Bielema on upset Saturday in Big Ten: 'It's such a different world in college football'

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Sep. 15—CHAMPAIGN — The top of the Big Ten imploded on Saturday.

No. 1 Ohio State lost at No. 4 Texas (no shame there) and No. 6 Oregon got knocked off by 0-1 Oklahoma State (shame there).

Get used to the upsets, Illinois coach Bret Bielema said Monday afternoon at Gies Memorial Stadium.

"I was sitting on the couch with my wife watching the end of the Texas-Ohio State game because we play them in two weeks," Bielema said of the Buckeyes. "I have a lot of respect for Ryan (Day) and who he is and what he is. That was two really good football teams."

Bielema didn't see any of Oregon's loss since it happened at the same time Illinois was playing Duke. But that it came against a team in Oklahoma State that added one of the top transfer quarterbacks in Drew Mestemaker didn't surprise Bielema.

"We say it all the time, but it's such a different world in college football," Bielema said. "It's a year-to-year basis. It's a fun time to be around it, but it's also a very unique world. You could be on a team that's on a path and a journey down the road you don't want to go."

All Bielema, and every other college football coach not named Curt Cignetti, has to do is see what Indiana is up to.

"Look at Indiana, the records they had set in the wrong category," Bielema said. "Cig comes in and gets some things going in the right direction and can flip a program in a year, two years. It's just crazy."

Bielema looks forward to the rest of the season and the craziness that awaits.

"The next four, eight, 12 months in college football are going to be unprecedented in what we see," Bielema said.

Team A might have double the salary budget as Team B. It will create advantages.

"I think you'll see more surprise results," Bielema said. "Not just from an individual game, but also in the season."

Bielema's team isn't immune to a surprise. Favored Illinois just lost 31-27 at home against Duke on Saturday. It was Illinois' first loss in a one-score game since 2024 when Minnesota left Champaign with a 25-17 victory.

"We've usually come through in those moments, and obviously it's a new group, offense, defense, players, coaches, special teams," Bielema said. "The worst crime that could be committed is for us to not take that moment as a moment to take advantage of the adversity that we're feeling."

Failure to launch

Against Duke, Bielema was hoping to see the second-game jump many teams experience.

"There was definitely a lot of that, but also enough that didn't happen that we know we've got to make a step forward this week," Bielema said. "I always say this, 'A loss usually gives an opportunity for the weak to become stronger.'"

Sundays after a loss aren't fun in the Smith Center for the Illini. Fine wih Bielema.

"We haven't felt that way in a long time," Bielema said.

On paper at least, the next step will be taken against a lesser opponent than reigning ACC champion Duke. Southern Illinois comes to Champaign with a 2-1 record after the Salukis beat Southeast Missouri State 34-20 on Saturday night in Carbondale. The lone loss for SIU happened on Aug. 27 with a 34-31 setback at West Florida.

The Salukis will get nothing but respect from Illinois, which has never lost to an FCS school.

SIU is coached by Nick Hill. The former Salukis quarterback is 57-62 in his 11th season at his alma mater. Included in that win column is a 2022 victory at Northwestern. And Hill led the Salukis to a 2006 victory at Indiana, throwing four touchdowns against the Hoosiers that day in Bloomington, Ind.

This Saturday's game kicks off at 1 p.m., which used to the starting time for most involving Illinois. So far this season, Bielema's team has played at 8 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., and will get a fourth different starting time in their fourth game of the season. The Big Ten announced on Monday that the Big Ten opener for Illinois at Ohio State is at 11 a.m. on Sept. 26.

Staying put

First-year coordinator Bobby Hauck commands the defense from the press box on game day. That is where he will be this week, too.

"Quarterbacks are a little bit like coordinators," Bielema said. "I really don't care what the call is. I want them to feel comfortable.

"I don't like the result of the game, but I do believe we took a step forward in three big areas: We were better in third downs, we tackled the ball and the biggest thing is we got stronger as the game went on."

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