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Big Ten Football Week 8 Power Rankings: Is 5-1 Illinois Moving Up?

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Big Ten Football Week 8 Power Rankings: Is 5-1 Illinois Moving Up?


There’s a new sheriff in town in the Big Ten, and it’s Oregon. Or is it Penn State? Or, come to think of it, is it still Ohio State? The Buckeyes’ 32-31 loss to the Ducks in Oregon hardly settled anything.

Illinois did what it had to do in a 50-49 overtime win against lowly Purdue, and that’s not completely blow the game and ruin a promising season. Still, the Illini struggled enough to make us wonder if they really belong in the top half of the 18-team conference. For now, they’re still there.

Let’s take it from the bottom (all game times Central):

What do you call that thing the Boilermakers had for 46 whole seconds against Illinois again? Ah, yes – an actual lead.

Polls: N/A.

Next up: Friday vs. Oregon (7 p.m., FOX).

How unbearably bad are the Bruins at running the ball? Even on a night when they held Minnesota to a puny total of 41 yards, they were outgained on the ground (41-36).

Polls: N/A.

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Next up: Saturday at Rutgers (11 a.m., FS1).

Getting dump-trucked by Northwestern by four touchdowns at home probably wasn’t in the plans.

Polls: N/A.

Next up: Saturday vs. USC (3 p.m., FS1).

That 27-24 win at Maryland in Week 2 isn’t as impressive in hindsight as it originally appeared to be.

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Polls: N/A.

Next up: Saturday vs. Iowa (6:30 p.m., NBC).

Chopping? No, dropping. Anyone who thought Greg Schiano had it rolling again has to have doubts after that all-out debacle against Wisconsin.

Polls: N/A.

Next up: Saturday vs. UCLA (11 a.m., FS1).

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Who knew the Wildcats had a 37-10 smack-around of Maryland in them? That was mighty impressive.

Polls: N/A.

Next up: Saturday vs. Wisconsin (11 a.m., BTN).

After beating USC and UCLA back-to-back, the Gophers have totally gone Hollywood. OK, fine, maybe Anaheim.

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Polls: N/A.

Next up: Oct. 26 vs. Maryland.

A morning kickoff in Iowa City, followed by three hours of frustration and misery, was as “Welcome to the Big Ten” as it gets.

Polls: N/A.

Next up: Oct. 26 at Indiana.

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Luke Fickell and his staff have found something, and it’s called running the damn football as though you’re Wisconsin. It just might be crazy enough to work.

Polls: N/A.

Next up: Saturday at Northwestern (11 a.m., BTN).

The Trojans looked great against Penn State … until they petered out. It wasn’t the first time this season.

Polls: N/A.

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Next up: Saturday at Maryland (3 p.m., FS1).

It’s prove-it time for the Huskers, who have yet to beat a Big Ten team with a pulse.

Polls: No. 27 AP, No 25 coaches.

Next up: Saturday at Indiana (11 a.m., FOX).

If Bret Bielema’s defense really is as soft as it looked in the second half against Purdue, a 2022-style fadeout is likely for this team.

Polls: No. 22 AP, No. 21 coaches.

Next up: Saturday vs. Michigan (2:30 p.m., CBS).

The Wolverines are on their third QB, Jack Tuttle, who’s in his seventh year of college ball. How long until he gets tenure?

Polls: No. 24 AP, No. 22 coaches.

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Next up: Saturday at Illinois (2:30 p.m., CBS).

Have you looked at the Hawkeyes’ remaining schedule? It’s pretty much screaming 10-2.

Polls: No. 31 AP, No. 33 coaches.

Next up: Saturday at Michigan State (6:30 p.m., NBC).

Big one coming up for the Hoosiers, who still have their doubters. What a fun team either way.

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Polls: No. 16 AP, No. 18 coaches.

Next up: Saturday vs. Nebraska (11 a.m., FOX).

