Despite what Tim Beckman will have you believe, Illinois is far closer to 2-2 or even 1-3 this year than it is to 4-0. The Illini were blown out by Washington, and they were in danger of losing to all three inferior opponents that they beat — Youngstown State, Western Kentucky and Texas State. But alas, Illinois is 3-1, even though this ESPN ScoreCenter update has accurately described quarterback Wes Lunt’s first-half performances.
How to watch Illinois vs. Nebraska: Game guide, TV/streaming, odds
Can Nebraska break its four-loss-fall streak with a weak Big Ten West slate that starts with Illinois?
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Meanwhile, Nebraska posted a 4-0 non-conference record, including a fairly decisive win at home over Miami. The Huskers are flawed, and they needed a last-second big play from Heisman candidate Ameer Abdullah to beat McNeese State earlier in the season, but they might have the firepower in a weak Big Ten West to finally break the streak of four-loss Bo.
How to watch, listen, and stream
Game time: 9 p.m. ET
TV: BTN
Online streaming: BTN2GO
The numbers
Rankings and records: Nebraska is 4-0, and the Huskers are ranked 21st in the AP Poll and 19th in the Coaches Poll. Illinois is 3-1 and unranked.
Vegas: Nebraska opened as a 19-point favorite at home and is now a 20.5-point favorite. The over/under is 66.
Weather forecast: Lower 70s and clear.
Two things at stake
Tim Beckman probably needs to make a bowl game to last another season in Champaign. His team’s non-conference run didn’t inspire a lot of confidence, but a win at Nebraska would go a long way toward eliminating doubters.
Is Nebraska actually a division contender? Is four-loss Bo finally going to break that label? If so, he can’t lose to Illinois.
One big matchup
Illinois vs. the first half: Illinois has made a terrible habit of falling behind in the first half and rallying back in the second. That might work against Texas State, Youngstown State and Western Kentucky, but just like it wasn’t sustainable against Washington, it’s not going to be sustainable against Nebraska. The Fighting Illini are already big underdogs in this game. If they fall behind early, the game will already be decided. If the Illini can hang around in the first half, they’ll have a chance to pull the upset.
Further reading
Read Corn Nation for more on Nebraska and The Champaign Room for more on Illinois.
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