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The weekly rankings shows produced by Disney/ESPN are designed to be content aggregators for those addicted to college football but not designed to be taken seriously at all.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

November 8, 2025

Welcome the annual column where I do my best to convince you on how one of the biggest fraudulent moments inside college sports occurs for approximately one hour every week in November.

For around 60 minutes, including the commercials for the companies that essentially allow this annual context test to the intelligence of the common sports fan to continue, the Disney Corporation and its subsidiary, ESPN, produce and broadcast a television show designed look like news.

Welcome to the Tuesday night ‘College Football Playoffs Rankings Show’ where host Rece Davis and analyst Kirk Herbstreit and their annual revolving door of merry men of analysts spend 60 minutes in the middle of November trying to convince you, the loyal viewer who is so clearly addicted to American tackle football, that the short Zoom call all of these 12 committee members had is the most important thing that will ever happen for the next several days until we get to a weekend of games making what we’ve just dissected for the last three days severely irrelevant.

By Brad Sturdy - IlliniGuys Insider/Analyst & Co-Host, IlliniGuys […]

By Zeno Jo - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

November 8, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – It was, in head coach Shauna Green’s words, one of the harder basketball games to watch, but it was a game that helped prepare the Illinois women’s basketball team for a season in a multitude of ways.

If you weren’t able to catch Tuesday night’s game because it was on Big Ten Plus, or you just had other plans, you may be wondering why a 91-67 season-opening win over Southeast Missouri State may have been hard to watch. Tracing your finger down to the team’s row in the box score for the personal fouls column will tell you why: the officiating crew called 58 personal fouls across 40 minutes of game time.

“It was tough to watch for everyone, I think, but it is what it is,” Green said

Illinois All-Big Ten center Tomislav Ivisic’s future status is […]

By IlliniGuys Staff November 7, 2025 (Cover photo courtesy […]

By Brad Sturdy - IlliniGuys Insider/Analyst & Co-Host, IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular

November 7, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

A familiar face comes to Champaign with Florida Gulf Coast on Friday night when former Penn State coach Pat Chambers graces the sidelines. Chambers was 7-5 against Illinois over 9 seasons and will be looking for a major upset in this one as he attempts to make his mark at FCGU. The Illini are looking to take care of business as they prepare for a gauntlet of difficult games in the next 2 months heading into Big Ten play.

Here’s a preview of what to expect.

Setting the Stage
#17/14 Illinois (1-0) vs. Florida Gulf Coast (1-0)
Friday, Nov. 7, 2025 // 7:30 p.m. CT // Champaign, Ill. // State Farm Center
Stream: Peacock – Paul Burmeister (Play-by-Play), Nick Bahe (Analyst)
Radio: Busey Bank Illini Sports Network – Brian Barnhart (Play-By-Play), Deon Thomas

Notable
Illinois enters Friday’s contest having won three consecutive games at State Farm Center overall….. Illinois is looking to start 2-0 or better for the seventh straight season under head coach Brad Underwood…..Friday’s matchup is the first meeting in the series between Illinois and Florida Gulf Coast. FGCU coach Pat Chambers previously served at Penn State, where he was 7-5 against the Illini during nine seasons…. Friday marks the Fighting Illini’s first matchup all-time vs. Florida Gulf Coast….Brad Underwood has never coached against the Eagles in his 13-year career as a head coach.

By Kedric Prince - Staff Writer

November 6, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The “other” true freshman guard that no one seemed to talk much about leading up to the season is Brandon Lee from The Patrick School in New Jersey. Lee joins the Illinois men’s basketball program with a strong family legacy. His father, Butch Lee, starred at Marquette and was named the Most Outstanding Player in the 1977 NCAA Tournament.

Brandon Lee built his own impressive resume before arriving in Champaign. He scored over 2,000 points during his high school career and, in 2024, finished as the third-leading scorer in the EYBL circuit, averaging 23 points per game. He was also named Breakout MVP of the 17U division.

IlliniGuys caught up with Lee for a Q&A session during the preseason as he adjusts to life in college basketball.

Following a 35-13 win over Rutgers, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema downplays his role in scouting preparation and says coming out of the bye week that his role never changed from previous weeks.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

November 6, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — When asked if his increased scouting role for the defensive coaches prior to the Rutgers game, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema initially didn’t understand the question.

