Illinois Football Joins Early College Football Playoff Projections

It may only be Week 4, but a 3–0 start and a top-10 ranking have already pushed Illinois Football into early national postseason conversations. In fact, USA Today’s latest bowl game predictions project the Illini as part of the 12-team playoff field.

According to Erick Smith, a college sports editor at USA Today, the Illini’s very early resume—including a big road win at Duke in Week 2—puts them in the conversation as a contender for the expanded playoff field, as long as they keep momentum rolling. If Smith’s projections were to hold true, Arch Manning and the Texas Longhorns would make the trip north to Champaign to take on the Fighting Illini in Memorial Stadium, in round one of the CFP on December 19th or 20th.

Of course, it’s very early, and so much could change from week to week as the Illini push forward into conference play and face a much tougher path ahead. Still, it’s impossible not to appreciate how far this program has come in 4 and a quarter seasons under Bielema. A program that once lingered in the basement of the Big Ten is now competing at a level that puts it squarely in the national conversation.

Certainly, a road win in Bloomington against Curt Cignetti’s 19th-ranked Hoosiers under the lights of a packed house would be a major boost for the Illini’s playoff case—and a momentous victory for their path ahead. If they can pull it off, I would expect their name to appear on even more projections next week.

Illinois Football Playoff Projections. Credit: Erick Smith. USA Today.

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