Illinois Football's game against Purdue will kick off at 2:30pm CT

In a few weeks, the Illinois Fighting Illini face the Purdue Boilermakers in a matchup featuring two Big Ten West strugglers. Luckily, though, fans won’t be victims of another 11:00am CT start time in Champaign, and that’s quickly become a welcome trend under Josh Whitman and Lovie Smith.

As announced on Monday, kickoff has been slated for 2:30pm CT on the Big Ten Network. As you may recall, the Orange and Blue decimated Purdue last Fall to capture one of only two conference victories in 2015. Considering this game is viewed as a must/should win by fans, October 10 will likely make or break Illinois’ season as they fight to stay relevant in the West Division.

Currently, advanced metrics from Football Study Hall give Illinois a 65% chance of defeating the Boilermakers. The projected score is 31.9 - 25.3.

Illinois, 1-2 on the young season, will head to Lincoln, NE this weekend to face the No. 15 Nebraska Cornhuskers. That contest is also scheduled for a 2:30pm CT start on ESPN2.