A Fighting Illini community since 2012
Illinois travels to Nashville on Saturday night for a matchup against Tennessee. Both teams are ranked inside the top 20-ranked teams, both in the AP poll (ILL: 14, TENN: 13) and KenPom (ILL:17, TENN:16). Each enters coming off frustrating offensive performances, both barely cracking 60 points. If you watched last year’s heart-wrenching, last-second finish against […]
about 2 months ago | 0 reads
On this bonus edition of “Oskee Talk” I’m joined by Evan & Ruston Pierce from TheVolBros.com to preview Saturday’s Top-25 matchup with Tennessee. The guys provide early-season observations of the Volunteers and explain why they don’t like the timing of this game. We also discuss each team’s overhauled rosters and how they’ve meshed, the Illini’s […]
about 2 months ago | 1 read
It’s no question that when Illinois plays a team it should beat, the Illini lay down the hammer. But when it’s a difficult game…. well, we know how it usually ends. The stats back that up: But the Illini are 0-2 this season away from Champaign, which includes losses to No. 11 Alabama (United Center) […]
about 2 months ago | 2 reads
After Illinois’ third eight-win regular season in four years, the Illini received plenty of accolades from the Big Ten. LT JC Davis was named All-Big Ten First Team, while wide receiver Hank Beatty made the conference’s Third Team after his do-it-all season on offense and special teams. On defense, no surprise here: Gabe Jacas, the […]
about 2 months ago | 1 read
After a somewhat no-thrills win vs. Northwestern in a rare Thanksgiving weekend blizzard. the Illini ended the regular season with an 8-4 record and will play in a late December bowl game. The Illini handled both the weather and the Wildcats relatively well, but it was more about getting a lead and holding on to […]
about 2 months ago | 0 reads
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — 2026 offensive tackle Micah Smith has announced that he will be flipping his commitment from UCLA to Illinois. The No. 81 recruit in the 2026 class, according to ESPN, will be the highest-rated recruit in Bret Bielema’s tenure as the Illini head coach, and high-rated recruit since Martez Wilson in 2007. It […]
about 2 months ago | 0 reads
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — 2026 offensive tackle Micah Smith has announced that he will be flipping his commitment from UCLA to Illinois. The No. 81 recruit in the 2026 class, according to ESPN, will be the highest-rated recruit in Bret Bielema’s tenure as the Illini head coach, and high-rated recruit since Martez Wilson in 2007. It […]
about 2 months ago | 0 reads
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Illini have added another player to their Class of 2026 Signing Class, as they flipped running back Javari Barnett on Dec. 3, National Signing Day. A three-star RB out of Tampa, Florida, Barnett has been tied to Illinois for some time now, even before making his official commitment today. In June […]
about 2 months ago | 0 reads
How to Watch No. 14 Illinois at No. 13 Tennessee (Nashville) Game Time: 7 p.m. Saturday TV Channel: ESPN Online Streaming: ESPN+ Odds: N/A (Illinois 45% Chance To Win – ESPN Matchup Predictor) Quick Hits: Illinois Fighting Illini (6-2, 0-0 Big Ten) Head Coach: Brad Underwood (9th season, 171-103) Last Game: UCONN 74, Illinois 61 Gameday Reading: Tennessee Volunteers […]
about 2 months ago | 1 read
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Pure domination. Coming off an absolute beatdown over LIU, where the game finished with a score difference of 72 points, the Illini were looking to ride the hot hand and keep firing on all cylinders. And boy, oh boy, did they do just that. The orange and blue of Shauna Green trampled […]
about 2 months ago | 1 read
Again, no shock here, but Illinois didn’t find its name in the CFP top 25 on Tuesday night when the final rankings came out before the 12-team playoff is unveiled this weekend. The Illini, who finished the regular season at 8-4 after a snowy win over Northwestern, appeared in the CFP rankings once this season. […]
about 2 months ago | 0 reads
Three days into the offseason, and the portal announcements are coming. ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Tuesday that Illinois QB Trey Petty is entering the portal after two years in the program. Petty signed with the Illini out of Mississippi in the Class of 2024, but he never saw the field, and even though it will […]
about 2 months ago | 0 reads
