Illinois Football Week 7 Progress Report: Is Purdue Just Cannon Fodder?

Revenge or ruin – and nothing in between – for the Illini against the visiting Boilermakers

Purdue Boilermakers running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. (3) is tackled by llinois Fighting Illini linebacker Luke Zardzin (42) during the NCAA football game, Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023, at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind. Purdue Boilermakers won 44-19. | Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK

No. 23 Illinois hosts Purdue this Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT (FS1). It’s a game the Illini (4-1) should win easily, which is easy for us to say. Purdue (1-4) has been absolutely awful but does have some history on its side.

This week’s theme: It’s called the Purdue Cannon, and it might as well have “Purdue” in the name because the Boilermakers have kept hold of this rivalry trophy for a long while.

“When you’re playing in these trophy games, these rivalry games, they’re so sacred, I think, to college football.” — @IlliniFootball DC @AaronHenry7 with the Cannon on the line this weekend. #Illini pic.twitter.com/TcsOOUmuNc

— Scott Richey (@srrichey) October 7, 2024

“Never had it, never saw it, never touched it, never smelled it,” coach Bret Bielema said in his Monday press conference.

The Boilers have won four straight head-to-head and have a six-game winning streak at Memorial Stadium in Champaign. That says a lot about Illinois football’s standing in the world, unfortunately.

If the Illini win – and they should – they’ll have quite a season in the works. And they’ll have the Cannon.

The Biel-o-meter:

If he beats Purdue for the first time, no one will be impressed because it’s just Purdue, the conference’s worst team. On the other hand, losing would be one of the lowest lows of his Illini career. On a scale of 1 (Tim Beckman explaining “OSKEE”) to 10 (Big Ten Coach of the Year), the big man is sitting at a nice, comfy 6.

Illinois vs Purdue Line

The Illini are favored by 18½. The last time they won a Big Ten game at home by a larger margin than that was the last game of the 2021 season, a 47-14 romp over Northwestern.

Illinois vs Purdue Weather Forecast

Versus Purdue (win), vs. Michigan (loss), at Oregon (loss), vs. Minnesota (win), vs. Michigan State (win), at Rutgers (loss), at Northwestern (win) for a regular-season record of 8-4.