Who's Playing

Nebraska @ Illinois

Last Season Records: Illinois 2-6; Nebraska 3-5

What to Know

The Illinois Fighting Illini and the Nebraska Cornhuskers are opening their 2021 seasons against one another at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday at Memorial Stadium. Returning after a rocky 2-6 year, Illinois is aiming to prove that the past does not define them. Likewise, last year was nothing to brag about for Nebraska (3-5), so the squad is looking forward to a new start.

Two last-season offensive stats to keep an eye on: The Fighting Illini were 13th worst when it came to passing yards per game last season, with the team coming up with only 152.9 on average (bottom 91%). The Cornhuskers experienced some struggles of their own as they ranked 14th worst in the nation with respect to passing touchdowns last year, where the team accrued only five (bottom 90%). It's possible one of these Achilles' heels will wind up tripping the losing team up.

The Illinois sideline is surely aware that they're the underdogs in this one. We'll soon see whether they can make the experts look bad.

How To Watch

  • When: Saturday at 1 p.m. ET
  • Where: Memorial Stadium -- Champaign, Illinois
  • TV: FOX
  • Follow: CBS Sports App

Odds

The Cornhuskers are a solid 6.5-point favorite against the Fighting Illini, according to the latest college football odds.

Over/Under: -111

See college football picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine's advanced computer model. Get picks now.

Series History

Nebraska have won four out of their last six games against Illinois.

  • Nov 21, 2020 - Illinois 41 vs. Nebraska 23
  • Sep 21, 2019 - Nebraska 42 vs. Illinois 38
  • Nov 10, 2018 - Nebraska 54 vs. Illinois 35
  • Sep 29, 2017 - Nebraska 28 vs. Illinois 6
  • Oct 01, 2016 - Nebraska 31 vs. Illinois 16
  • Oct 03, 2015 - Illinois 14 vs. Nebraska 13