the seven remaining regular season games in descending order from most difficult to most winnable.

7. at Oregon (Oct. 26)

The Ducks are either the best or the next best thing in the Big Ten, pending this week's game with Ohio State. While Oregon hasn't been untouchable so far, this could be an especially rough matchup if it turns into a track meet.

6. Michigan (Oct. 19)

If Illinois is going to snap its six-game losing streak to Michigan, this would be the year to do it. Not only is the game in Champaign, but the Wolverines have already lost twice and have one of the worst offenses in the league.

5. at Rutgers (Nov. 23)

Greg Schiano is quietly doing a solid job at Rutgers, which sits at 4-1. Not unlike the Fighting Illini, the Scarlet Knights are well coached, sound defensively, and not particularly explosive on offense.

4. Minnesota (Nov. 2)

Bielema has a history of success against the Golden Gophers, beating PJ Fleck in each of the last three years. This one has all the markings of a low-scoring battle decided in the final few minutes.

3. at Northwestern (Nov. 30)

It's a rivalry game and it's in Evanston, so these types of meetings can never be overlooked. The home team has lost the last two, Northwestern taking a wild shootout in Champaign last November that kept the Illini out of the postseason.

2. Michigan State (Nov. 16)

Jonathan Smith will get the job done at some point in East Lansing. But right now, the Spartans are an incomplete squad that's having a very difficult time scoring points and avoiding costly turnovers.

1. Purdue (Oct. 12)

If the Illini is a little rusty coming out of the bye week, it might not impact the outcome. The Boilermakers are the Big Ten's worst team, having lost four games with FBS opponents by an average score of 46-11.

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Rich Cirminiello
RICH CIRMINIELLO

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