Oregon and Illinois will square off for the first time since 1995 and just the fourth time ever on Saturday as the No. 1 Ducks host the No. 20 Illini in a high-stakes Big Ten battle on CBS. The Ducks are 7-0 for the first time since 2013 and just the seventh time in program history, while the Illini enter at 6-1 with three victories against ranked teams already under the belt.
It will be Illinois’ first time facing the nation’s No. 1 team since it upset Ohio State 28-21 on the road in 2007. On the other side, the game presents another opportunity for the Ducks to cement themselves in the spot after they surged to No. 1 on the back of a win over Ohio State on Oct. 12.
Last week, Oregon handled the pressure with authority in a 35-0 Friday night drubbing of Purdue. Meanwhile, Illinois put together an impressive home showing against Michigan as the Illini forced three turnovers and committed none in a 21-7 win over the reigning national champion.
Illinois will likely need more success in the turnover battle to have a chance on the road against the betting favorite Ducks, who appear to have found their stride under third-year coach Dan Lanning. After falling to No. 9 in the AP poll following uncomfortably close victories against Idaho and Boise State to open the season, Oregon has established itself as the class of college football.
Oregon vs. Illinois: Need to know
Defensive momentum: Oregon enters the Illinois game with some defensive momentum after notching its first shutout since 2012 last week. Oregon held the Boilermakers to just 93 yards passing and 0 for 3 on fourth down conversion attempts just a week after Purdue scored 49 points in an overtime loss at Illinois. Oregon’s success in shutting down an offense that amassed 536 yards against the Illini is a good omen entering this matchup.
Illinois in the CFP hunt: Illinois enter the last weekend of October firmly in the College Football Playoff hunt, and a win over Oregon would add rocket fuel to the Illini’s CFP hopes. While a loss wouldn’t wreck their chances, it would put the Illini in a tight spot entering the season’s final month. Illinois would likely have to run the table against Minnesota, Michigan State, Rutgers and Northwestern to close the season. Illinois will likely be favored in each of those games, but there would be no margin for error.
Running Ducks: Oregon junior Jordan James ranks No. 3 in the Big Ten and No. 14 nationally in rushing yards with 717. He’s averaged at least 5.1 yards per carry in all seven of Oregon’s game this season and could be a key to the Ducks’ offense agains Illinois. The Illini rank No. 70 nationally in rushing defense and surrendered 239 yards on the ground in back-to-back games against Penn State and Purdue. Look for Oregon to try and exploit some of those vulnerabilities, especially if they are able to generate an early lead.
How to watch Oregon vs. Illinois live
Date: Saturday, October 26 | Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Autzen Stadium — Eugene, Oregon
TV: CBS | Live stream: CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (Free)
Streaming on Paramount+ with Showtime (Try It Free)
Oregon vs. Illinois prediction, picks
Illinois comes into this matchup with confidence after picking up three victories against ranked teams in its first seven games. Traveling to face Oregon marks an upgrade in difficulty for the Fighting Illini, but they are equipped to keep their margin of defeat within this spread. The Ducks have covered a number this large just twice this season, and they’ve surpassed 40 points in a game just once. Illinois has enough offensive juice with Luke Altmyer at quarterback to find the end zone at least once and keep the outcome within the betting line available on FanDuel. Pick: Illinois +21.5
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