To begin the 2026 season, there were high hopes for the Illinois football program.
Sure, did we lose our starting quarterback, Luke Altmyer, who had started for the Illini the last three seasons? Yes, but he was replaced by someone in Katin Houser, who had experience and looked good to begin the year.
Things have gone off the rails, though. Illinois’ disappointing loss to Duke was painful. We then competed with Ohio State for a minute before they put their foot on the pedal.
Illinois could have survived those two losses. Duke is 4-0 this season and could easily contend for a back-to-back ACC crown. Meanwhile, Ohio State is going to be contending for a national championship.
With a 2-2 record, Illinois had games on the schedule that could right the ship. Well, last weekend, we laid an egg and threw everything off balance.
Illinois fell to Purdue. This was one of the games you chalk up as a win and get on to bigger and tougher contests. Instead, the Illini completely floundered and fell to the Boilermakers.
I was hoping Illinois could get to 10 wins to start the season. After the loss to the Blue Devils, the hope was to get to eight wins. Now, with a 2-3 record and falling to Purdue, can Illinois even get to a bowl game?
A bowl game is a tough ask at this point for the Illinois football program
At this point, the Illini need four more wins to make a bowl game. Illinois has messed around and has now turned the Michigan State game into a must-win.
I wasn’t even questioning this game to begin the 2026 campaign. I thought it was about what Purdue was: a game that we should chalk up as a victory. Now, Illinois is looking at this game as a must-win to even keep the dream of a bowl game alive.
Here is the thing, folks. What are the other three wins for Illinois?
So, we beat Michigan State. That gives us three wins. That means the Illini need to win three out of the final six games.
Three of the six games left are against ranked opponents. The other three that aren’t ranked are Nebraska, which is undefeated; Northwestern, which has looked great lately and even gave Indiana a scare; and on the road against Maryland.
Illinois has done enough bad at this point that we can’t afford any more mistakes. We have to go out there and beat the Spartans. Not only that, but the way we win on Saturday could change everything. A defeat is devastating. A close win is concerning. A double-digit win is confidence. Let’s see how the chips fall.
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