As Illinois announced detailed plans for its athletes to return for voluntary activities in mid-June, sources told ESPN that the Big Ten is leaving that decision up to the conference's individual universities.
With student-athletes restricted from campuses, we look at how players are staying in shape and how their respective programs are holding them accountable.
In this second installment, we're focusing on the most exciting upsets and near upsets of the year, from Georgia State's shocking win over Tennessee to Notre Dame's escape against Virginia Tech.
Illinois defensive passing game coordinator and safeties coach Gill Byrd said Friday he is leaving the program because of an unspecified illness in his family.
Chase Garbers threw four touchdown passes and ran for another score, leading California to a 35-20 win over Illinois on Monday in the Redbox Bowl.
Meet the players who changed the way football was played at their positions over the sport's entire history.
Here are the key players and storylines for every college football bowl game, including the playoff.
Andrew Marty ran for 111 yards and two touchdowns while passing for another and Northwestern upset Illinois 29-10 on Saturday.
Northwestern has had two one-win conference seasons in Pat Fitzgerald's 14 years as head coach. In both, the win came at Illinois in the season finale: 37-34 on 11/30/13 and 29-10 on 11/30/19. The Wildcats have won the last five Land of Lincoln trophy matchups (their longest win streak in the series) & are 10-4 vs. the Illini under Fitzgerald.
Nate Stanley threw for 308 yards and Keith Duncan kicked four field goals to set a new Big Ten single-season mark as No. 19 Iowa shut down Illinois, 19-10, on Saturday.
Two SEC offenses and two Big 12 defenses were on display Saturday, Illinois somehow rallied and P.J. Fleck proved his value.
The Tigers scored 46 points against Alabama's defense, P.J. Fleck and Minnesota upset Penn State, and a wild Saturday of college football turned normal realities upside down.
Brandon Peters threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Daniel Barker with five seconds left, completing an incredible Illinois comeback to give the Illini a 37-34 victory over Michigan State on Saturday night.
Three defensive takeaways, including a pick-6, and timely offense carried red-hot Illinois past Rutgers 38-10 on Saturday.
| EAST | CONF | OVR |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio State | 9-0 | 13-1 |
| Penn State | 7-2 | 11-2 |
| Michigan | 6-3 | 9-4 |
| Indiana | 5-4 | 8-5 |
| Michigan State | 4-5 | 7-6 |
| Maryland | 1-8 | 3-9 |
| Rutgers | 0-9 | 2-10 |
| WEST | CONF | OVR |
| Wisconsin | 7-2 | 10-4 |
| Minnesota | 7-2 | 11-2 |
| Iowa | 6-3 | 10-3 |
| Illinois | 4-5 | 6-7 |
| Purdue | 3-6 | 4-8 |
| Nebraska | 3-6 | 5-7 |
| Northwestern | 1-8 | 3-9 |
| NAME | POS | STATUS | GRADE |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Frenchie | WR | Signed | 82 |
| Cooper Davis | DE | Signed | 78 |
| Lavar Gardner Jr. | OLB | Signed | 78 |
| Gregory Spann II | QB-DT | Signed | 76 |
| Jer'Zhan Newton | DE | Signed | 76 |
| YEAR | PLAYER | AWARD |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | W. Mercilus | Ted Hendricks Award |
| 1995 | K. Hardy | Dick Butkus Award |
| 1994 | D. Cortez Howard | Dick Butkus Award |
