Given the typical states of the Northwestern and Illinois football programs, it’s not often that the Land of Lincoln rivalry game — played for the LOLHAT trophy — means all that much. Northwestern has had some good seasons, and Illinois has had a few (infrequent) ones in recent years, but they’ve rarely been good at the same time.
How to watch Illinois vs. Northwestern: Game guide, TV/streaming, odds
The LOLHAT game finally means something!
This year is the same in that department, as both are 5-6 and irrelevant on the national stage. But this game finally means something, as the winner will become bowl eligible. That’s pretty much the perfect prize (besides the LOLHAT) for these two programs, which has struggled with mediocrity or worse.
That said, Northwestern is the clear favorite despite starting quarterback Trevor Siemian tearing his ACL last week and being unavailable. The Wildcats have some perplexing losses this year, but they’ve also beaten Wisconsin and Notre Dame. Illinois owns a win over Minnesota, but it hasn’t played consistently well. Can the Illini play inspired and get their first win under Tim Beckman? For once, there are plenty of storylines to talk about in this one.
How to watch, listen, and stream
Game time: Noon ET
TV: ESPNU
Radio: Fighting Illini Radio Network, Northwestern: 720 AM WGN or 87.7 FM The Game in Chicagoland
Online streaming: WatchESPN
The numbers
Rankings and records: Both teams are 5-6. Neither is ranked.
Vegas: Northwestern opened as a 9-point favorite. The line is now at 8 with an over/under of 52, per Odds Shark.
Weather forecast: Mostly cloudy with a high of 47 and a low of 37.
Two things at stake
- Bowl eligibility!
- The LOLHAT!
- (Bonus) Tim Beckman’s job?
One big matchup
Illinois rush defense vs. Northwestern rush offense: With Trevor Siemian officially out, Northwestern is going to want to lean on its run game against the Illini. It’s not that backup Zack Oliver is entirely ineffective — and Illinois does have a very bad passing offense — it’s just that the Wildcats have a good young running back in Justin Jackson and Illinois hasn’t been able to stop many running backs all year.
The Illini rank 70th overall in rush defense, according to Football Outsiders, and they’re going to need to be able to stop Jackson to win. If they can stop him and put pressure on Zack Oliver to throw, then they might have a chance to win. But if NU can run at will, then the Wildcats should also be able to run away with the game.
Further reading
Read InsideNU for more on Northwestern and The Champaign Room for more on Illinois.
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