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Illinois Football: Are the Illini Citrus Bowl Bound?

Illinois Football is seemingly bound for Orlando, following a 38-28 victory over Northwestern to cap off a 9-3 season

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Illinois Football
Oct 26, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema watches players warm up before a game against the Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Illinois Football Will Seemingly Spend The New Year in Orlando

Illinois Football capped off a  9-3 season on Saturday afternoon with a big win over rival Northwestern at Wrigley Field. In just his 4th year as head coach in Champaign, the Fighting Illini have now earned two 8+ win seasons under coach Bret Bielema (2022, 2024). Furthermore, 2024 marks the first 9+ win campaign for the Illini program in 17 seasons (2007 Rose Bowl Team).

Recent success has certainly started to push momentum in the right direction for the Illini. Now, Illinois is positioned for its most significant bowl game of the Bret Bielema era. With a trip to the sunshine state potentially on the horizon, Illinois could showcase thier resurgence on a relevant stage. The opportunity undoubtedly signals the program’s steady climb under Bielema, en route to a new chapter of relevance for the Fighting Illini.
However, the question remains, which stage will be set for Illinois Football?

Prediction

According to the latest bowl projections from Bret McMurphy of The Action Network and Patrick Andres of Sports Illustrated, both predict Illinois Football will spend New Year’s Eve in Orlando, facing South Carolina in the Citrus Bowl.

Note: The Citrus Bowls staff kept a close eye on the Illini as the 2024 regular season continued to take shape. Representatives from the bowl were in attendance for several games this season, including the Illini’s thrilling 38-31 victory over Rutgers.

 

Notes On The Gamecocks

Head Coach: Shane Beamer

Current Record: 9-3 (5-3 in SEC)

SEC Rankings: Currently 5th 

Best Win: 44-20 over No. 20 (No. 10 at the time) Texas A&M  

Worst Loss: 36-33 to LSU 

Shane Beamer, son of legendary Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer, has South Carolina on the bubble of a 12-team College Football Playoff berth in his fourth season in Columbus. The Gamecocks is arguably one of the hottest teams in the nation, riding a six-game winning streak with victories over Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, Missouri, Wofford, and Clemson.

However, their playoff hopes are seemingly slipping due to three tough losses against No. 16 LSU, No. 12 Ole Miss, and No. 7 Alabama. Many outlets expect South Carolina to sit just outside the CFP rankings when ESPN releases them on Tuesday (12/3) at 6 PM CT.

If the committee confirms it, South Carolina could head to Orlando to face Illinois Football.

 

Illinois Football

Nov 30, 2024; Credit: Ken Ruinard-Imagn Images

 

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Kirkland is an expert source for Illinois athletics news. He is the lead Football analyst at Armchair Illini and has been featured in top media publications like Bleacher Report, Yard Barker, Autograph, Newsbreak, CBS Sports and more.

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