On this episode of ‘Oskee Talk’ Brandt Dolce joins me to analyze the future outlook of Illini football, including potential staff upheaval and offseason roster needs. We review this historic stretch for Illinois and what it means for program stability as well as look at possible bowl destinations. We also recap men’s basketball’s loss to […]
about 2 months ago | 0 reads
Illinois won’t open its Big Ten schedule until next Tuesday when they travel to Columbus for a showdown with Ohio State, but the conference officially tips off league play Tuesday night with three matchups. Iowa, Michigan State, Purdue, Rutgers, USC, and Oregon will all begin their chase for a Big Ten regular-season title. The Illini […]
about 2 months ago | 1 read
In his ninth season in Champaign, Brad Underwood keeps hitting new milestones. Illinois (6-2) checked in Monday at No. 14 in the AP poll, one spot down from last week after a Black Friday loss to UCONN at Madison Square Garden. According to TCR stats expert Jonathan Koon, it’s the 80th week Illinois has been […]
about 2 months ago | 1 read
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — It seems like Thanksgiving was relaxing for Illinois women’s basketball, as they destroyed Le Moyne after the holiday. The Illini (6-1) defeated the Le Moyne Dolphins on Sunday, 100-28. The game on Sunday is what most consider an all-around game. The orange and blue had six players record double-digit scoring, with Berry […]
about 2 months ago | 0 reads
CHAMPAIGN — Mother Nature’s Champaign snowglobe grip fastened on Saturday night, shaking it with all her fury. It made snow pile up on Gies Memorial Stadium, it made the winds howl, and temperatures drop. It culminated in a less-than-picture-perfect Senior Night for the Illinois football program. If this game were to be played, nay, if […]
about 2 months ago | 0 reads
CHAMPAIGN — Mother Nature’s Champaign snowglobe grip fastened on Saturday night, shaking it with all her fury. It made snow pile up on Gies Memorial Stadium, it made the winds howl, and temperatures drop. It culminated in a less-than-picture-perfect Senior Night for the Illinois football program. If this game were to be played, nay, if […]
about 2 months ago | 2 reads
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Battle for the Land of Lincoln trophy had a backdrop filled with the ultimate football weather. Freezing wind and a downpour of snow. It would not be an Illinois game without a little bit of late game drama, and when usually the Orange and Blue lean on their offense to be […]
about 2 months ago | 1 read
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Battle for the Land of Lincoln trophy had a backdrop filled with the ultimate football weather. Freezing wind and a downpour of snow. It would not be an Illinois game without a little bit of late game drama, and when usually the Orange and Blue lean on their offense to be […]
about 2 months ago | 5 reads
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Leading up to Saturday night’s clash between the Illinois Fighting Illini and the Northwestern Wildcats, layers and layers of snow blanketed Gies Memorial Stadium. Having ice-cold hands typically complicates things for quarterbacks and wide receivers, eliminating a pretty significant part of virtually every offense in the country. With players slipping and sliding […]
about 2 months ago | 2 reads
According to the Fox broadcast, with 8 inches of snow Saturday in Champaign, Illinois’ season finale against Northwestern is the snowiest game in Gies Memorial Stadium history. And TCR photographer Craig Pessman is there to capture it all. We’ll keep adding photos throughout the night here.
about 2 months ago | 2 reads
It’s going to snow across the midwest on Saturday, and we may get snow football in Champaign. A winter storm warning is in effect Saturday in Champaign County, and WCIA-TV is forecasting anywhere from 4 to 9 inches for the region. Illinois on Friday said it is monitoring the weather, but as of now, parking […]
about 2 months ago | 2 reads
On Thanksgiving Day, the Illini received a verbal pledge from (now) former USC commit Jakwon Morris. The 6-foot corner brings high end speed and the kind of feisty “stick your face in the fan” intensity that Illinois loves in its corners. Morris is currently ranked as the nation’s top JuCo corner according to 247Sports. (His […]
about 2 months ago | 2 reads
NEW YORK — Under the bright lights at Madison Square Garden, Illinois couldn’t buy a basket. After going cold from deep and letting a late comeback slip away, No. 13 Illinois fell 74-61 to No. 5 UCONN at Madison Square Garden in New York Friday afternoon despite another standout performance from senior guard Kylan Boswell. […]
about 2 months ago | 0 reads