USC Blasted Michigan in Week 7 – So Is Illinois Better Than We Think?

The Illini may not have beaten Ohio State on Saturday, but their resume improved based on other Big Ten results

Oct 11, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) throws a pass in the first half against the Michigan Wolverines at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

No. 17 Illinois (5-2, 2-2 Big Ten) didn’t exactly put on a show in its 34-16 loss Saturday. But considering it came at the hands of the No. 1 team in the country in Ohio State (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten), it’s hardly a stain on the resume of Bret Bielema’s team.

THERE IT IS@IlliniFootball has scored the first rushing TD of the season against Ohio State 😤 pic.twitter.com/Wo8rFUDNgl

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 11, 2025

Meanwhile, thousands of miles west in Los Angeles at the historical Memorial Coliseum, there was another can’t-miss Big Ten matchup that took place: USC vs. No. 15 Michigan.

USC smacks Michigan: Why it matters for Illinois

Sep 27, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema, right, and Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley shake hands after the 34-32 Illini win at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Trojans-Wolverines didn’t just have repercussions for the two programs in question, but also for the Illini – who are battling primarily with USC and Michigan in the quest for a College Football Playoff bid.

Although it was expected to be a battle in L.A., USC put on a show en route to a 31-13 victory over Michigan. Once again, Lincoln Riley’s club rolled on the offensive end (489 total yards), but where it truly impressed was on defense, forcing a pair of turnovers and holding the visitors to just 13 points. 

YESSIR BJACK 🫡

📺 NBCpic.twitter.com/5ChMZHBXCW

— USC Football ✌️ (@uscfb) October 12, 2025

The main takeaway: Illinois is really good.

Let’s take a trek down memory lane all the way back to a 14-7 Illini lead late in the second quarter against the Trojans in Week 5. Running back Kaden Feagin took the ball on the visitors' two-yard line as Illinois appeared poised to push its lead to 21-7 before taking the second-half kickoff.

Instead, in a questionable call from the referees, Feagin was ruled to have fumbled, and USC quickly marched down the field before cutting the lead to 14-10 with a field goal.

In the end, the Illini prevailed 34-32 behind that memorable go-ahead field goal from kicker David Olano, but they very well could have won that game by a couple of scores – and certainly appeared to be at least a touchdown better than the Trojans.

NO. 23 ILLINOIS WINS IT 🙌

David Olano hits the walk-off FG to down No. 21 USC. pic.twitter.com/yxEsaeAK4l

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 27, 2025

Still, although that USC win may be aging well, the Week 4 Indiana loss (Illinois was crushed 63-10) remains a pain point. At least, that seemed to be the case until the Hoosiers went on the road and shocked No. 3 Oregon 30-20 in Eugene.

Does that automatically clear Illinois’ name? No. But it's an indication of how greatly Indiana has been undersold – and that arguably paints the Illini in a somewhat more flattering light.

Considering the Illini were down practically their entire secondary against the Hoosiers, perhaps the CFP committee takes mercy on Bielema’s club and can chalk that misstep up to a handful of poor circumstances.

In any case, for a two-loss team in mid-October, the Illini couldn’t be much happier about where they're at in terms of resume – not to mention the bright future that appears to be ahead.