Game 4: Illinois Football at Nebraska Cornhuskers (Loss – 28-10)
There are some games on the schedule that could be determined by where the game is being played. Illinois has to go on the road against Nebraska, and that is tough.
Pros
We are now a year into the Matt Rhule experience, so Illinois knows what he is going to throw at us. We can game plan for his style of offense and what he will bring to the table defensively, unlike in last year’s loss.
While the Nebraska run defense is great, their pass defense is where teams can make up ground. Luke Altmyer saw success against the Cornhuskers through the air in 2023. He threw for 289 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. If Illinois wants a chance to beat Nebraska, Altmyer will have to have a great game.
Cons
There are a lot of cons with this matchup. First off, it is in Lincoln, Nebraska. That is always a nightmare.
Nebraska’s biggest weakness last season was the quarterback position. Illinois was able to take advantage of that fact. But they added Dylan Raiola from the class of 2024. He was the second-best quarterback in the class and the No. 7 player overall in the country. That scares me greatly.
The Cornhuskers also returned 71% of their production from last season and had a top 55 transfer portal recruiting class. This team got substantially better, and they beat us in 2023.
When it comes to the defense, they had one of the best defensive units in the country last season, and most of those players returned to the program.
Final
I see Illinois struggling against Nebraska. This is not a good matchup at all. Nebraska has the defense to be a contender in the Big Ten. They also have a coach that is one of the best in college football.
The only weakness Nebraska had the past decade was at quarterback. They fixed that issue by landing one of the best recruits in the country. If Altmyer can get going through the air, then Illinois has a chance to pull off this win. If he doesn’t, it could be a long day.