The wait it is over! The Illinois Fighting Illini (1-0) are set to host the North Carolina Tar Heels (0-1) for one of their most highly-anticipated games of the decade.
Here’s all the information you’ll need to catch the game. For a more in-depth look at Illinois’ opponent, make sure to check out our Week 2 preview.
How to Watch Illinois vs. North Carolina
Game Time: 6:30pm CT (6:42pm CT kickoff)
TV Channel: Big Ten Network
Online Streaming: If you subscribe to the Big Ten Network as part of your cable package you can watch a live stream on BTN2Go.
Radio: All Illinois football games air live on radio in the Champaign (WDWS 1400) and Chicago markets (WSCR 670). The game is also broadcasted on other stations throughout the state; check the Fighting Illini Radio Network for more information.
Other audio options for fans that don’t live close enough include SiriusXM and the Fighting Illini TuneIn stream (embedded below).
Latest Odds: North Carolina has been designated as a 7-point favorite for today’s game. The over/under has also been set at 61 total points.
Illinois Fighting Illini Advanced Stats Profile
Head Coach: Lovie Smith (1-0)
Leading Passer: Wes Lunt (226 YDS, 3 TD)
Leading Rusher: Kendrick Foster (118 YDS, 2 TD)
Leading Receiver: Malik Turner (83 YDS, 2 TD)
| Record: 1-0 | Second-order wins (diff.): 1.0 (0.0) | S&P+ Rk: 62 | |||||||||
| Date | Opponent | Opp. S&P+ Rk | Score | W-L | Win Expectancy |
Adj. Scoring Margin |
Percentile Performance |
Off. Percentile |
Def. Percentile |
| 3-Sep | Murray State | N/A | 52-3 | W | 100% | 48.4 | 61% | 78% | 67% |
| Date | Opponent | Opp. S&P+ Rk | Win Probability |
Proj. W-L |
Proj. Margin |
Proj. Score |
Cumulative Proj. Wins |
| 10-Sep | North Carolina | 30 | 37% | L | -5.5 | 24.2 - 29.7 | 1.37 |
| 17-Sep | Western Michigan | 69 | 58% | W | 3.4 | 28.7 - 25.2 | 1.95 |
| 1-Oct | at Nebraska | 28 | 25% | L | -11.4 | 19.9 - 31.3 | 2.21 |
| 8-Oct | Purdue | 88 | 69% | W | 8.5 | 31.4 - 22.9 | 2.90 |
| 15-Oct | at Rutgers | 86 | 58% | W | 3.3 | 26.4 - 23.1 | 3.47 |
| 22-Oct | at Michigan | 4 | 10% | L | -21.8 | 8.9 - 30.7 | 3.58 |
| 29-Oct | Minnesota | 37 | 41% | L | -4.1 | 20.3 - 24.4 | 3.98 |
| 5-Nov | Michigan State | 23 | 32% | L | -7.9 | 21.0 - 28.9 | 4.31 |
| 12-Nov | at Wisconsin | 34 | 29% | L | -9.5 | 15.5 - 25.0 | 4.60 |
| 19-Nov | Iowa | 38 | 42% | L | -3.5 | 30.5 - 33.9 | 5.02 |
| 26-Nov | at Northwestern | 47 | 39% | L | -5.0 | 24.4 - 29.5 | 5.40 |
| Category | Offense | Rk | Defense | Rk |
| S&P+ | 23.1 | 96 | 23.4 | 42 |
| Points Per Game | 52.0 | 20 | 3.0 | 6 |
North Carolina Tar Heels Advanced Stats Profile
Head Coach: Larry Fedora (32-21)
Leading Passer: Mitch Trubisky (156 YDS)
Leading Rusher: T.J. Logan (80 YDS, 1 TD)
Leading Receiver: Ryan Switzer (52 YDS)
| Record: 0-1 | Second-order wins (diff.): 0.3 (0.3) | S&P+ Rk: 30 | |||||||||
| Date | Opponent | Opp. S&P+ Rk | Score | W-L | Win Expectancy |
Adj. Scoring Margin |
Percentile Performance |
Off. Percentile |
Def. Percentile |
| 3-Sep | vs. Georgia | 14 | 24-33 | L | 28% | -5.6 | 43% | 49% | 38% |
| Date | Opponent | Opp. S&P+ Rk | Win Probability |
Proj. W-L |
Proj. Margin |
Proj. Score |
Cumulative Proj. Wins |
| 10-Sep | at Illinois | 62 | 63% | W | 5.5 | 29.7 - 24.2 | 0.63 |
| 17-Sep | James Madison | N/A | 93% | W | 25.9 | 44.4 - 18.5 | 1.56 |
| 24-Sep | Pittsburgh | 29 | 55% | W | 2.3 | 20.2 - 17.9 | 2.11 |
| 1-Oct | at Florida State | 5 | 21% | L | -13.7 | 27.1 - 40.8 | 2.33 |
| 8-Oct | Virginia Tech | 31 | 57% | W | 3.0 | 24.6 - 21.6 | 2.90 |
| 15-Oct | at Miami-FL | 33 | 46% | L | -1.6 | 27.0 - 28.6 | 3.36 |
| 22-Oct | at Virginia | 68 | 64% | W | 6.2 | 35.4 - 29.2 | 4.00 |
| 5-Nov | Georgia Tech | 52 | 69% | W | 8.7 | 29.8 - 21.0 | 4.69 |
| 10-Nov | at Duke | 65 | 63% | W | 5.9 | 28.4 - 22.5 | 5.33 |
| 19-Nov | The Citadel | N/A | 93% | W | 25.9 | 44.4 - 18.5 | 6.26 |
| 25-Nov | NC State | 41 | 62% | W | 5.4 | 34.9 - 29.5 | 6.88 |
| Category | Offense | Rk | Defense | Rk |
| S&P+ | 34.9 | 25 | 26.2 | 58 |
| Points Per Game | 24.0 | 76 | 33.0 | 98 |