The Nittany Lions just kept plugging at USC, came all the way back and got a win fit for a legit playoff contender. That’s how it’s done.

Polls: No. 3 AP, No. 3 coaches.

Next up: Oct. 26 at Wisconsin.

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A one-point loss at Oregon is nothing to get too down about. Rematch in Indy, anyone?

Polls: No. 4 AP, No. 5 coaches.

Next up: Oct. 26 vs. Nebraska.

You beat the big, bad Buckeyes, you get the top spot. That’s just the way it works, people.

Polls: No. 2 AP, No. 2 coaches.

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Next up: Friday at Purdue (7 p.m., FOX).

Illinois Football Climbs to No. 22 in Week 8 AP Top 25 Rankings

Illinois Football Coach Bret Bielema’s (Surprising?) Reaction to Week 7 Purdue Win

Illinois vs. Purdue Football: Live Game Blog and Updates





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Illinois

Illinois quick hits: Former hospital CEO charged; bow season underway – Washington Examiner

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Illinois quick hits: Former hospital CEO charged; bow season underway – Washington Examiner


A federal investigation into alleged corruption and embezzlement at a Chicago hospital has resulted in charges against the former Chief Executive Officer. A 45-count indictment accuses former Loretto Hospital CEO George Miller, 73, of conspiring with the hospital’s former Chief Financial Officer to corruptly steer vendor contracts and other hospital business to certain medical supply companies in exchange for cash from the companies’ owner. Three other people are charged in the case.

Bow season underway

Illinois’ archery deer season is underway, and the Department of Natural Resources is reminding hunters of key dates, regulations and safety practices for the season. Illinois’ statewide archery deer season opened Oct. 1. Archery deer season runs through Jan. 19 in counties with no firearm deer season, including Cook, DuPage, Lake, and east of Illinois 47 in Kane County. Illinois regulations allow for one deer per archery permit. No hunter, regardless of the quantity or type of permits in their possession, may harvest more than two antlered deer during a year.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

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Cooler weather ahead

After a stretch of abnormal warm weather in Illinois, conditions are going to feel more like autumn this week. High temperatures will be closer to normal for the first part of the week, and some areas will see the first frost of the season. A brief warmup returns closer to the weekend.



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Endorsement: McLaughlin for Illinois House Dist. 52

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Endorsement: McLaughlin for Illinois House Dist. 52


Martin McLaughlin

Maria Peterson

In two previous runs for Illinois House, we have consistently found former Barrington Hills Village President Martin McLaughlin a steadfast voice for controlled spending with an independent mentality that can help him work effectively in the Democratically controlled chamber. We see much of the same as he seeks his third term in the race for Illinois House Dist. 52.

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In this campaign, we are particularly impressed with his detailed position on ethics reforms for lawmakers that remain to be addressed. He says lawmakers should lose their state insurance and pension plans if they are found guilty of a crime, and he wants stronger controls on what he calls “the special interest contributing class.” He also wants tighter rules regarding legislators who transition to lobbying, possibly including restricting them or their staffs from lobbying the same government entity they previously worked for.

We also appreciate his resolute stance on controlled government spending, especially as the state gets set to enter a period of complex challenges.

We are not in lockstep with him on certain other positions, notably his fairly permissive position on gun control and his call for the repeal of the SAFE-T Act, but we have always found him open to the kinds of discussion that promote the kind of reasonable debate needed to best advance issues in a legislative setting.

Not that his challenger doesn’t exhibit similar qualities from a Democratic perspective. Maria Peterson, of North Barrington, speaks with authority and compassion on the key issues facing the state. She is a staunch activist for gun control and recognizes both the value and the shortcomings in the state’s year-old criminal justice legislation. She, too, sees the need for more work on ethics policies for elected state officials.

But the super-majority-controlled Democratic House needs checks from responsible Republican voices that do not shrink from upholding contrary values or mounting challenges in the interest of controlling expenses while knowing how to operate in a way that influences outcomes and benefits the district and the state. McLaughlin is such a candidate, and we recommend him for a third term in Illinois House Dist. 52.

