Ryan Day Reveals What Stands Out About Bret Bielema and Illinois Football

Illinois Football is just a few days away from its first Big Ten test of the season, with the Illini heading to a sold-out Ohio Stadium for an 11 a.m. CT kickoff against 7th-ranked Ohio State. Illinois is nearly a 4-touchdown underdog (-27.5) heading into Columbus, but Buckeye head coach Ryan Day’s comments this week showed the Ohio State coach has plenty of respect for Bret Bielema and the program he has built in Champaign over the past 6 seasons.

The Illini enter the matchup 2-1 following a 48-10 win over SIU, while Ohio State comes in with the same record following a 59-3 victory over Kent State. The trip to Columbus is Illinois first visit since 2017, and the first of the Bielema era, giving Day a chance to face a program at home that has changed considerably since the last time these two teams met at the Shoe.

Notably, Illinois has not beaten Ohio State in nearly two decades, dating back to Nov. 10, 2007, when Ron Zook’s team walked into the Horseshoe and stunned the No. 1 Buckeyes, 28-21, on the back of QB Juice Williams. Since then, Ohio State has remained among the nation’s elite, while Illinois has gone through several transitions before Bielema took over back in 2020 and began rebuilding the program into a more consistent presence in the Big Ten.

Nearly 20 years removed from that upset, the Illinois football program looks much different, and Day has taken notice.  Despite the massive spread in the Buckeyes’ favor, coach Day spoke highly of the Illini and the program being built in Champaign, pointing to several areas that have stood out to him.

Coach Ryan Day’s Discusses Bret Bielema and Illinois Football Ahead of Big Ten Opener

“You know, I think what Bret’s done at Illinois is in line with what he’s done everywhere he’s been. He’s not only well respected in the conference, but nationally for how he coaches and the staff and the players he recruits and the scheme is always very, very sound. And this team’s no different. So, you know, they have playmakers on the perimeter. The quarterback’s playing very well. So this is kind of how it’s going to go. We’ve got to put a really good game plan together and prepare at a high level and then go put it on the field. That’s what it’s going to take this week.”