As the summer months continue to tick by, every day brings us closer to the 2026 college football season. The calendar has only turned to July, so there are still two full months standing between fans and watching their favorite teams on the football field. While you haven't yet fired up the tailgate grill, that doesn't mean the players aren't deep in preparations.
Fall camp is still a few weeks away from starting, but teams are in the gym preparing physically to be ready to hit the field and compete for a National Championship. This is one of the best times of the year. Every team right now has the same chance of winning it all come January of 2027, and every team has a belief it will be them.
Illinois is no different, as head coach Bret Bielema is clearly getting his team ready to hit the field in Champaign soon. Illinois' latest video of the team in the gym lifting has to get fans hyped up for what Bielema and the Fighting Illini have to bring to the field this season.
Another day in the lab. pic.twitter.com/3V5e8hdAxc
— Illinois Football (@IlliniFootball) July 6, 2026
Illinois could be a dark horse in the Big Ten this season that no one will see coming
The Big Ten has really been at the forefront of the college football scene for the last few years, winning the National Championship three seasons in a row. It all started with Michigan in 2023, then Ohio State in 2024, and most recently, Indiana pulling off one of the biggest shockers by winning it in 2025.
The Hoosiers proved that it doesn't matter the history of a program, in their case, having the most losses of any college football program at one point, anyone can win a National Championship. That is music to the ears of teams like Illinois, who may not have the brightest college football history, but have found solid success in recent years.
Again, Indiana proved that your past doesn't matter, and while Illinois has had some success as of late, the Illini can only look forward to an interesting 2026 schedule. Looking at the slate for the Illini this season, fans can't help but wonder if this is a very favorable year for Bielema and Co.
The first three games feel very attainable for Illinois, with non-conference games against UAB, Duke, and Southern Illinois, and every game at Gies Memorial Stadium. The start of Big Ten play will probably be Illinois' biggest challenge of the season, opening conference play against Ohio State, which has typically dominated the conference.
Bielema will have to lead his team into The Horseshoe in Columbus, one of the toughest environments to play in college football. If Illinois can pull off the upset, that sets Bielema and Co. with a clear path to the College Football Playoff.
The rest of the schedule is comprised of teams that have consistently finished in the bottom half of the Big Ten in the last few seasons, except for the Oregon Ducks. The Ducks have been a constant threat in the Big Ten since joining the conference in 2024. The good news for Illinois is that they will have the home crowd on their side against Oregon, giving the Illini a fighting chance.
If Illinois can win one of those two games against Ohio State and Oregon, the rest should almost feel like a walk in the park, setting this team up to potentially be a sleeper in the Big Ten race. Bielema will have a lot of work to do to get his team in order before the season starts, but right now, there is still plenty of time to do just that.
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