Illinois Football: 2024 Bowl Projections and What to Expect This Postseason

Are the Illini Nashville-bound? Headed for a clash with Oklahoma? LSU? Check out the various bowl projections for Illinois.

Sep 28, 2024; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini kicker David Olano (24) lines up a field goal kick during the second quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images / Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

OK, it’s settled: Illinois will play in the Music City Bowl in Nashville, Tennessee, on Dec. 30. The opponent? It will be Oklahoma, predicts Action Network’s Brett McMurphy. Unless it’s Kentucky, as Athlon Sports has it this week. Or LSU, says ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura.

My new Week 6 @ActionNetworkHQ bowl projections. @CFBPlayoff: Alabama, Ohio St, Miami, Iowa St; UNLV at Georgia, Oregon at Penn St, Clemson at Tennessee, USC at Texas. Also, Gator: LSU-Pitt; Sun: Colorado-Boston College; Music City: Illinois-Oklahoma https://t.co/Hn70tJbLIV

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) September 30, 2024

Ah, but there were other postseason destinations being predicted for the 4-1 Illini as they headed into a bye week. CBS’ Jerry Palm has them meeting Texas A&M in the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida, on Dec. 31.

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach put them against Pittsburgh in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium on Dec. 28.

Multiple other forecasters have the Illini bound for Charlotte, North Carolina, and the Duke’s Mayo Bowl on Jan. 3 – including College Football News, who slotted in Duke as the opponent.

Unfair advantage, Blue Devils? Nah.

Illinois went 5-7 and didn't go to a bowl game last year after going to the ReliaQuest Bowl after the 2022 season, losing to Mississippi State 19-10.

The program hasn't won a bowl game wince the 2011 Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl over UCLA.