Illinois

Three-Dot Dash: Where will surging Illinois be in Top 25 on Sunday?

Published

1 year ago

September 22, 2024

Three-Dot Dash: Where will surging Illinois be in Top 25 on Sunday?

Illinois’ football team, still buzzing from its 31-24 win in overtime at Nebraska on Friday, is sure to move up from No. 24 in the new AP Top 25 that’s released early Sunday afternoon. Now 4-0 with a pair of wins against ranked teams, the Illini have earned a good bit of respect from voters.

So where will they be?

My prediction is the Illini will come in at No. 20, jumping four teams that lost — Northern Illinois, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. It’s very unlikely that USC, which lost a tight one at Michigan, will tumble far enough from No. 11 for the Illini to move up into the teens.

On the other hand, 13th-ranked Kansas State had just kicked off at BYU as this was being written. So there was potential after all, with a Wildcats loss, for the Illini to rise to No. 19.

Does any of this even matter in September? It feels a lot more like it does after the thrilling upset of the Cornhuskers than it did before it. A 4-0 start — Illinois’ first since 2011 — makes it a lot more tempting to begin thinking about how many wins this team can pile up in a season that began with modest expectations, most of the Big Ten previews out there having pegged Bret Bielema’s fourth Illini team for only five or six wins.

I predicted 7-5, which might end up short in the win column. Certainly, 8-4 seems achievable. Better than that? Sure, though I wouldn’t bet on it yet. Still, this has been the step forward Bielema needed for the sake of his reputation more so than for job security.

By the way, the 2011 team started out 6-0 before losing six straight, leading to Ron Zook’s dismissal. And the 2022 team was riding high at 7-1 before messing the bed in back-to-back games at home against seemingly inferior Michigan State and Purdue. As any Illini football fan knows, there is to be no taking anything for granted, not now, not ever.

THREE-DOT DASH

• IT WAS NICE KNOWING YOU, Northwestern. The Wildcats went to Washington for the Huskies’ first-ever Big Ten game, were held to 112 yards of offense and finished on the business end of a 24-5 beatdown. The total dud in Seattle was a throwback to the lost seasons of 2021 and 2022, and nobody cared to revisit those. My preseason prediction of 5-7 for the Wildcats (2-2) is looking rather generous. …

• YOU, TOO, NIU. How crazy is it that Northern Illinois lost at home to Buffalo in its first game since winning at Notre Dame? This, folks, is why God invented college football. …

• MICHIGAN BEAT USC 27-24, and the contrast in styles was delectable fun. The Wolverines can’t throw the ball and might never again try, but they sure can run it physically. The Trojans can throw it all over the yard when their offensive line holds up, and they can beat anybody in the conference if their defensive line holds up — clearly, though, Lincoln Riley’s roster is still a little too soft where it counts. Michigan had almost no business winning that game but did anyway, toughness being the difference in the end.

• WHAT MUST MACK BROWN have said to his North Carolina team after it gave up 70 points to James Madison? What must it have felt like for Tar Heels defensive coordinator Geoff Collins? If Collins ever interviews for another head coaching job, the first thing any athletic director will ask him is, “How did you give up 70 to JMU?” If I’m UNC, I seriously think about scheduling Dolly Madison instead next time. …

• IMAGINE THE HORROR of being a Nebraska fan. The Huskers have lost 25 straight games against ranked teams. Even more painful, they’re 8-31 in one-possession games since the start of 2018. And they’ve played overtime seven times over the last decade without scoring a point in any of the extra periods. It has to be sheer torture to watch.

• IS IT NEXT SATURDAY YET? Georgia at Alabama at 6:30 p.m. Hallelujah and God bless America. …

• MY HEISMAN TOP FIVE entering Week 5 are (1) Miami QB Cam Ward, (2) Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart, (3) Alabama QB Jalen Milroe, (4) Colorado WR/DB Travis Hunter and (5) Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty.

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Illinois

Illinois state bill would authorize pilot program for self-driving cars in Chicago

Published

11 hours ago

February 4, 2026

Press Room

Illinois state bill would authorize pilot program for self-driving cars in Chicago

February 4, 2026 / 8:26 AM CST
/ CBS Chicago

Self-driving cars could soon be making their debut in Chicago.

Illinois state Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Illinois) has introduced a bill that would authorize autonomous vehicle pilot programs in several counties.

The bill would authorize an autonomous vehicle pilot program in several counties, including Cook County, and downstate Sangamon County — which includes Springfield.

If the pilot program is successful, the Illinois Department of Transportation could legalize self-driving cars statewide within three years.

The bill comes as self-driving car operator Waymo tries to gain a foothold in Illinois, according to published reports.

The bill still has a long way to go before becoming law.

