The 2022 campaign is going well for the Illinois football program, but it is never too early to take a peek at what 2023 might hold.
There are many elements to why the Illini are playing well this season. We have the best running back in the nation, quarterback play has brought stability, the defense has been incredible, and the coaching staff is doing some impressive work.
I can also take a nuanced approach to Illinois’ 6-1 record. While everything above is true, we also haven’t played the toughest of schedules. There is only one ranked team for the Illini this season, and that is in a few weeks against No. 4 Michigan. The football Gods blessed us with a good schedule.
Could Illinois be so lucky heading into the 2023 campaign, though? The schedule for the upcoming season was released on Wednesday and, honestly, I am pretty excited about what I am seeing.
Illinois football is looking to crush a favorable schedule in 2023.
Illinois’ non-conference slate doesn’t look too tough, although it has gotten tougher with the emergence of Kansas. The Illini start the 2023 campaign with Toledo at home. They are 5-3 this season. The next game is on the road against Kansas, who is also 5-3. The final non-conference game is against Florida Atlantic, who is 3-5 this season.
Overall, that is a decent non-conference for the Illini. The toughest team is going to be Kansas, and while they were the darling of the college football world earlier this season, they have come back down to earth recently. Now let’s take a look at the Big Ten slate.
𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 𝐅𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐢 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞#Illini // #HTTO // #famILLy
— Illinois Football (@IlliniFootball) October 26, 2022
The top two teams in the Big Ten right now are No. 4 Michigan 7-0 and No. 2 Ohio State 7-0. In 2023, Illinois avoids these two programs. That is a huge bonus for the Orange and Blue.
Illinois does take on the current No. 13 team in the nation in Penn State in week three next season, which is the first Big Ten game of the year. This game is at home too, so that is a nice boost for the Illini.
The rest of the Big Ten schedule shakes out like this; at Purdue, Nebraska, at Maryland, Wisconsin, at Minnesota, Indiana, at Iowa, and Northwestern.
In 2023, Illinois only plays one currently ranked opponent. I think there is a strong chance we finish 2022 strong and come back in 2023 and crush our schedule again. The future is so bright for this program.