The Drive with Lon Tay & Derek Piper

9/25/24 Hour 2: Favorite Big Ten road venues; Lunney on offensive breakout vs. Nebraska, Penn State prep

Lon and Derek discuss their favorite road venues in the Big Ten across sports. Hear from offensive coordinator Barry Lunney recapping his offense's success against Nebraska and what lies ahead against Penn State. Later, the guys discuss the crazy auction price of Shohei Ohtani's 50/50 baseball.

9/25/24 Hour 1: Thoughts on messy UNLV QB NIL situation; What it means for college sports

Lon and Derek discuss the big story out of UNLV regarding their starting quarterback redshirting the season over an NIL dispute. The guys discuss what it means for the state of college athletics and how situations like these can be avoided.

9/24/24 Hour 2: Illini hoops set to play a ton of future pros; NFL Week 3 thoughts

Lon and Derek talk some Illini basketball, including Tomislav Ivisic's status and how many pro prospects they'll see in some of their biggest games. Later, the guys share some thoughts on NFL Week 3 and some of the biggest early season NFL storylines.

9/24/24 Hour 1: Bret Bielema's comments fuel for Penn State?; A couple Illini on pace for program records

Lon and Derek discuss Bret Bielema's comments regarding Penn State's white out and if they think it could add some fuel to Penn State's side of things on Saturday. Later, the guys discuss some Illini on pace to crack the Illini record books early this season.

9/23/24 Hour 2: How impressive has the Illini's start been?; Bielema on big win & Penn State

Lon and Derek discuss how impressive the Illini's 4-0 start has been and how many wins they can realistically achieve. Later, hear from head coach Bret Bielema as he shares his thoughts from the Nebraska win and previews Penn State.

9/23/24 Hour 1: J LEMAN HOUR: Illinois is 4-0! Breaking down the win over Nebraska & how special this season could end up being

J Leman joins Lon and Derek for his weekly football hour to break down a thrilling Illini win over Nebraska and bask in the Illini's 4-0 start. The guys look ahead to Penn State and discuss how good this Illinois team can ultimately be.

9/20/24 Hour 2: Callers weigh in on Illinois-Nebraska matchup; Who Ya Got? weekend football picks

Lon and Derek take some callers and get their thoughts on the Illinois-Nebraska matchup. The guys react to Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule's thoughts on the Illini. Later, the guys do some "Who Ya Got?" (without Hans Dee) and look ahead to the weekend of football.

9/20/24 Hour 1: Final thoughts heading into Illinois-Nebraska; What does Illinois need to do to pull off the victory?

Lon and Derek share their final thoughts before Illinois and Nebraska kick off in Lincoln. The guys share their biggest concerns and most important keys to victory for the Illini.

9/19/24 Hour 2: Keaton Wagler commits to Illinois; Breaking down Illini basketball's conference schedule; Luke Goode's Illinois-IU rivalry comments

Lon and Derek discuss 4-star guard Keaton Wagler's commitment to Illinois. Later, the guys break down the newly released conference schedule for Illinois basketball. The guys react to Luke Goode's comments about the Illinois-Indiana rivalry.

9/19/24 Hour 1: Brian Christopherson (Husker247) previews Huskers; Lon's got Illini trivia and a John Mackovic story

Brian Christopherson of 247 Sports' Husker247 site joins the show to share his insight on Nebraska and what the Illini will be up against on Friday night. Later, the guys have some fun with a couple Illini football trivia questions and Lon shares a story about John Mackovic from his college days.

9/18/24 Hour 2: What would a win Friday night mean for Illinois?; Bielema talks Huskers; Piper shares latest Crystal Ball pick

Derek and Kyle discuss what a win on Friday night would mean for Illinois and how much positive momentum it would create for the program. Hear from Bret Bielema as he shares his final thoughts ahead of the Nebraska game. Later, Derek discusses his latest Crystal Ball prediction with Illini hoops on the verge of a commitment.

9/18/24 Hour 1: Breaking down the Huskers & challenges Illinois will face in Lincoln; Aaron Leming (Bear Report) on Caleb Williams, offensive struggles

Derek and Kyle break down the Illini's matchup with Nebraska, what they'll learn about each side in this game, and what challenges Nebraska presents for the Illini. Later, the Bear Report's Aaron Leming joins the show to talk Bears and the early struggles of Caleb Williams and the Bears offense.

9/17/24 Hour 2: Reacting to Andy Katz's top Big Ten hoops arenas list; Barry Lunney on facing Husker defense

Lon and Derek react to another controversial Andy Katz list about Big Ten basketball arenas. Later, hear from offensive coordinator Barry Lunney as he shares his thoughts on the Nebraska defense and his unit's sloppy performance.

9/17/24 Hour 1: Previewing Illinois-Nebraska & confidence level in defense through 3 games; Aaron Henry on Raiola and Husker offense

Lon and Derek share their thoughts on the Illinois-Nebraska matchup and how much confidence the Illini defense has inspired through the first 3 weeks. Later, hear from defensive coordinator Aaron henry as he talks facing Dylan Raiola and the Husker offense.

9/16/24 Hour 2: What will we learn about Illinois against Nebraska?; Bielema previews Huskers

Lon and Derek discuss what more will be learned about Illinois in its road matchup against Nebraska and their feelings about Luke Altmyer's mistake-free play thus far. Later, hear from head coach Bret Bielema as he recaps his team's win over Central Michigan and looks ahead to Nebraska.

9/16/24 Hour 1: J LEMAN HOUR: Illini take care of Central Michigan; Keys to beating Nebraska & thoughts on stiff upcoming stretch

J Leman joins Lon and Derek for his weekly football hour to break down the Illini's win over Central Michigan, concerns about the run game struggles, what Illinois faces against Nebraska, and realistic expectations for the Illini's upcoming gauntlet stretch of opponents.

9/13/24 Hour 2: College Gameday Live from Pia's!

Lon and Derek are live at Pia's Sports Bar & Grill in Champaign to break down the Illini's homecoming matchup against Central Michigan, and are joined by Illinois basketball assistant coach Zach Hamer and Hans Dee.

9/13/24 Hour 1: College Gameday Live from Pia's!

Lon and Derek are live at Pia's Sports Bar & Grill in Champaign breaking down Illinois' matchup with Central Michigan and are joined by Illini Inquirer's Joey Wagner to discuss the Illini's fast start to the season.

9/12/24 Hour 2: How Illinois can avoid a letdown against Central Michigan; Bielema on CMU game; NFL Week 2 preview

Derek and Kyle discuss whether there's any concern of a letdown for Illinois against Central Michigan and some things they're hoping to see from the Illini. Hear from Bret Bielema as he shares some thoughts on Homecoming and the CMU matchup. Later, the guys preview some of the biggest NFL games of Week 2.

9/12/24 Hour 1: Piper details upcoming Illini hoops visitors

Derek and Kyle discuss a crop of Illini hoops visitors set to visit Champaign for homecoming weekend.