Just a few years ago, the goal for the Illinois football program was nothing near what it is today.
At one point, I was just hoping the Illini would win six games and get to a bowl. That was the old Orange and Blue, though.
Under Bret Bielema, Illinois went from a perennial bowl hopeful, to a bowl-expected every season, to now having high hopes to make the College Football Playoff.
Once you make it into the coveted 12-team playoff, anything can happen. Getting to that point is what is tough. The way the first AP Top 25 poll is laid out, I think Illinois has some work to do to actually be in the conversation of the College Football Playoff.
The lack of ranked opponents could be the end of Illinois’ run to the College football Playoff
My hope was that Duke would bolster Illinois’ non-conference, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. While the Blue Devils aren’t looked at as a bottom-feeder, they didn’t get much AP Top 25 love.
As we sit right now, Duke is looked at as the No. 41 team in the country with six votes to be in the AP Top 25. They are one of four teams on the Illini schedule that have any votes to be ranked.
Duke is the first team Illinois gets to on the 2025 schedule with any votes, and that game is on September 6. We then go on the road against No. 20 Indiana on September 20.
The other two games are the following week, September 27, against USC. The Trojans are roughly the No. 30 team in the country with 64 votes to be ranked. Two weeks later, Illinois welcomes in No. 3 Ohio State.
So, essentially, Illinois has four games to really make our case for the College Football Playoff. Winning the other eight games is needed without a doubt. I believe we need to beat both USC and Duke as well.
That then leaves No. 20 Indiana and No. 3 Ohio State. To make the College Football Playoff, I think we need to beat the Hoosiers and then make the Buckeyes game respectable.
Illinois has very little room to slip up, if any at all. The 2025 schedule, while it looks easier than most, will likely hurt us down the road when there is a College Football Playoff decision to be made.