Illinois plays at Oregon Saturday in what will be its 16th game against the No. 1 team in the country. The Illini are 3-12 in such matchups, not such a shabby record when you really think about it.
The first two cracks at No. 1 came in 1943 and 1944 at Notre Dame, both losses. The first one ended 47-0, but the second was a 13-7 knuckle dragger.
The three wins:
No. 8 Illinois 14, No. 1 Ohio State 7, 1950: In front of a capacity crowd of 71,119, the Illini — who would finish 7-2 — scored on two trick-play passes and held the Buckeyes’ Vic Janowicz, the eventual Heisman Trophy winner, in check.
Illinois 20, No. 1 Michigan State 13, 1956: The Spartans led 13-0 at the half on Illinois’ Homecoming. But the Illini’s Abe Woodson scored three touchdowns in the comeback — including 70- and 82-yard runs in the fourth quarter — an all-out stunner for a team that would finish 2-5-2.
Illinois 28, No. 1 Ohio State 21, 2007: It was the sixth straight game against No. 1 that had the Buckeyes on the other side, and the Illini fell behind 7-0 after a game-opening two-play touchdown drive. But Juice Williams responded with four touchdown passes, and the Illini rushed for 260 yards — and possessed the ball for the final 8:09 — en route to a Rose Bowl appearance that came only because the Buckeyes reached the BCS title game.