Illinois
Bowl or bust? What the experts think about Illinois football in 2024
Schedule video for the 2024 Illinois Fighting Illini football team
Here is who Illinois will play in the 2024 college football season, from its opener vs. Eastern Illinois to the season finale at Wrigley Field.
The Illinois Fighting Illini are college football’s version of a Rorschach test. Those who are optimistic see opportunity and a likely bowl game. The pessimists see danger lurking.
The truth is probably somewhere in between.
Such is predicting the outcome of the Fighting Illini season in the new-look Big Ten Conference for 2024. Nearly every expert prognosticator picks Illinois to finish between five and six wins, with betting sites laying out the ever-so-tempting 5.5 over/under line for Illini victories.
How will Illinois football do in 2024? Best-case scenario | Worst-case scenario
We took a spin around the Internet to find out what some of the top college football news sources had to say about the Illini in 2024:
The longtime college sports publication picked Illinois to finish 15th of 18 in the Big Ten Conference, which added four west coast teams in 2024 — Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington.
“Both sides of the ball need attention after 2023,” Athlon wrote of the Illini. “The defense gave up 12.8 points a game in 2022 but watched that total climb to 29.4 last fall.”
Athlon pointed out defensive losses, but also that a few key transfers should stabilize. The offense, meanwhile, gets three offensive line starters back and Athlon says quarterback Luke Altmyer is “expected to take a step forward” while running back Kaden Feagin is a “rising star.”
“More optimism surrounds the offense going into 2024,” wrote Athlon.
The CBS Sports betting writer also picked the Illini at 5-7, but set an optimistic tone. He also set the over/under at 5.5 wins, expecting victories against Eastern Illinois, Central Michigan, Purdue, Minnesota and Michigan State.
“I’ve seen some articles written with extremely low expectations for the Illini, and while I understand the concerns about a defense that lost some key pieces, they won with their offense last season,” Fornelli wrote. “They could have one of the best offensive lines in the league, which should help them continue to score points. The primary obstacle is the schedule.”
The New York Times college football writer picked the Illini to finish 5-7 overall and 3-6 in Big Ten, a pretty standard prediction for the Illini. They sit in that nebulous and muddy middle of the Big Ten. So much so that Mandel took space to write about 10 of the 18 teams in the Big Ten preview. Illinois didn’t get an entry.
Illinois football: 3 most important games in 2024 season
ESPN also didn’t have much to say about Illinois in its Big Ten preview, picking the Illini 13th of 18, pointing out that the program’s minus-8 turnover margin ranked 123rd nationally in 2023.
Earlier this month, the longtime columnist from the Illini hometown News-Gazette assessed the Illini in a story headlined: “What’s in store for Bielema in Year Four?” An excerpt:
“(Bret) Bielema is in his 16th year as a head coach. He has a system he believes in. But if it worked or not with the Illinois team at hand won’t be known until the completion of the season. Finish 8-4 and it is a ‘Yes.’ Go 6-6 and it’s a ‘Maybe.’ Finish under .500 and out of a bowl for the third time in four years and it’s a ‘No.’ “
The stats-driven football site says the numbers plant Illinois firmly in the middle, but on the high end. The Illini are 49th in the power ranks, 32nd in strength of schedule. PFF, however, projects Illinois with seven wins.
“After a very successful 2022 season in which the Fighting Illini finished 8-5, the team came crashing down with a 5-7 record in 2023. And that, unfortunately, now means that Illinois has finished with a losing record in 11 of the last 12 seasons. … If Bret Bielema’s squad is to bounce back, it’ll likely be due to its defense. … the Fighting Illini’s front seven projects to be the team’s strength.”
Illinois football predictions: Game-by-game picks based on ESPN matchup predictor
More optimism! The online college football site picks the Illini with six wins, which would make them bowl-eligible. The key to that? Get the defense working again.
“The 2022 Illinois defense was a brick wall to deal with,” CFN wrote. “It allowed fewer than 100 yards six times and won five of them. In all six games the Illini allowed fewer than 3 yards per carry, and allowed more in the other seven. Last season? The D allowed fewer than 100 yards just three times — and won all three games. More disruption, more attitude, more consistency — Illinois needs to be feared again.”
Illinois football 2024 schedule
This is the Illinois football 2024 schedule, with TV info; all times are CT.
Date
Opponent
Time, TV
Thursday, Aug. 29
vs. Eastern Illinois
8 p.m., BTN
Saturday, Sept. 7
vs. Kansas
6 p.m., FS1
Saturday, Sept. 14
vs. Central Michigan
11 a.m., Peacock
Friday, Sept. 20
at Nebraska*
7 p.m., FOX
Saturday, Sept. 28
at Penn State*
TBA
Saturday, Oct. 12
vs. Purdue*
TBA
Saturday, Oct. 19
vs. Michigan*
TBA
Saturday, Oct. 26
at Oregon*
TBA
Saturday, Nov. 2
vs. Minnesota*
TBA
Saturday, Nov. 9
BYE
Saturday, Nov. 16
vs. Michigan State*
TBA
Saturday, Nov. 23
at Rutgers*
TBA
Saturday, Nov. 30
at Northwestern*
TBA
Saturday, Dec. 7
Big Ten championship game (Indianapolis)**
7 p.m., CBS
Illinois
Authorities: Woman’s BAC was nearly 3 times legal limit in Lombard, Illinois crash that injured family of 4
A woman was released on electronic monitoring Wednesday after authorities said she drove drunk and caused a crash that injured a family of four in Lombard, Illinois.
