ESPN Says Illinois Football Has 'Easiest Close to the Season' – Is it True?

The Illini's so-called light schedule has been the talk of the town. How easy is it really?

Aug 29, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema on the sidelines during the first half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Much has been said about Illinois’ 2025 schedule. The comparisons to that of last year’s Indiana team have been noted – but are somewhat overblown. Sure, it isn’t a gauntlet, but it’s a far cry from a cakewalk. Matchups at Duke, at Indiana – an outing that has been drawing headlines recently – and a home contest against USC will be battles. Oh, and, are we forgetting defending national champions Ohio State?

But after those tests, the competition indeed winds down … a lot. And according to ESPN’s Chris Low, the drop is as drastic as any team in the country will see. In fact, Low views Illinois’ final stretch as “the easiest close to the season” in the nation. Although Low doesn’t quite specify every game he’s counting as the “close” of the season, considering that he points out that none of Illinois’ last five opponents will be preseason top-25 squads, let's go with that. Let’s take a look:

Final Five

Date	Opponent	Location
October 25 (Game 8)	Washington	Road
November 1 (Game 9)	Rutgers	Home
November 15 (Game 10)	Maryland	Home
November 22 (Game 11)	Wisconsin	Road
November 29 (Game 12)	Northwestern	Home

Fair Assessment?

Three of the five closing games are at home, and the Illini figure to be healthy favorites in all three of those outings. Rutgers, Maryland and Northwestern aren’t expected to challenge Illinois this season – especially at Memorial Stadium.

But Washington? On the road? Are you kidding? Husky Stadium is one of the most brutal environments in college football for a visiting team – especially those traveling from multiple time zones away. UW may not be the same team from its 2024 CFP national runner-up days, but it has won 20 consecutive home games. That’s the second longest mark in all of college football. (Georgia has won 32 in a row.)

Thank you Husky Nation. That’s 2️⃣0️⃣ consecutive home wins 💜🙌.

There’s no place like home…#AllAboutTheW pic.twitter.com/rciSmjmPf3

— Washington Football (@UW_Football) November 16, 2024

Playing Wisconsin at Camp Randall is hardly much easier. Last year the Badgers went 5-7, their worst mark since 2001, yet they pushed Oregon – which spent the final eight weeks of the regular season as the No. 1 team in America – to the brink, before eventually falling 16-13.

So do the Illini really have the easiest close to the 2025 campaign? Probably not. But in the grand scheme of things, especially competing in a loaded Big Ten, Illinois has a favorable end to its regular season. But then again, the Illini won’t even have the opportunity to take advantage of that if they can’t come out of their first seven outings in good shape.

More From Illinois on Sports Illustrated:

Illinois Football Q&A: Kamden Lopati Wants to Set the Standard for His Class

The Big Question: Will Illinois Football Have a Top-15 Defense in 2025?

Illinois Football's Week 4 Matchup at Indiana Sells Out: What it Means

Illinois Football Seeking to Flip Wisconsin Class of 2026 Commit Jack Janda

ESPN Releases Top 32 College Football Playoff Contenders: Is Illinois on the List?