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Michigan football returns from the bye week for another crucial Big Ten road game.
No. 22 Michigan (4-2) travels to play No. 21 Illinois (5-1) Saturday afternoon. Michigan last played two weeks ago, a loss at Washington in its first road game, and had a week off to reset before squaring off with the Illini. Illinois is one win away from bowl eligibility for the first time since 2022, and will be honoring the 100th anniversary of Memorial Stadium’s opening.
The Wolverines will have a third starting quarterback for their seventh game. Head coach Sherrone Moore named seventh-year senior Jack Tuttle the starter this week after he came in and replaced a struggling Alex Orji against Washington. Tuttle will get his first chance to start for Michigan, which is desperately searching for offensive improvements.
Watch Mich-Illinois live on Fubo (free trial)
The game kicks off at 3:30 p.m. at Memorial Stadium. It will be televised on CBS and streamed on CBS’ Paramount+, and livestreamed on Fubo (free trial). Michigan is a 3½-point favorite according to BetMGM.
TOP READ: Michigan’s defense has hit the skids and Wink Martindale lost control of his narrative
Game notes and highlights to come.
Michigan is coming off a bye and enters the pivotal matchup against Illinois needing a win to keep the chance of a fourth straight College Football Playoff appearance alive in the expanded 12-team era.
Michigan officially named Tuttle the starting quarterback after he went 10-for-18 for 98 yards with one touchdown and two turnovers after he entered in the second quarter. But the offense still focuses on the running back tandem of Kalel Mullings and Donovan Edwards, who have powered a rushing attack averaging 191.3 yards per game.
Illinois is coming off an overtime thriller, 50-49, against Purdue to move to 5-1 on the year and 2-1 in the conference. Bret Bielema’s squad has two wins over top-25 teams this season, with the only loss coming on the road to Penn State. Illinois has had success through the air, averaging 250 yards per game with quarterback Luke Altmyer, and a defense that had a strong start to the year before the Purdue game.
Illinois will honor the 100th anniversary of Red Grange running for six touchdowns against the Wolverines in the opening game in Memorial Stadium. The Illini are wearing throwback uniforms to honor the 1924 squad, complete with helmets designed to look like leather.
REQUIRED READING: Michigan prediction and scouting report vs. Illinois in ranked Big Ten clash
CBS Sports’ A-team will call the game, with longtime TV partners Brad Nessler and Gary Danielson covering from the booth at Memorial Stadium, with Jenny Dell reporting from the sidelines. Streaming options to view Michigan vs. Illinois include Paramount+, CBS’s subscription streaming service, and Fubo, which offers a free trial to new subscribers.
Tony Garcia, Detroit Free Press: Michigan is a desperate team and there’s no way to fake that; but there’s also no faking what this game means to the Illini. For a mediocre program, on an anniversary weekend, to have a chance to slay the reigning champs and make a statement on national TV? Tuttle will help U-M play complementary football, but the moment means more to Illinois. The pick: Illinois 23, U-M 20.
Game lines and odds from BetMGM as of Saturday:
Michigan: Out: S Rod Moore (ACL), DB Ja’Den McBurrows (undisclosed), Questionable: S Jaden Mangham (undisclosed), LB Micah Pollard (undisclosed), edge Derrick Moore (undisclosed), CB Aamir Hall (undisclosed), RB Jordan Marshall (lower body), LB Jimmy Rolder, RB Bryson Kuzdzal, RB Leon Franklin, OL Dominick Giudice and OL Myles Hinton.
Illinois (players who missed Week 7): WR Ashton Hollins, RB Kaden Faegin, LB Daniel Brown and OL Magnus Møller.
The weather is set for 71 degrees and sunny at kickoff, with 6 mph winds in Champaign, Illinois.
See Michigan ticket prices for every 2024 game
See Illinois ticket prices for every 2024 game
Jared Ramsey is a sports reporter for the Detroit Free Press covering the city’s professional teams, the state’s two flagship universities and more. Follow Jared on X @jared_ramsey22, and email him at jramsey@freepress.com.
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