College football · NFLTuesday, October 13, 2026
The Upset Report
2021 · Week 8 · Saturday, October 23, 2021

Illinois stuns No. 7 Penn State, 20–18

Illinois closed as a 24.5-point underdog and won outright. It was unranked Illinois taking down the No. 7 team in the AP poll.

Final20–18
Upset size34
Rank in 20211st of 199
24.5-point underdogUnranked beat No. 7

It was the biggest of 15 upsets in 2021 Week 8, and the biggest of the 2021 season. Illinois pulled off 2 other upsets in 2021.

Other upsets in 2021 Week 8

  1. 30, 24
    23.5-point underdogRecap
    Upset size23.5
  2. 20-point underdogRecap
    Upset size20
  3. 13.5-point underdogRecap
    Upset size13.5
  4. 4.5-point underdogUnranked beat No. 14Recap
    Upset size10.5
  5. Unranked beat No. 8Recap
    Upset size9

Illinois’s other 2021 upsets

  1. Week 1014.5-point underdogRecap
    Upset size14.5
  2. Week 16.5-point underdogRecap
    Upset size6.5

More: Illinois upsets · Penn State upsets · all Week 8 upsets · the 2021 season · how upset size works