Illini now

Early Bowl Projections Are Already Rolling in: Where Does Illinois Football Land?

The Illini are being slotted for the Citrus, Las Vegas and Pinstripe – but their own ambitions for 2025 are higher still
Pranav Hegde|
Dec 31, 2024; Orlando, FL, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini running back Josh McCray (6) celebrates winning the MVP after the game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images
Dec 31, 2024; Orlando, FL, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini running back Josh McCray (6) celebrates winning the MVP after the game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images | Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images

In this story:

Illinois Fighting Illini

The 2025 season is just a week old, so bowl-game season remains a long way off and bowl-game projections – well, let's just call them a tad premature. Still, it's good fun to bat this stuff around, even in early September – especially for Illinois fans this season.

After a 52-3 beatdown of Western Illinois in Week 1, the Illini are already being slotted for several different postseason destinations – from New York to Las Vegas to Orlando. If you want certainty, you've come to the right place at, uh, the wrong time. But the fact that Illinois, ranked No. 11 going into Saturday's showdown at Duke (11 p.m. CT, ESPN), is firmly entrenched in the discussion is a very good sign for coach Bret Bielema's squad.

The most prestigious projections come in the form of a Citrus Bowl berth. ESPN’s Mark Schlabach slots Illinois against Texas A&M in the Citrus, while Pro Football Network (PFSN) has the Illini meeting Tennessee there. A return trip to Orlando would be familiar territory after Illinois’ appearance last season, and it remains the top non-playoff bowl for the Big Ten. Facing an SEC opponent on New Year’s Eve would again provide Illinois with a national stage to share with an entry from college football's most popular conference.

Two other outlets – CBS Sports and On3 – project Illinois heading west to the Las Vegas Bowl to face Arizona State. The game at Allegiant Stadium has grown in profile in recent years, offering a modern venue and a strong Big Ten vs. Big 12 matchup. It may not carry quite the same prestige as playing in Orlando, but it’s still a significant showcase and a chance for Illinois to close the year on a relative high.

Not all the projections are quite as glamorous. ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura sees Illinois bound for Yankee Stadium in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl and squaring off with North Carolina. That would represent more of a worst-case outcome for the Illini – a respectable bowl game, but a step down from last season’s New Year’s Eve stage.

Whether it’s Citrus, Las Vegas or Pinstripe, the common theme is that Illinois is a consensus bowl team in 2025. But the Illini aren’t aiming just to return to Orlando or test themselves in Vegas. After last year’s 10-win showing and steady climb into national relevance, the program’s ambition is to crack the College Football Playoff and compete for a national championship.

Opportunities to get there are still ahead, with games against Indiana, USC and No. 1 Ohio State looming large – each offering Illinois the chance to vault past respectable projections and into something historic. But unlike the pundits, the Illini must avoid getting ahead of themselves and first take care of business Saturday against Duke.

Published
Pranav Hegde
PRANAV HEGDE

Primarily covers Illinois football, basketball and golf, with an emphasis on news, analysis and features. Hegde, an electrical engineering student at Illinois with an affinity for sports writing, has been writing for On SI since April 2025. He can be followed and reached on Instagram @pranavhegde__.

Home/Football