How To Watch Oregon Ducks vs. Illinois Fighting Illini: Preview, Prediction, TV Channel

How to watch the No. 1 Oregon Ducks vs. the Illinois Fighting Illini. Preview and prediction for when Illinois travels to Eugene on Saturday, Oct. 26, for a top-20 matchup. Kickoff is set for 12:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on CBS.

Oct 12, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) receives flowers leis from family before a game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images / Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

EUGENE - The Oregon Ducks are the No. 1 team in the nation for the first time in 12 years. The Ducks moved to No. 1 in the rankings last week after Texas lost to Georgia and following the Oregon's historic victory over Ohio State on Oct. 12.

Now that the Ducks have taken the top spot in the poll, the real challenge lies in staying there. 

The Ducks are gearing up to play No. 20 Illinois at home in Autzen Stadium. Illinois is coming off a statement win, taking down the Michigan Wolverines last weekend, and moving to 3-1 in Big Ten play. 

Oct 18, 2024; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Oregon Ducks running back Jay Harris (22) celebrates scoring a touchdown during the second half against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images / Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

How to Watch 

The No. 1 Oregon Ducks will host the No. 20 Illinois Fighting Illini on Saturday, Oct. 26 at 12:30 p.m. PT. 

The game will be broadcast on CBS. 

Preview 

Oregon and Illinois are meeting for the third time, with their most recent matchup in 1995. The Ducks hold a 2-1 record over the Fighting Illini and are looking to improve that record on Saturday. 

Eugene, Oregon will be the furthest Illinois travels all season. Illinois head coach Bret Bielema said the team will be leaving on Thursday and will spend Friday in Eugene, but he doesn’t think it’ll affect the players too much. 

Illinois enters the game ranked No. 20 in the nation with a chance to upset the No. 1 Oregon Ducks. Illinois is no stranger to pulling off big upsets in crucial moments. Illinois is fresh off a ranked win over No. 24 Michigan, where the Illini were 5.5-point underdogs. Earlier in the season, the Illini upset Nebraska when the Cornhuskers were 9.5-point favorites. Illinois won that game 31-24. 

Oct 19, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini defensive back Matthew Bailey (7) reacts after a turnover against the Michigan Wolverines during the second half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images / Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer comes into Eugene on a roll. The junior quarterback has thrown 15 touchdowns this season for 1,506 yards. 

Wide receiver Zakhari Franklin will also need to have a big game to have success at Oregon. Franklin has been a key target for Altmyer this season. Altmyer has relied on Franklin in third down situations to pick up first downs. 

Overall, Illinois’ offense has looked good in recent games. However, they will now have to face Oregon’s highly-physical defense. 

Oregon is ranked 15th in total defensive yards allowed. The Ducks have allowed more than 400 yards once this season, and that was against an explosive Ohio State offense. Oregon’s defense has also tallied 20 sacks this season, placing them 18th in the nation. 

Offensively, Oregon also poses a threat to Illinois’ defense. Led by starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel, Oregon’s offense has proven itself to be one of the best in college football. 

“Is he the most talented quarterback we've probably seen? Probably so,” said Aaron Henry, Illinois’ defensive coordinator, of Gabriel. “And it's not just because of his skill set. I think it's a combination of what he can do in the pocket, what he can do when he leaves the pocket, the player who he's handing the ball off to, and the guys who he's throwing the ball to.” 

Oct 18, 2024; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) throws a pass during the second quarter against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images / Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

Oregon receiver Tez Johnson has been a key target for Gabriel throughout the season, catching 57 passes for 536 yards and seven touchdowns. 

Evan Stewart has also been an instrumental piece of Oregon’s offense. The junior receiver out of Texas A&M has scored 3 touchdowns on the season, catching 27 passes for 427 yards, including 149 yards on just seven catches against Ohio State. 

Another factor that shouldn’t be overlooked is the environment the Fighting Illini will have to play in. Autzen Stadium is arguably the loudest stadium in the Big Ten, making Eugene an increasingly difficult travel destination. 

Oregon Ducks students sing and dance along to “Shout” as the Ducks host the Spartans Friday, Oct. 4, 2024 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Offensive coordinator Barry Lunney said preparing for the crowd noise is “priority number one” for his unit. 

“Everybody from A to Z talks about how loud the environment is, maybe the loudest place in the country,” said Lunney. “I thought we handled (crowd noise) really well against Nebraska, but against Penn State we didn’t handle it as well.” 

Prediction 

Oregon heads into Saturday’s matchup against Illinois as the favorite, and for good reason. The Ducks are the No. 1 team in the nation and have a talented offense and highly physical defense, making them a hard team to beat. Given Oregon's recent dominant performance against Purdue, a team that Illinois struggled to defeat in overtime, the Ducks are primed to outplay the Illini in their upcoming game. 

Score: Oregon 43, Illinois 10 

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