Northern Illinois took a trip to Notre Dame and headed home with the biggest upset win in the MAC’s history under their belts. Joe Londergan is joined by Eric Henry of 247Sports and Horns247 to ponder this question: is there a possibility we see an even bigger upset this regular season?

Plus, Boise State comes up just a little bit short against Oregon, Bryant Vincent’s statement win with ULM over UAB, Texas State obliterates UTSA, top individual performers from Week Two, and more. Happy football watching!

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Illinois residents will have one final chance to see Union Pacific’s 4014 Big Boy steam engine before the locomotive sets off for its next destination.

The classic train stopped in three Illinois communities in recent days – Sterling, Rochelle and Watseka – as part of its 10-state “Heartland of America” tour.

Ahead of its public debut in Rochelle on Sunday, extensive traffic delays and backups were reported. Photos posted on social media showed traffic backups and a number of people who attempted to beat the traffic and walk along the road to the viewing.

Big Boy was the star of the show in Watseka as crowds upon crowds waited hours to see the locomotive up-close.

According to officials, Big Boy No. 4014 is one of 25 built in the 1940s to handle the steep grades in Utah’s Wasatch Mountain Range during World War II. It is just one of eight to survive, and the only one that remains in operation today.

The classic steam engine draws everywhere it goes, including some repeat visitors.

“I think it’s pretty awesome,” one resident said. “People have been really excited for the last week and a half around here. Haven’t seen that for a while. Everybody just kind of lets life go by. This moment our population is doubled, it’s fun.”

Following its stop in Watseka on Monday night, the train was set to depart for Nokomis, approximately 50 miles southeast of Springfield. For anyone considering making the drive, Big Boy will be at the community’s Maple Street crossing for public viewing between 12:15 and 12:45 p.m. on Tuesday.

Coach Bret Bielema couldn’t care less about Illinois missing out out on an AP Top 25 ranking despite knocking off previously unbeaten Kansas last Saturday night in Champaign.

The Illini were last ranked in 2022 during the first edition of the 2022 College Football Playoff rankings, coming in at No. 16. Despite having a top five defense, Illinois failed to reach its first Big Ten Championship game in school history and finished the season 8-5. This mark was followed by a 5-7 finish last season, missing out on back-to-back winning seasons by a single game.

While the Illini are still seeking postseason consistency, Bielema said Monday his team is unfazed by being left out of the rankings. He pointed out long-time News-Gazette writer Bob Asmussen as one of the few journalists who had given the Illini their due diligence for a 2-0 start, the first under Bielema.

“The one thing I pointed out was the guy that locally votes for us voted us 24,” Bielema said. “Most people that are around the program vote their home team up really high.” 

Bielema added his players have took notice of the national recognition, which does not let them hinder that away from their goals.

“Our players, I think from the outside world, take respect in it,” Bielema said. “I think we’d be oblivious to the fan base to think it doesn’t matter.” 

Illinois completes its three-game home stand Saturday against Central Michigan to commemorate Homecoming, followed by its Big Ten schedule, starting with Nebraska in Lincoln on Sept. 20 through the end of November at Wrigley Field against in-state rival Northwestern.

Zain Bando is a contributor to Illinois Fighting Illini On SI. He can be reached at zainbando99@gmail.com or follow him on X @zainbando99

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