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Illinois football ready for another SEC test, as bowl game is revealed

The Illinois football program was going bowing this season, but now we have found out where we will be heading.
ByRees Woodcock|
Dec 31, 2024; Orlando, FL, USA; A Illinois Fighting Illini helmet sitting on confetti after the game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images
Dec 31, 2024; Orlando, FL, USA; A Illinois Fighting Illini helmet sitting on confetti after the game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images | Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images

We haven’t officially gotten to the bowl game show that says where the Illinois football team will head, but thankfully, reporters have already gotten word.

On Saturday afternoon, Bret McMurphy of On3.com reported that Big Ten teams are already slotted into certain bowl games. The destination for the Illini will be the Music City Bowl.

The Music City Bowl is held in Nashville, Tennessee. We will be taking on an SEC team, but that might depend on what happens in the SEC Championship game.

This is a great location for the Illini, especially for the fanbase. From Champaign, it is only a five-hour and 35-minute jaunt to see the Orange and Blue take on what some call the top conference in the country in the SEC.

The Big Ten has seen success in recent years in the Music City Bowl, and now Illinois gets another shot at an SEC program

Last season was great for the Illini. After nine regular season wins, Illinois went into the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl and took out a South Carolina team that had a chance at the College Football Playoff. This time around, we will be getting a different SEC opponent.

It is tough to say who Illinois will play at this point, but you can take some educated guesses. Just looking at the options of who finished with at least six wins in the SEC, Illinois has a decent chance to play LSU.

Overall, the Big Ten has had decent success in the Music City Bowl. The conference is 3-1 in the last four, with the only loss coming last season when Iowa lost by three points to a ranked Missouri program.

Illinois is in back-to-back bowl games and has now won eight games in three out of the last four seasons. This program is on the rise, and another win over an SEC program in a bowl game would be another step in the right direction.

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