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No. 23 Illinois outlasts Purdue 50-49 in overtime on sack on 2-point conversion

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No. 23 Illinois outlasts Purdue 50-49 in overtime on sack on 2-point conversion


Illinois wide receiver Pat Bryant (13) Declan Duley (31) and Devin Hale (53) celebrate with the Purdue cannon after the team’s 50-49 overtime win over Purdue in an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
AP

CHAMPAIGN — Luke Altmyer threw a 25-yard touchdown pass in overtime to Pat Bryant, and Dylan Rosiek sacked Purdue’s Ryan Browne on a 2-point conversion attempt to give No. 23 Illinois a 50-49 victory Saturday.

Illinois (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten) had lost four straight and seven of its last eight against Purdue (1-5, 0-3). The Illini hadn’t beaten the Boilermakers at Memorial Stadium since 2010.

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Illinois’ David Olano made a 38-yard field goal as time expired to tie it at 43 after Purdue rallied to take the lead for the first time.

Ahrmad Branch, on his only carry of the day, scored on a 3-yard run in OT for the Boilermakers.

Purdue coach Ryan Walters said he went for the 2-point conversion in OT “because we were in control of the game at that point. We clawed back in the game, something we hadn’t done this season, and I wanted to give us a chance to win. I hate losing.”

Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer celebrates his touchdown during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Purdue on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
AP

Altmyer completed 20 of 34 passes for 379 yards and 3 touchdowns. Josh McCray ran for 78 yards and 2 TDs and caught a scoring pass. Bryant caught 4 passes for 104 yards.

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“We did enough bad things to give them the game,” Illinois coach Bret Bielema said. “If you let a team stick around like that, that’s what happens. I still think we’re a good team knocking on the door of doing something cool.”

Browne, a redshirt freshman making his first start with Hudson Card sidelined by a concussion, rushed for 118 yards on 17 carries and completed 18 of 26 passes for 297 yards and 3 TDs after throwing for just 9 yards in the first half.

Max Klare caught 6 passes for 133 yards for Purdue. Devin Mockobee ran for 102 yards on 11 carries.

Down 27-3 at halftime, Purdue launched a comeback.

“We executed. We didn’t panic,” Walters said.

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The Boilermakers scored two TDs in eight seconds on 53-yard pass from Browne to Jahmal Edrine and a sack of Altmyer by Nyland Green that caused a fumble that Will Heldt returned 16 yards for TD.

After Browne threw a 62-yard strike to Klare on a double-reverse flea flicker, a 24-yard field goal by Spencer Porath made it 27-20. Altmyer ended Purdue’s surge with a 13-yard TD run early in the fourth quarter.

The Boilermakers responded with an 8-yard TD pass from Browne to Jaron Tibbs and a 2-point conversion pass from Browne to Klare, but McCray scored on a 3-yard run to make it 40-28.

Purdue cut the lead to 40-35 with 1:35 left on a 2-yard TD run by Mockobee.

After Ben Freehill recovered an onside kick, the Boilermakers scored again on a 13-yard pass from Brown to Mockobee and a 2-point conversion pass from Browne to Edrine with 46 seconds left to move in front for the first time at 43-40.

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Now that the Illini have vanquished the Boilermakers, the biggest thorn in their side over the past several years, they can focus on back-to-back huge Big Ten games to end the month. They’ll host No. 24 Michigan next week in the culmination of a season-long celebration of Memorial Stadium’s 100th anniversary and travel to No. 3 Oregon the following week.

Illinois rushing leader Kaden Feagin missed the game because of a hyperextended left leg, suffered in practice during the week. Bielema said Feagan will be out “for a little bit.” Feagin had gained 306 yards on 67 carries and run for three touchdowns in Illinois’ first five games.



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