Among the injured was a 10-year-old boy.
Jaquelin Onofre Reyes, 27, appeared in DuPage County First Appearance Court on Wednesday morning. The DuPage County State’s Attorney’s office had asked to have Reyes detained on a charge of felony aggravated driving under the influence causing great bodily harm, but Judge Joshua Dieden denied the motion.
Onofre Reyes was instead released on electronic monitoring — with conditions that she may not possess or consume any alcohol or drugs.
Lombard police were called at 12:12 p.m. Tuesday for the crash at Route 53 and the Illinois Prairie Path.
Authorities said Onofre Reyes was driving a Hummer sport-utility vehicle south on Route 53 when she veered into the northbound lanes in an attempt to pass traffic in front of her. When Onofre Reyes tried to get back into the southbound lanes, she hit another car, crossed back into oncoming northbound traffic, and hit an Infiniti sport-utility vehicle headed north, authorities said.
Inside the Infiniti were a family of four, with two children ages 7 and 10. Everyone in the family was taken to the hospital, authorities said.
The 10-year-old boy suffered serious injuries and has been taken to another hospital for surgery, authorities said.
Police found that Onofre Reyes had two open containers of alcoholic beverages in her car at the time of the crash, authorities said. Her blood alcohol level was .238 — nearly three times the legal limit, authorities said.
“This incident involved a reckless and irresponsible individual who allegedly chose to operate a motor vehicle while impaired with complete disregard for the safety of others,” Lombard police Chief Joe Grage said in a news release. “Unfortunately, this decision led to a crash that caused significant injuries to innocent people.”
Onofre Reyes is due back in court on Jan. 20 in front of DuPage County Judge Ann Celine O’Hallaren Walsh.
Illinois
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Illinois
Supreme Court rejects Trump’s bid to deploy National Guard in Illinois
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday rebuffed the Trump administration over its plan to deploy National Guard troops in Illinois over the strenuous objections of local officials.
The court in an unsigned order turned away an emergency request made by the administration, which said the troops are needed to protect federal agents involved in immigration enforcement in the Chicago area.
Although the decision is a preliminary one involving only Chicago, it will likely bolster similar challenges made to National Guard deployments in other cities, with the opinion setting significant new limits on the president’s ability to do so.
The decision marked a rare defeat for President Donald Trump at the Supreme Court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, after the administration secured a series of high-profile wins this year.
In doing so, the court at least provisionally rejected the Trump administration’s view that the situation on the ground is so chaotic that it justifies invoking a federal law that allows the president to call National Guard troops into federal service in extreme situations.
Those circumstances can include when “there is a rebellion or danger of a rebellion” or “the president is unable with the regular forces to execute the laws of the United States.”
The court ruled against the administration on a threshold question, finding that the law’s reference to the “regular forces” only allows for the National Guard to be called up if regular military forces are unable to restore order.
The court order said that Trump could only call up the military where they could “legally execute the laws” and that power is limited under another law called the Posse Comitatus Act.
“At this preliminary stage, the Government has failed to identify a source of authority that would allow the military to execute the laws in Illinois,” the court said.
As a result, the Trump administration has failed to show that the National Guard law “permits the President to federalize the Guard in the exercise of inherent authority to protect federal personnel and property in Illinois,” the court added.
The decision saw the court’s six conservative justices split, with three in the majority and three in dissent. The court’s three liberals were in the majority.
The dissenters were Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch.
“I have serious doubts about the correctness of the court’s views. And I strongly disagree with the manner in which the court has disposed of this application,” Alito wrote in a dissenting opinion.
“There is no basis for rejecting the President’s determination that he was unable to execute the federal immigration laws using the civilian law enforcement resources at his command,” he added.
Trump’s unusual move to deploy the National Guard, characteristic of his aggressive and unprecedented use of executive power, was based on his administration’s stated assessment that the Chicago area was descending into lawless chaos.
That view of protests against surging immigration enforcement actions in Chicago is rejected by local officials as well as judges who have ruled against the administration.
The deployment was challenged in court by the Democratic-led state of Illinois and the city of Chicago, with their lawyers saying Trump had an ulterior motive for the deployment: to punish his political opponents.
They argued in court papers that Trump’s invocation of the federal law was not justified and that his actions also violated the Constitution’s 10th Amendment, which places limits on federal power, as well as the Posse Comitatus Act, which generally bars the military from conducting law enforcement duties.
U.S. District Judge April Perry said she “found no credible evidence that there is a danger of rebellion” and issued a temporary restraining order in favor of the state.
The Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals largely reached the same conclusion, saying “the facts do not justify the president’s actions.”
The court did narrow Perry’s order, saying that Trump could federalize the troops, but could not deploy them.
The Supreme Court has frequently ruled in Trump’s favor in recent months as the administration has rushed to the justices when policies are blocked by lower courts.
Trump’s efforts to impose federal control over cities led by Democrats who vociferously oppose his presidency are not just limited to Chicago. He has also sought to deploy the National Guard in the District of Columbia, Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon.
Most recently, hundreds of National Guard troops deployed in Illinois and Oregon were set to return to their home states.
The deployment in the District of Columbia, which is a federal enclave with less local control, has been challenged in court, but there has been no ruling yet.
A federal appeals court allowed the Los Angeles deployment, and a different panel of judges on Oct. 20 ruled similarly in relation to Portland.
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