I know that the Illinois football team hasn’t done enough to make the coveted 12-team College Football Playoff.
The College Football Playoff only takes the 12, or I guess the 11 best teams, plus the top group of five program, to compete for the top spot in the game. The Illini are highly unlikely to make the playoffs unless complete chaos happens in college football.
Even if Illinois doesn’t make the College Football Playoff bracket, that doesn’t mean we can’t be ranked in the College Football Playoff rankings
Last season, the Orange and Blue cracked the College Football Playoff rankings, getting as high as No. 20 and finishing in that spot at season’s end. Why not get to that point or better in 2025?
The College Football Playoff committee doesn’t have an ‘others receiving votes’ list like the AP Top 25, so no one outside of the committee actually knows how far Illinois is out from cracking the top 25. My guess is that we aren’t far out, maybe in the top 30?
Week 11 chaos could get Illinois football back into the College Football Playoff rankings
Illinois didn’t get a chance to play this week, so the last time we saw this program, we were thrashing Rutgers 35-13. That is the same Scarlet Knights team that looked good against Maryland and is one game away from being bowl eligible.
There were some key games for the Illini to help us potentially climb up the College Football Playoff rankings.
No. 22 Missouri lost to No. 3 Texas A&M. That usually wouldn’t move the needle, but this was a three-touchdown, 21-point loss to the No. 3 team in the country. This loss gives the Tigers three losses on the season. Missouri probably won’t drop below Illinois, but we have to be close to them in the rankings now.
No. 14 Virginia lost to an unranked Wake Forest team. The Demon Deacons were nowhere near the rankings, so this loss will likely send the Cavaliers plummeting down the College Football Playoff rankings. I wouldn’t be shocked if they fall out of the rankings altogether. Illinois might pass them as well.
The ACC took another hit when No. 15 Louisville fell to an unranked California team. The Golden Bears aren’t anywhere near the rankings either, so the Cardinals might very well fall completely out of the rankings. This loss could elevate Illinois.
I am keeping an eye on No. 20 Iowa, too. They suffered their third loss of the season, as they fell to No. 9 Oregon. The Hawkeyes have losses to No. 2 Indiana, No. 9 Oregon, and a 6-4 Iowa State team. They also have zero quality wins. Illinois can hold up that win over No. 19 USC. Maybe we can pass the Hawkeyes?
Lastly, the weirdest loss of the weekend was the No. 23 Washington loss to Wisconsin. This was a horrible loss. The Huskies gave the Badgers their third win of the season, as they are 3-6 overall. Illinois lost to Washington, and now we have the same record. But the loss to Wisconsin is by far the worst loss between the two teams. I think Illinois passes Washington in the rankings.
With that being said, five ranked teams in the College Football Playoff lost on Saturday. All of those programs have a legitimate shot to drop out of the top 25. Can Illinois surpass any of them and see a number next to our name this week? Let’s see where the chips fall.