We are still over a month away from the Illinois football team kicking off the 2026 season.
Despite that rather large span of time, the Illini seem to be being doubted a lot already. The Athletic only had one of our players on any of the three All-Big Ten teams, and now ESPN is pooh-poohing the idea of Illinois actually having a chance at the College Football Playoff.
ESPN updated their 2026 preseason Football Power Index, and this included the percent chance of each program getting to the coveted College Football Playoff.
The leader of the pack is Ohio State with a 75.7% chance of making the CFP. Notre Dame and Texas follow at 74.1% and 70.2%, respectively.
Illinois isn’t even sniffing that range. Keep scrolling, and you will find the Orange and Blue down at No. 46 on the list of the best chances to make the CFP. ESPN has the Illini with a 4.7% chance to make the tournament.
That isn’t a very high number, but it is higher than the majority of FBS programs. The 4.7% chance also has me thinking, maybe? Lloyd Christmas from Dumb and Dumber says it best.
“So you’re telling me there’s a chance…”
All of this doubt in Illinois football should add fuel to the fire for the 2026 season
I know some of the programs ahead of Illinois won the offseason, but at what point does the coaching ability and proof that Bret Bielema can lead a program play a factor?
Illinois has won 19 games in the past two seasons, and we have proved in the past that the transfer portal can work wonders. ESPN has the Illini barely being bowl eligible, projecting us to win between 5.3 and 6.7 games this season.
Just in the Big Ten alone, Illinois has the 10th best percentage to make the CFP.
There is a ton of doubt in this program right now. No one is expecting Illinois to do anything this season. Our only preseason All-Big Ten player is someone who played three games last season and got hurt. There is far more talent on the Illinois roster than just one All-Big Ten player.
Throwing more fuel on the fire is a good thing, though. We want people to doubt the Illini. Let them think we don’t have talent. Let them think we are going to be middle of the pack in the Big Ten, at best.
This will grow that chip on our shoulder even larger. Illinois will be a good program this season.
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