The Drive with Lon Tay & Derek Piper

9/11/24 Hour 2: Adam Rittenberg (ESPN Senior CFB Writer) talks Illini's big win, Big Ten; How concerned are you with Illini's running struggles?

ESPN national college football writer Adam Rittenberg joins the show to discuss the Illini's big win over Kansas and his thoughts on the Big Ten through two weeks. Later, Lon and Kyle discuss their level of concern with the Illini's running struggles against Kansas.

9/11/24 Hour 1: Let's dream a little with Illini's 12-team CFP path; Olano, Lunney share thoughts on Kansas victory

Lon and Kyle have some fun and dream a little bit on what Illinois would need to do to make the College Football Playoff and what the new playoff format could mean for late-season college football matchups. Later, hear from kicker David Olano and offensive coordinator Barry Lunney share some thoughts on the Illini's big win.

9/10/24 Hour 2: College football thoughts — Notre Dame goes down, Looking ahead to Illinois-Nebraska

Lon and Derek share some thoughts on the weekend of college football including Notre Dame's huge upset loss and how much they set themselves up for hate. The guys also begin to look ahead to Illinois and Nebraska in a couple weeks. Hear from wide receiver Pat Bryant as he met with the media.

9/10/24 Hour 1: Recapping NFL Week 1 & Bears' ugly win; Positives to take from disappointing Cardinals & Cubs seasons

Lon and Derek share some thoughts on the results from Week 1 of the NFL season and the ugly Bears win over the Titans. Later, the guys try to take some positives from the disappointing seasons for the Cardinals and Cubs.

9/9/24 Hour 2: More Illinois-Kansas reaction; Bielema talks turning the page

Lon, Derek and Kyle continue reacting to the Illini's win over Kansas and begin to look ahead to what the rest of the season could turn into. Later, hear from Bret Bielema as he shares his thoughts on the win and turning the page to Central Michigan.

9/9/24 Hour 1: J LEMAN HOUR: Illinois knocks off Kansas!; How it happened & what it means for the program

J Leman joins Lon and Derek for his weekly football hour to recap the Illini's massive 23-17 victory over Kansas. The guys break down how exactly Illinois got it done and how significant it is for the program and the rest of the season.

9/6/24 Hour 2: Biggest X-Factors, Picks to click for Illini against Kansas; Weekend football picks

Lon, Derek and Kyle give their biggest x-factors and picks to click for Illinois in the game against Kansas. Later, the guys share some picks for the biggest football games of the weekend.

9/6/24 Hour 1: Final vibe check heading into Illinois-Kansas; Can Illinois pull it off?

Lon and Derek discuss the vibes around Illinois-Kansas a day before kickoff and what their confidence level is in Illinois pulling out a huge victory.

9/5/24 Hour 2: Full NFL Week 1 preview

Derek and Kyle give a comprehensive preview into the Week 1 slate of the NFL and share some big picture thoughts entering the new NFL season.

9/5/24 Hour 1: Illini WBB lands 5-star commit; Which player has the most to prove against Kansas?; Bielema talks matchup with Jayhawks

Derek and Kyle discuss Illinois women's basketball landing a 5-star commit and which Illini football player has the most to prove on Saturday against Kansas. Later, hear from Bret Bielema as he shares his final thought's before Saturday's game.

9/4/24 Hour 2: Keys for Illini offense and defense in rematch vs Kansas; How much would a letdown on Saturday change your Illini football feelings?

Lon and Derek discuss some of the keys for Aaron Henry and Barry Lunney's units in the second go around against Kansas. Later, the guys share how their feeling about Illini football would change if Illinois lays an egg on Saturday night.

9/4/24 Hour 1: Illinois-Kansas officially sold out; Are we overselling how big this game is for Illinois?

Lon, Derek and Kyle discuss Illinois and Kansas selling out and whether or not people are overselling how big Saturday's game is for Illinois.

9/3/24 Hour 2: How are things different this time around against Kansas?; Bielema talks Week 1 win, Kansas prep

Lon and Derek discuss whether or not they're confident things will be different this time around against Kansas and reasons for optimism after last year's blowout. Later, hear from Bret Bielema as he shares thoughts on his team's Week 1 win and the matchup against Kansas.

9/3/24 Hour 1: J LEMAN HOUR: Biggest takeaways from EIU win & What to expect against Kansas

J Leman joins Lon and Derek in studio for his weekly hour to break down the Illini's victory over Eastern Illinois. The guys also look ahead to Kansas and what some keys are for Illinois to pull off the upset.

8/30/24 Hour 2: More thoughts on Illini's win over EIU; Altmyer, running backs impress; Looking ahead to weekend CFB slate

Lon and Derek share more thoughts on the Illini's season-opening win, including Luke Altmyer's impressive performance and the Illini's strong run game. Later, the guys preview the weekend's college football slate.

8/30/24 Hour 1: Illini dominate EIU in season-opener!; Breaking down what stood out most from the victory

Lon and Derek break down the Illini's 45-0 shutout victory over Eastern Illinois to open the season. The guys share what stood out most to them from the win.

8/28/24 Hour 2: College Gameday Live from Pia's!

Lon and Derek are live at Pia's Sports Bar and Grill in Champaign previewing the Illini's season-opener against Eastern Illinois. The guys break down what EIU has on offense and defense and their confidence level in Barry Lunney's offense. Later, Hans Dee stops by for his award-winning segment "Who Ya Got?"

8/28/24 Hour 1: College Gameday Live from Pia's!

Lon and Derek are live at Pia's Sports Bar and Grill in Champaign previewing the Illini's season-opener against Eastern Illinois. The guys are joined by special guests J Leman and wrestlers from AEW's Dynamite.

8/27/24 Hour 2: What we're expecting for Illini offense & defense; Bielema shares final thoughts before season-opener

Lon and Derek discuss their expectations for both the offense and defense for Illinois and hear from both coordinators. Later, hear from Bret Bielema as he shares his final thoughts ahead of the season opener.

8/27/24 Hour 1: Would you trade a decade of MLB irrelevance for a Super Bowl?; Luke Altmyer talks offseason & Week 1

Lon, Derek and Kyle discuss a hypothetical of whether or not they'd trade a decade of irrelevance for their favorite MLB teams for a Super Bowl for their favorite NFL teams. Later, hear from Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer as he shares his thoughts on his offseason progress and preparing for Week 1.