Illinois football roadmap to the College Football Playoff after week 3

There is a new week starting, and after the AP Top 25 was released on Sunday, the Illinois football team finds itself in the mix nationally.

After a big win over Kansas and a solid follow-up against Central Michigan this past Saturday, the Illini are now the No. 24 team in the country. This is a great feat considering that before Bret Bielema took over, Ron Zook was the last Illini head coach to be ranked two times in a four-season stretch.

With the Illini being ranked in the AP Top 25, the thought comes to mind, could we make the College Football Playoff? It used to be a pipe dream just last season when the playoff was only four teams, but now that it has expanded to 12 teams, making the College Football Playoff is much more realistic.

Illinois still has to do a lot of work to make this coveted tournament. While I am not counting out a Big Ten Championship, I am being realistic in saying that we might have to earn an at-large bid. But what will it take for Illinois to get into the College Football Playoff?

Illinois football is in a great position for the College Football Playoff after week three

So, the current format for the College Football Playoff is the four power-four conference winners get the top four seeds and bye weeks. Seven teams then get an at-large. The highest-ranked group of five conference team then gets the final spot.

While the 2023 season didn’t have a 12-team playoff, you can tell what type of record you need to get into the playoffs. Teams No. 1 through 12 were at least 10-2 last season. So, it is fair to say that Illinois needs to get to 10 regular season wins to have a shot.

What are the must-wins? The final four games of the season – Minnesota, Michigan State, at Rutgers, and at Northwestern – and then the game against Purdue. That gets Illinois to eight wins on the season.

Illinois then needs two wins out of the group of at No. 22 Nebraska, at No. 10 Penn State, No. 18 Michigan, and at No. 9 Oregon.

Honestly, it feels like this Friday in Lincoln against No. 22 Nebraska is a must-win. That would elevate us to serious College Football Playoff contention.

I am then looking at No. 18 Michigan at home. The Wolverines aren’t nearly as good as they were last season, and this is a prime chance to knock them off.

If Illinois wins the unranked games – three of five are at home – and then takes down No. 22 Nebraska and No. 18 Michigan, that would get us to 10 wins. That puts us in an incredible spot to be chasing a national championship this December.