Illinois football notched 10 wins in 2025, and it was one of the best seasons in program history.
The Illini haven’t been close to even sniffing the College Football Playoff since its inception. 2024 was by far the closest we have been, and we were still on the very outside looking in, despite finishing the season No. 20 in the CFP Rankings.
Going 9-3 in the regular season and winning the Citrus Bowl over South Carolina is still quite the achievement. And while most teams in the Big Ten lost a ton of talent after the 2024 campaign, Illinois is not in the same boat.
Heading into the 2025 campaign, Illinois has the most returning starters back in the mix in the Big Ten. We have 16 starters from 2024 back in 2025. This includes nine on the offensive side of the ball and seven on defense.
The front half of Illinois’ Big Ten schedule is the toughest, and if we can survive that, we should be able to get to the College Football Playoff. One thing that should help us is chemistry and the fact that the teams we play don’t have a ton of returning starters.
Illinois needs to get off to a good start in the Big Ten slate. Indiana and USC are the first two matchups. Each of those two programs returns eight starters. So, Illinois has double the returning starter experience.
The big matchup against Ohio State could be a make-or-break for Illinois in the College Football Playoff. Winning that game would send us into a new stratosphere. The Buckeyes only return six starters from 2024.
Illinois plays three teams that return 10 starters, and they are three out of the last four games of the season. Rutgers, Wisconsin, and Northwestern are the three teams.
No @bigten school has more returning starters than @IlliniFootball💪
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) August 1, 2025
Which team are you most excited to see on the field this season? pic.twitter.com/56FQvAwyfN
What will it take for Illinois football to get into the College Football Playoff
It is pretty incredible that Illinois has more starters returning than any other team in the Big Ten, even after a 10-win campaign. Normally, you would see the Illini gutted for one reason or another. That isn’t the case.
But what can Illinois do to get to the College Football Playoff? What will it take?
I would argue, the Illini can only afford one slip-up in 2025. Obviously, most people would look at the Ohio State game. Getting to that contest undefeated would be a great achievement, though.
Having more returning starters, especially with the early games, will benefit Illinois greatly. The gelling process takes a minute, and the Illini should be able to hit its stride early on while other teams are still trying to click.
That will hopefully propel Illinois to a 6-0 start heading into the Ohio State contest. If this ends up being the case, then buckle up. Illinois should be in for quite the ride in 2025.