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For years, one of the games on Iowa football's schedule that you could almost pencil down as a win was Illinois. 

While it has a storied men's basketball history, success on the gridiron has been a rarity at Illinois. The Fighting Illini had brief periods of success, but more often than not found themselves in the cellar of the Big Ten for most of the 21st century. 

But that's no longer the case anymore. 

The Hawkeyes won eight consecutive meetings over Illinois after both programs joined the Big Ten West ahead of the 2014 season, but the Illini have slowly turned things around in the 2020s, winning the 2022 matchup in ugly fashion and narrowly spoiling Iowa's Senior Day in 2023. 

The annual divisional matchup between these two teams ended when the Big Ten eliminated divisions after the Hawkeyes' 2023 triumph, and it remains the most recent meeting between these longtime Big Ten foes. 

Until now. 

Illinois is back on Iowa's schedule in 2026, where the Hawkeyes will pay a visit to Champaign on Nov. 21. This has the potential to be a fun game, but it's far too early to predict what could happen. 

The one thing we can do in late August is to give you an early look at this Illini team, so here you go. 

The Coach 

Returning for his sixth season as Illinois' head coach is a name that most Hawkeye fans know really well – Bret Bielema. The Illini were reeling after Lovie Smith's failed tenure, so athletic director Josh Whitman opted to hire the former Hawkeye defensive lineman and Wisconsin head coach. 

If there's any coach besides Kirk Ferentz that knows how to win Big Ten football games, it's probably Bielema. He won 68 games and three Big Ten titles while at Wisconsin, and the success has slowly translated to Champaign, where he's 37-26 (.587) through five seasons. Illinois has won 19 games the last two years – the first time in program history it's ever won nine or more games in back-to-back campaigns. 

The Illini had to replace a lot of talent in the offseason, but the culture Bielema has instilled in place makes them a dangerous out in this league each year. 

Key Returners 

Losing standout quarterback Luke Altmyer was a big blow to this Illinois offense. Altmyer threw for over 3,000 passing yards and tallied 22 touchdowns last season, and that type of veteran production is tough to replicate. 

Offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. has a new signal caller in place (more on that in a second) but the key for the Illini at least early on will be to rely on their experienced running backs corps. Leading rusher Ca'Lil Valentine (614 yards, 4 TD) is back, along with hybrid running back/tight end Kaden Feagin (507 yards, 7 TD) and Aidan Laughery (382 yards, 3 TD). 

The defense (23.6 PPG) was solid, and it's going to be just fine under new coordinator Bobby Hauck as long as Matthew Bailey continues to make plays in the secondary. Asking the free safety to duplicate a 93-tackle 2024 season was a tough ask, but Bailey was once again Illinois' leading tackler in 2025, tallying 76 tackles and a pair of forced fumbles last year. 

Key Newcomers 

With Altmyer gone, the Illini turned to the portal for their next quarterback, and that search yielded East Carolina's Katin Houser. The 6-foot-3 Houser completed over 65% of his passes for 3,300 yards and 19 touchdowns in 2025, and is a similar type of quarterback that Altmyer was – strong arm, good decision-making, and accuracy. 

Illinois also provided a strong weapon on the outside for Houser in Florida International transfer Alex Perry. The 6-foot-5, 210-pound Perry was a force in Conference USA last season, registering 840 yards and nine touchdowns and earning first-team All-Conference USA honors. 

Season Outlook  

There's definitely enough talent on this team for it to be in the upper echelon in the Big Ten this season, but the question will be if it can navigate a tough schedule. 

Oregon and Ohio State are the toughest games, and trips to Northwestern and UCLA aren't gimmes, either. Draft Kings has Illinois' preseason win total set at 7.5, so it appears the Fighting Illini are in line for another strong season under Bielema.

NIU Ticket Giveaway Closes TOMORROW!

HawkeyeRoundtable is giving away TWO tickets to Iowa's season opener against Northern Illinois on Sept. 5! 

This is easily the biggest giveaway we've ever done on this site, and it's a great opportunity for two lucky fans to experience the joy of attending a Hawkeye football game at Kinnick Stadium. 

Click here to automatically become a member to enter the contest! Additional contest details can be found in our community section, too! 

HawkeyeRoundtable publisher Brad Schultz has covered the Iowa Hawkeyes since 2023. To send him story ideas, scoops, or criticize his writing, reach him at bradschultz@roundtable.io

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