Illinois Football vs. South Carolina in Citrus Bowl Is Official

The 9-3 Illini will meet the 9-3 Gamecocks at 2 p.m. CST on New Year's Eve

Nov 30, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini running back Aidan Laughery (21) celebrates with quarterback Luke Altmyer (9) after scoring a touchdown against the Northwestern Wildcats during the second half at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images / Matt Marton-Imagn Images

It doesn't matter if Illinois football fans wanted to see the Illini take a swing at superpower Alabama this bowl season.

As it turns out, it didn't even matter that Alabama was the first team out of the 12-team College Football Playoff.

Alabama is the highest-ranked SEC team not in the field, just like Illinois is the highest-ranked Big Ten team not in it. The "best" of the bowl games in which the SEC and Big Ten are jointly affiliated has been presumed all along to be Citrus Bowl on New Year's Eve in Orlando, Florida. So the logical anticipation has been for an Illinois-Alabama matchup – if the Tide were left out of the playoff dance.

Which they were.

And yet …

Feelin' cheezzzy.

We are heading to the Citrus Bowl to play No. 15 South Carolina. #Illini // #HTTO // #famILLy pic.twitter.com/8ItQzCvmea

— Illinois Football (@IlliniFootball) December 8, 2024

Who's ready for some Illinois-South Carolina action?

Indeed, it will be 9-3 Illinois against 9-3 South Carolina in the Citrus (2 p.m. CST, ABC). The Gamecocks, who went 5-3 in the SEC – and beat eventual ACC champion Clemson on the road in their regular-season finale – are very good. And unlike Alabama, the Gamecocks might have a relatively short list of players opting out of a New Year's Eve bowl. That will be a fluid situation for both teams. Illini star receiver Pat Bryant already has already declared for the NFL draft and opted out of Illinois' bowl.

South Carolina was 15th in the final playoff rankings. Illinois was 20th. They are 14th and 21st, respectively, in the AP Top 25.

"Our players are excited to experience a first-class bowl game with a national spotlight against a quality SEC opponent in South Carolina," Illini coach Bret Bielema said in a statement. "This will be a great reward for our players, staff and fans to finish the 2024 season on New Year's Eve and send us into 2025."

More From Illinois on Sports Illustrated:

How Illinois and Big Ten Rivals Performed vs. Expectations in 2024

Bret Bielema Welcomes Illinois' 2025 Recruiting Class – But Not NCAA Changes

Illinois Football Play of the Week: Pat Bryant Ties TD Record