Illinois Football: Could the Illini still make a bowl game in 2021?

Just when I thought the Illinois football season was finished, there might be a chance we get to watch the Orange and Blue one more time in 2021.

This afternoon, the bad news of Texas A&M having a COVID-19 outbreak was released. The Aggies had such a bad outbreak that they decided to pull out of the 2021 Gator Bowl that is set to be played on December 31 against Wake Forest.

With Texas A&M backing out, the Gator Bowl needs to find a replacement team. That seems to be a problem, though, with students and coaches back home for the holidays, it is tough to find a team ready to go and play a bowl game in a week.

Illinois football might have a shot to play in the Gator Bowl.

With a team needing to fill Texas A&M’s spot, the next teams in line would be the 5-7 programs that were barely left out this year.

The replacement options are in order of who had the best APR for the 2021 campaign. It looks like Rutgers was the first option and they passed, according to Brett McMurphy of the Action Network.

Texas would be the next option and there is no word from them just yet. Michael Martin, former Illini long snapper, says that the Pac-12 is on record saying they won’t allow a 5-7 team in a bowl game.

So, who would be the next in line? Illinois.

It was kind of a pipe dream thinking Illinois might get to play, though. I posted a GIF of Ron Burgundy using his shell whistle to assemble his Anchorman crew with the caption, “ILLINI….ASSEMBLE!” While I was wishing it would happen, I didn’t actually think the Illini had a shot of playing in the Gator Bowl.

That was until the leader of the program tweeted.

At 1:57 p.m. CT, Illini head coach Bret Bielema quote retweeted McMurphy saying, “Waiting by the phone….#ILL #famILLy.” This tweet makes me think this could actually happen. Illinois could end up going bowling this season, and it could be a New Year’s Eve bowl game.

I am not getting my hopes up completely, but the chance of Illinois going bowling right now is much higher than it was just hours ago. This is serious now.