Illinois (6-3, 4-2) at No. 4 UCLA (9-0, 6-0)
When: 6 p.m. Friday
Where: Rose Bowl
TV/Radio: FOX (Ch. 11)/KABC-AM 790
Line: UCLA by 12.5 points
Notable injuries
UCLA: OUT: QB Nico Iamaleava (knee), WR Mikey Matthews (lower body), WR Jonah Smith (knee), OL Sam Yoon (undisclosed), EDGE Ryan McCulloch (undisclosed), DL Ashton Sanders (undisclosed) P Curtis Gerrand (undisclosed), WR Jalen Saint Paul (undisclosed), Hall Schmidt (lower body); QUESTIONABLE: OL Riley Robell (lower body)
Illinois: OUT: RB Ca’Lil Valentine (lower body), QB Michael Clayton II (hand), RB Javari Barnett (leg), DB Tywan Cox (undisclosed), LB Grant Beerman (foot), DL Carter Smith (shoulder), OL Kai Pritchard (shoulder), OL TJ McMillen (foot); DOUBTFUL: WR Jayshon Platt (undisclosed); QUESTIONABLE: DB RJ Jones (undisclosed), DB Jacob Eberhart (shoulder), DL Will Holmes (leg), DL Demetrius John (undisclosed), OL Jake Renfro (leg), TE BJ Thurman (foot).
What’s at stake? After Tuesday’s reveal of the second College Football Playoff rankings of the 2026 season, UCLA landed at No. 4, meaning it has cushion to remain inside the coveted top 12. The Bruins are playing to maintain a first-round bye in the CFP and stay on track for an appearance in the Big Ten championship game Dec. 5. Despite the CFP committee course-correcting and bumping UCLA up four spots, the Bruins can’t rest on their laurels. Illinois is in the midst of a four-game winning streak. The Fighting Illini sit in the logjam of six teams tied for third place in the Big Ten standings.
Who’s better? UCLA proved it can move the ball through the air as quarterback Ty Dieffenbach threw for 303 yards and three touchdowns against Minnesota. He completed eight passes, and practically half of those yards came on two 75-yard touchdowns to Aidan Mizell. Offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy isn’t as confident that the Bruins will create those explosive plays against Illinois. He challenged his offense to remain patient on meticulous drives. Illinois has held its last three opponents to less than 20 points. Quarterback Katin Houser, out of St. John Bosco High, returned from injury to throw for 515 yards and four touchdowns over the last two games. He’ll have to navigate a UCLA defense that leads the Big Ten with 17 interceptions.
Prediction: UCLA 27, Illinois 13. UCLA has covered the spread in all nine of its games this season. That’s improbable, but why would the Bruins stop now? Each of these matchups against frisky Big Ten opponents seem like it could be a trap game. This UCLA team is too dialed in to get trapped. The Bruins can fulfill Kennedy’s patient game plan and slowly dominate the Illini at the Rose Bowl.