# 07/31/26 Hour 1: Illinois Football Expectations for 2026 | Austin Burklund Talks Illini, Washington & Big Ten Surprises; Cubs Win Cardinals Series; Evan's Random Illini Players of the Day

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-drive-on-espn-93-5-477079/07-31-26-hour-1-illinois-football-expectations-for-2026-austin-burklund-talks-illini-washington-big-ten-surprises-cubs-win-cardinals-series-evan-s-random-illini-players-of-the-day
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-drive-on-espn-93-5-477079/07-31-26-hour-1-illinois-football-expectations-for-2026-austin-burklund-talks-illini-washington-big-ten-surprises-cubs-win-cardinals-series-evan-s-random-illini-players-of-the-day.md
Podcast: [The Drive on ESPN 93.5](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-drive-on-espn-93-5-477079)
Published: 2026-07-31T22:28:25+00:00
Episode link: https://tayandpiper.podbean.com/e/073126-hour-1illinoisfootballexpectations-for-2026-austinburklundtalksillini-washingtonbigtensurprisescubswincardinalsseries-evansrandom-illini-player/
Audio file: https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/k5p8sgpef7pxz9pp/07-31-26_HOUR_1bmc3h.mp3
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Duration seconds: 3607

## Resource

Austin Burklund of Armchair Illini joins The Drive to break down expectations for Bret Bielema and Illinois football entering the 2026 season. The conversation covers what success looks like for the Illini, key players to watch, the biggest challenges on the schedule, and why Washington has the potential to emerge as one of the Big Ten's biggest surprise teams this year. Later in the hour, Kurtis Allen and Evan Stone recap the Cubs taking three of four games from the Cardinals in a heated rivalry series. The guys discuss what went wrong for St. Louis, what the series means for both teams moving forward, and the latest storylines around the National League playoff race. Follow The Drive on X, Instagram, and Facebook.

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