After making it publicly known that the Illini fifth-year head coach said Thursday that his role in scouting Rutgers’ third-down offense and doing a Monday morning presentation with the defensive coaches, Bielema said Thursday that his role last weekend was overblown by media and fans’ frustration following the loss at Washington.

“It really wasn’t that different last week,” Bielema said in his bye week media session at Gies Memorial Stadium. “I think people paid a lot more attention to it. Proud of guys and how they responded.”

By Zeno Jo - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

November 6, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – There was plenty to like from the Illinois women’s basketball team’s 91-67 season opener victory against Southeast Missouri State, but the undeniable star of the show was sophomore Berry Wallace.

After parting ways with a senior class that included four starters last offseason, head coach Shauna Green reloaded her roster with a recruiting class that ranked fourth in the nation, highlighted by Chicago native Destiny Jackson, who was the second-ever five-star recruit in program history. The first? Wallace.

IlliniGuys.com will detail, in this 35-13 win over Rutgers on Saturday, how Illinois offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. did what every successful offensive coordinator does - steal creative play calls. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

November 5, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — One of the first things that athletics coaches learn over the course of a career is their is no such thing as property theft when it comes to plays, formations and playbook creativity. 
Illinois offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. learned this rule Saturday in the 35-13 win over Rutgers with a red zone trick play call. The fourth-year offensive play-caller and his boss, fifth-year head coach Bret Bielema, have both previously said to media that Lunney will sometimes see play calls and interesting formations on social media (X and Instagram mostly) and then begin the implementation process the following Monday so the play call can be installed into the Thursday walk-through in the stadium. 

What is more than shocking about what Lunney stole this past weekend was it became a call on fourth-and-goal call from the 3-yard-line. This means Illinois (6-3, 3-3 in Big Ten Conference) put this play in the game plan early in the week and implemented it into Lunney’s callsheet in a matter of days. And finally, Lunney had enough confidence in the call and the fact that Rutgers hadn’t obviously seen the call on film throughout the 2025 season, that the Illini play-caller sent in the play in what was a huge spot of this game. 

By IlliniGuys Staff November 4, 2025 (Cover photo courtesy […]

By IlliniGuys Staff

November 4, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Year four of the Shauna Green will have a very different look and feel when her Illinois team takes the floor tonight against Southeast Missouri State to open the 2025-26 basketball season.

Gone is a group that was responsible for nearly 76 percent of scoring last year and that combined for 63 wins over the past three years, two NCAA Tournament appearances, the program's first NCAA Tournament win since 2000, and the first-ever postseason tournament championship in winning the Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament in 2024. Kendall Bostic departed as the Big Ten's all-time second leading rebounder, while Genesis Bryant, Makira Cook, and Adalia McKenzie all earned all-conference honors during their careers. And Brynn Shoup-Hill was a key contributor off the bench.

By Brad Sturdy - IlliniGuys Insider/Analyst & Co-Host, IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular

November 4, 2025

The Illini rolled over Jackson State in their season opener 113-55, placing 6 players in double figures despite being shorthanded, as injuries continue to hamper this squad. Ben Humrichous and Tomislav Ivisic each had 21, while freshman David Mirkovic had 19 points and 14 rebounds and freshman Keaton Wagler posted an 18 point, 6 rebound and 4 assist game in his Illini debut.

Here’s a look at how they did it.

These 3 Things

Boswell Has No Backup

By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Insider

November 4, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

I hope everyone enjoyed Illinois' "get well" game against the visiting Scarlet Knights of Rutgers. For the second time this year, Bret Bielema's staff needed to rally the troops and get everyone back on the same page after an embarrassing road loss. And to their credit, they did. Illinois frankly just outclassed Rutgers on Saturday, which is what you'd hope to see from a well-established program.

Rutgers' defense has been a real problem under Greg Schiano. There isn't much talent, and they often can't even keep their assignments straight. This first play was a great example of the types of plays Rutgers has put on film this year. There are plenty of times when you'll see a defense lose track of a receiver inside the ten yard line, but Illinois' first touchdown on Saturday was a special kind of ugly.

By IlliniGuys Staff November 3, 2025 CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - […]