Indiana vs. Illinois: The Impact of a Potential Hoosiers Victory

Indiana has reached heights thought unattainable, but still has climbing left to do

Sep 14, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti reacts in the first half against the UCLA Bruins at Rose Bowl. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Indiana and Illinois have been playing football against one another for a very long time, but no previous meeting has had as much as Saturday's appears to. The No. 19 Hoosiers (3-0) welcome the No. 9 Fighting Illini (3-0) in a game that has College Football Playoff implications riding on it.

To suggest as much in a game involving Indiana not even a year ago would have gotten you laughed out of a room. Instead, the Hoosiers are coming off a year they made college football's inaugural 12-team playoff, and are out for more in 2025.

Saturday could go a long way in attaining that "more".

What a Hoosiers Win Would Mean: Playoff Outlook Improves

Sep 12, 2025; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers defensive lineman Dominique Ratcliff (91) and Indiana Hoosiers defensive lineman Mario Landino (97) celebrate after a sack during the second half against the Indiana State Sycamores at Memorial Stadium. | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

For most of the off-season, national college football writers and reporters were looking for who would be the "Indiana" of college football in 2025. Essentially, who would come from nowhere and reach the College Football Playoff?

Although almost all the cases made were flawed, seeing as how quickly Indiana's turnaround came, there were several teams mentioned. Perhaps none more so than Illinois, which enters the game ranked ninth nationally.

Don't get me wrong, Indiana still has a challenging schedule remaining, but a win Saturday would put it in an outstanding position to make the College Football Playoff.

Of the eight games that come after Saturday against Illinois, only trips to Oregon and Penn State feel like likely losses. Every other one, Indiana will likely be favored in. Saturday could be the difference between 9-3 and 10-2 for the Hoosiers, and that would likely be the difference between making the CFP or not.

What a Hoosiers Win Would Mean: National Perspective

Dec 20, 2024; Notre Dame, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti during the first half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium. | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Like it or not, the national perspective on Indiana is still that mostly cute little program that is mostly harmless to the big-time programs. Sure, it went 11-1 in 2024's regular season, but losses to Ohio State and Notre Dame showed how it remains from being taken as a legit threat.

What would help solve that?

A win over a top 10 Illinois team that also happens to be a media darling. Don't get me wrong, Illinois is a very talented team and it'll take a lot for Indiana to beat it Saturday, but for a team that struggles to run the ball as much as the Illini do, it seems to get more love for last year than Indiana does.

That's why Illinois is ranked ahead of Indiana right now: simply because of it was in the preseason rankings. Have Illinois' wins been that much more impressive than Indiana's to date?

A win Saturday would give Indiana something it hasn't had yet in this epic turnaround under Curt Cignetti: a win over a top 10 team. And it'd put the rest of the nation on alert that the Hoosiers are a real threat to crash the College Football Playoff party again.