LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Let the games begin, for real.

That's coach Matt Rhule's attitude as No. 22 Nebraska enters its game against No. 24 Illinois on Friday night.

“Now the season starts, this is the first game in the Big Ten for us and we’ll find out where we are,” he said.

The Cornhuskers (3-0) have opened with stress-free nonconference wins over UTEP, Colorado and Northern Iowa — “the preseason,” Rhule calls it — for their best start since 2016. Now comes Illinois (3-0), which has beaten a then-ranked Kansas on its way to its best start since 2011.

The Huskers will try to end a 24-game losing streak against Top 25 teams and win a conference opener for the first time in five years.

“We’re trying to compete to win the Big Ten,” Rhule said. "All of these games matter. All of these games are important. This is a great opportunity. It’s our first league game. We didn’t certainly approach this preseason like the (NFL) preseason. To me it’s just now we’re entering Big Ten play. Our approach doesn’t change but just the gravity of the situation is a little bit different.”

Nebraska beat Illinois 20-7 in Champaign in a Friday night game last year, ending a three-game losing streak in the series. Illini coach Bret Bielema said he notices pep in his players' steps this week.

“I think when you throw in the element of they’re ranked we’re ranked, I think that’s a unique game to these guys,” he said. “It’s kind of interesting to see the energy that that brings out — not for me, I really don’t care — but from what I get from the outside world and from a young man’s perspective, to have that has been pretty good.”

Altmyer vs. Raiola

Quarterbacks Luke Altmyer of Illinois and Dylan Raiola of Nebraska have put up nearly identical passing numbers. Altmyer has the better feet, with three runs of at least 15 yards. Raiola can take off if necessary — he scrambled for 15 yards and a first down against Northern Iowa — but passing is his calling card. The five-star recruit is the top true freshman passer in the nation.

“You can see why he’s everything that I would say he’s built up to be," Bielema said, “and probably even more.”

Hurrah for TeRah

TeRah Edwards is becoming a force in the middle of Illinois' defensive line. Never mind his lack of big numbers, Bielema said, because the 6-foot-2, 305-pound senior stands out on film.

Edwards has been credited with six quarterback pressures in three games by Pro Football Focus, matching his total over his previous 25 games. He's still looking for his first sack and tackle for loss of the season.

“NFL scouts have asked about him. Just very impressive,” Bielema said, adding that having Edwards play alongside Dennis Briggs Jr. gives the Illini a formidable duo up front.

Putting the O-Line to test

Nebraska brought back three starters and one part-time starter on the offensive line, and it has allowed one sack compared with six through three games last year. The Huskers' early schedule has not been as difficult, so Rhule is reserving judgment.

“We don’t know anything about those guys until we play in the Big Ten,” he said. “They’ve done a really good job versus who we’ve played against. This will be such a different challenge facing these guys.”

400th straight sellout

Nebraska will celebrate its 400th consecutive sellout, an ongoing NCAA record that has been kept alive at times by boosters buying up unsold tickets. When the streak was teetering on extinction in 2022, for example, a benefactor swooped in and bought the last 2,100 tickets at a bulk rate of $10 per ticket.

Actual attendance has visibly increased since Rhule’s arrival last year, and the stadium was full for the first three games this season.

“I think getting to 400 sellouts will be great,” Rhule said. “My job, though, is to make sure that we win that game so that people leave happy about it.”

No. 24 Illinois (3-0) at No. 22 Nebraska (3-0), Friday, 8 p.m. ET (Fox)

BetMGM College Football Odds: Nebraska by 8 1/2.

Series record: Nebraska leads 14-6-1.

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

These teams have aspirations higher than the expectations set for them in the preseason. They are having similar seasons so far. Illinois is out to its best start since 2011 and owns a win over a then-ranked Kansas. Nebraska is off to its best start since 2016 and soundly beat Colorado in a rivalry game two weeks ago. Each team has allowed just two touchdowns. Quarterbacks Luke Altmyer of the Illini and Dylan Raiola have nearly identical numbers. This will be Nebraska's first home game matching Top 25 teams since 2013.

KEY MATCHUP

Illinois receivers vs. Nebraska cornerbacks. Pat Bryant and Zakhari Franklin are big-play threats who will challenge Tommi Hill and Marques Buford Jr. The Illini have 10 pass plays of at least 20 yards. The Huskers will be committed to stopping the run and keeping the mobile Altmyer from getting loose, which means Hill and Buford often will be in one-on-one coverage.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Illinois: RB Kaden Feagin, at 6-foot-3 and 250 pounds, will be the second straight jumbo-sized ball carrier the Huskers will face. Northern Iowa's 6-4, 230-pound Tye Edwards ran for 37 yards against the Huskers last week. Feagin became an important part of the Illini offense during the conference season in 2023 and is averaging 58 yards per game through three games in a system that uses three or four running backs.

