Big Ten · FBS
Illinois 5-7
2023 season · Fighting Illini
No. 58 toughest schedule of 133 — see full rankings
Illinois is 5-7 under head coach Bret Bielema. Its twelve opponents were a combined 38-27 before playing the Fighting Illini and are 40-37 since. The best win was over Maryland, which was 5-1 going in.
Data last updated
Open a row to see that opponent's season, split into games before Illinois, the game itself, and games after. Total includes the game vs. Illinois.
Wk 3·
Home · Big Ten
L 13-30
- Before
- 2-0
- After
- 7-3
- Total
- 10-3
Show Penn State's seasonHide Penn State's season
Wk 3
L 13-30
2-0
7-3
10-3
Wk 3·
Home · Big Ten
L 13-30
- Before
- 2-0
- After
- 7-3
- Total
- 10-3
Show Penn State's seasonHide Penn State's season
Wk 3
L 13-30
2-0
7-3
10-3
Wk 4·
Home · American Athletic
W 23-17
- Before
- 1-2
- After
- 3-5
- Total
- 4-8
Show Florida Atlantic's seasonHide Florida Atlantic's season
Wk 4
Home · American Athletic
Show Florida Atlantic's seasonHide Florida Atlantic's season
W 23-17
1-2
3-5
4-8
Wk 4·
Home · American Athletic
W 23-17
- Before
- 1-2
- After
- 3-5
- Total
- 4-8
Show Florida Atlantic's seasonHide Florida Atlantic's season
Wk 4
Home · American Athletic
Show Florida Atlantic's seasonHide Florida Atlantic's season
W 23-17
1-2
3-5
4-8
Wk 13·
Home · Big Ten
L 43-45
- Before
- 6-5
- After
- 1-0
- Total
- 8-5
Show Northwestern's seasonHide Northwestern's season
Wk 13
L 43-45
6-5
1-0
8-5
Wk 13·
Home · Big Ten
L 43-45
- Before
- 6-5
- After
- 1-0
- Total
- 8-5
Show Northwestern's seasonHide Northwestern's season
Wk 13
L 43-45
6-5
1-0
8-5
- Conference
- Big Ten
- Head coach
- Bret Bielema
- Stadium
- Memorial Stadium (Champaign, IL), seats 60,670, Champaign, Illinois
- NFL draft
- 3 picked in the 2026 NFL draft, earliest in round 2
Receipt insights
- Best win by opponent record: Toledo, finished 11-3 (won 30-28, Wk 1).
- Worst loss by opponent record: Purdue, finished 4-8 (lost 19-44, Wk 5).
Combined opponents
Across 12 completed games
Before playing Illinois
38-27
58.5%
vs. Illinois
7-5
58.3%
After playing Illinois
40-37
51.9%
Total (including vs. Illinois)
85-69
55.2%
Teams we beat32-32total (50.0%)
Before playing Illinois 14-12 · after 18-15
Teams that beat us53-37total (58.9%)
Before playing Illinois 24-15 · after 22-22
How we count
Records are summed once per game on this schedule, so an opponent who shows up twice is counted twice. Before playing Illinois uses only that opponent's games completed before the kickoff. vs. Illinois is the opponents' combined record in those head-to-head games. After playing Illinois uses only games completed later. Total adds the three together. Canceled, postponed, and vacated games are excluded. Winning percentage counts a tie as half a win.