Illinois strength of schedule
2026 weekly schedule
H · 1 
H · 2 
H · 3 
A · 4 
H · 5 
A · 6 
H · 8 
A · 9 
H · 10 
A · 11 
H · 12 
A · 13 Tougher than average Easier than average · number = opponent's win total
Illinois 2026 opponents
| Wk | Opponent | Site | Opp wins | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | UAB | vs | 4 | Played |
| 2 | Duke | vs | 9 | Played |
| 3 | Southern Illinois | vs | 7 | Played |
| 4 | Ohio State | @ | 12 | Played |
| 5 | Purdue | vs | 2 | Played |
| 6 | Michigan State | @ | 4 | Upcoming |
| 8 | Oregon | vs | 13 | Upcoming |
| 9 | Maryland | @ | 4 | Upcoming |
| 10 | Nebraska | vs | 7 | Upcoming |
| 11 | UCLA | @ | 3 | Upcoming |
| 12 | Iowa | vs | 9 | Upcoming |
| 13 | Northwestern | @ | 7 | Upcoming |
Opponent strength = each opponent's win total in 2025, its last full season (records-based, no betting win totals are used). Schedule and records from CollegeFootballData. See the full conference strength-of-schedule ranking.
Illinois Fighting Illini 2026 opponents by win total, week by week. Bars above the 6.4-win FBS average are tougher than average.
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Frequently asked questions
How hard is the Illinois schedule in 2026?
Illinois faces a middle-of-the-pack schedule in 2026. Its opponents averaged 6.8 wins in 2025, the 10th-toughest among 18 Big Ten programs (the FBS average is 6.4 wins).
How is Illinois strength of schedule measured?
Each opponent is rated by its 2025 win total (a full season, so early-season results don't skew it) and averaged across the Illinois 2026 schedule.