Nebraska: Raiola has lived up to his billing as a five-star recruit so far. The stakes become higher now. He's showed maturity beyond his years in his understanding of offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield's system. He's completed 74% of his passes, averaging 223 yards per game through the air and has thrown for five TDs against one interception.

FACTS & FIGURES

This will be Nebraska's 400th consecutive sellout, an ongoing NCAA record. ... Illinois has its highest ranking since Nov. 6, 2022, when it was No. 21. ... The Huskers have outscored three opponents by a combined 51-0 in the second quarter. In 2023, Nebraska was outscored 81-66 in the second quarter. ... Nebraska has allowed just one first-quarter touchdown in its past 10 games. ... Illinois CB Xavier Scott has three interceptions the past two games, including a pick-6, and he’s the only player in the nation to force three turnovers in a game (vs. Kansas).

No. 11 USC will make its first visit to the Big House since 1958 for the Big Ten's game of the week

Game of the week

No. 11 Southern California (2-0) at No. 18 Michigan (2-1), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (CBS)

This is a must-see game for college football fans who grew up watching these teams square off in the Rose Bowl. It's a conference game now and USC's first as a Big Ten member. The teams haven't met in the regular season since Michigan held on for a 20-19 win at the Big House in 1958.

The programs are on different tracks entering this game. USC has a rising star in QB Miller Moss and a revitalized defense, and the Trojans must be considered contenders to win the Big Ten or, short of that, make the College Football Playoff.

Defending national champion Michigan's struggling offense will have QB Alex Orji make his first start this week, and it doesn't bode well that its defense has been susceptible to giving up big pass plays.

USC is a six-point favorite, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.

The undercard

No. 24 Illinois visits No. 22 Nebraska for a Friday night conference opener. The Illini are 3-0 for the first time since 2011 and the Cornhuskers for the first time since 2016. Five-star QB recruit Dylan Raiola has been everything the Huskers could have hoped for, but he will be tested by an Illinois defense that's sophisticated in how it changes coverages.

UCLA travels to No. 16 LSU for a matchup that has lost some of its luster. The Bruins under first-year coach DeShaun Foster struggled to win at Hawaii and were thoroughly beaten by Indiana at home. Though the Tigers have had their issues, they likely will make it a long night for UCLA in Death Valley.

Iowa heads to Minnesota to play for Floyd of Rosedale. This will be the earliest in a season the teams have played the game for the bronze pig. The Gophers won 12-10 in Iowa City last year in a game that had the lowest over-under point total (30.5) in 20 years. The oddsmakers expect more offense this year: the over-under is 35.5 on BetMGM.

Impact players

Indiana QB Kurtis Rourke goes into the home game against Charlotte completing 74.3% of his passes for 251.7 yards per game. He's thrown a Big Ten-high seven touchdown passes and has not been intercepted.

Maryland WR Tai Felton enters the home game against Villanova as the first player in program history to open a season with three straight 100-yard receiving games.

Rutgers' Athan Kaliakmanis goes into his game at Virginia Tech as the first Scarlet Knights quarterback in nine years to throw for three touchdowns in consecutive games.

Inside the numbers

Ohio State, which hosts Marshall, has allowed six points through its first two games. That's the Buckeyes' third-lowest total since 1950. The 1960 and 1963 teams opened with consecutive shutouts. ... When Kent State visits Penn State, it will mark the 21st time in 23 seasons that the Nittany Lions will play a Mid-American Conference opponent. ... Northwestern, which visits Washington, has allowed one sack through three games compared with nine at this point in 2023. ... Washington has won 16 straight home games, the second-longest streak in the FBS behind Georgia (26). ... Purdue's 2,229-mile trip to Oregon State marks the farthest the Boilermakers have traveled for a game since they went 2,233 miles to play Oregon in 2009.

Now don’t get upset

Michigan State (3-0) is a 6 1/2-point underdog for its visit to Boston College (2-1). Both teams are playing with newfound confidence under first-year coaches. Two weeks ago the Spartans won a down-to-the-wire Big Ten road game against Maryland that they probably would have lost a year ago. QB Aidan Chiles' confidence is growing, the run game has been productive though a bit too reliant on the big play, and the defense has picked off four passes and leads the Big Ten with 27 tackles for loss.