Previous attempts to legalize self-driving cars in Illinois have gone nowhere.

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Illinois

Get to know your CAST leadership team

Published

23 hours ago

February 3, 2026

Press Room

Here are some fun facts about the College of Applied Science and Technology (CAST) leadership team.

Chad McEvoy, dean

Favorite Illinois State or Bloomington-Normal annual event: Commencement

What’s your coffee order? Lots of coffee—hot coffee when it’s cold out and iced coffee in the summer

Best concert you have ever attended: Elton John and Billy Joel together

Cara Rabe-Hemp, executive associate dean

Number of years at Illinois State: I just started my 25th year.

Favorite part of your job: Working with the amazing CAST faculty, staff, students, and leadership team (and spreadsheets)

Favorite quote: “Do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better.” —Maya Angelou

Kara Snyder, assistant dean of marketing, communications, and constituent relations

Favorite place on campus: The bridge between Milner Plaza and the Quad. I like being able to see it all.

Favorite way to unwind on the weekend: A hot yoga class

Favorite local restaurant: Fort Jesse Café

Tamekia Bailey, director of student success and CAST Connections

Number of years at Illinois State: 21. I came in 2004 as a transfer student and never left.

Something that is always on your desk: hand sanitizer

Leadership philosophy: Leadership is both a responsibility and a privilege, grounded in service, intentionality, accountability, and growth.

Cindy Greskiwcz, business administrative associate

Favorite place on campus: CEFCU Arena

Favorite fictional character from a book, show, or movie: Mickey Mouse

Something that is always on your desk: pen, paper to-do-list, and Breathe Deep lotion (something very needed)

Toni Burningham, director of development

Favorite local restaurant: Anju Above

Favorite fictional character from a book, show, or movie: Ellen Ripley in Alien movies (played by Sigourney Weaver)

Leadership philosophy: If you don’t ask, you’ll never know.

Teresa Fowler, office manager

Favorite local restaurant: Tobin’s Pizza

Dream vacation destination: Alaskan cruise

Favorite Illinois State or Bloomington-Normal annual event: Sweet Corn Circus festival

Chandra Smith, director of CAST-IT

Something that is always on your desk: Two Minions from the Minions movie, my years of service coin, and a dumpster fire coin

Favorite quote: “Leadership is about taking responsibility, not making excuses—unless the printer jammed again, then it’s totally the printer’s fault.” —Office wisdom

Favorite way to unwind on the weekend: Relaxing on the deck or patio with the people I love

Lucas Maxwell, chair of the Department of Agriculture

Something that is always on your desk: Sadly, a long to-do list

Favorite part of your job: Supporting students and faculty while building a strong, inclusive future for agriculture

Favorite place on campus: The University Farm, where education gets its boots muddy, and learning is hands-on

Donna Selman, chair of the Department of Criminal Justice Sciences

Favorite part of your job: Finding ways to make people’s lives easier

Go-to coffee order: London Fog

Best concert you have ever attended: Monsters of Rock in Germany, 1989

Kelly Reddy-Best, chair of the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences

Go-to snack: Greek yogurt

Dream vacation destination: Vietnam/Ho Chi Minh Trail

Leadership philosophy: Lead with clear and compassionate communication, a deep commitment to justice and equity, and a strong belief in work-life balance to foster inclusive, sustainable, and trust-centered environments.

Chris Grieshaber, chair of the Department of Health Sciences

Favorite part of your job: Working with my colleagues on new ideas

Favorite way to unwind on the weekend: Soccer is my therapy

Dream vacation destination: Lazy: Hawaii; Not lazy: London

Sherif Rashad, director of the School of Information Technology

Go-to coffee order: Americano, no sugar and no milk

Best concert you have ever attended: Opera Aida at the Cairo Opera House, Egypt

Favorite quote: “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” —Steve Jobs

Noelle Selkow, director of the School of Kinesiology and Recreation

Favorite place on campus: Redbird Plaza, on the swings

Go-to snack: Cashews and string cheese

Favorite Illinois State or Bloomington-Normal annual event: Sugar Creek Arts Festival

Lt. Col. Steve Krippel, chair of the Department of Military Science

Favorite place on campus: Horton Field House (Morning PT)

Favorite way to unwind on the weekend: Working on old Chevys

Favorite fictional character from a book, show, or movie: Capt. John Miller (Tom Hanks in Saving Private Ryan)

Josh Brown, chair of the Department of Technology

Something that is always on your desk: Coffee

Favorite place on campus: Adjacent to campus … Uptown Normal

Best concert you have ever attended: It’s a tie: Rage Against the Machine (Palace of Auburn Hills, Michigan, 1999) and Jack White (American Legion Hall, a small venue in Nashville, Tennessee, 2024)

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