Predicting Illinois Football's 2025 Season From Newly Released Schedule

Based on our early projections, can the 2025 Illini top the success of this season's 9-3 group?

Jason Langendorf | Dec 12, 2024

Oct 19, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Fans rush the field after victory by the Illinois Fighting Illini over the Michigan Wolverines at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images / Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

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Illinois Fighting Illini

It's mid-December and a New Year's Eve Citrus Bowl date is still weeks away, which means Illinois' 2024 – the current standard for a storybook season in Champaign – isn't yet over.

But the 2025 schedule has arrived, and like kids on Christmas morning, Illini fans are anxious to open this sucker up and see what's inside:

Mark it, schedule it, book it.

The 2025 Illini Football schedule is here. #Illini // #HTTO // #famILLy pic.twitter.com/rbVbbohymu
— Illinois Football (@IlliniFootball) December 11, 2024

Again, the 21st-ranked Illini (9-3) still have a Dec. 31 date with No. 14 South Carolina (9-3) at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida, to play before calling 2024 a season. Still, it's never too early to look ahead and think about where the road after could lead. So with that, below is a quick breakdown and prediction – did we mention that it's still early? – for each of Illinois' currently scheduled 2025 matchups.

Aug. 30: vs. Western Illinois

The Illini haven't faced the Leathernecks since 2018, when they thumped them 34-14 in Champaign. That came as a bit of a disappointment after Illinois had beaten Western in its only other matchups to date by a score of 65-0. We're feeling confident about this one. Prediction: Illinois win.

Sept. 6: at Duke

It's an early-September meeting between these schools, which means the ball will be oblong and Coach K won't be sneering along the other sideline. Although the Blue Devils are much-improved recently (this season's 9-3 Duke squad made the Gator Bowl) and will play hosts in this matchup, we give a slight edge to the Illini. Prediction: Illinois win.

Sept. 13: vs. Western Michigan

A 34-10 home loss to the Broncos in a 3-9 season back in 2016 was a low point for Illinois. None of the players or coaches from that outfit remain, but you can bet coach Bret Bielema won't be silent about it during practice week, and will be sure his Illini don't look past WMU to a week ahead. Prediction: Illinois win.

Sept. 20: at Indiana

This will be the litmus test by which the college football world measures Illinois against all others. Who knew we'd be talking about Indiana (currently 11-1 and ranked No. 9) and a trip to Bloomington as the Illini's big early-season moment? If you haven't yet Googled Curt Cignetti, you'll soon find out this matchup will be a tough mountain to climb. Prediction: Illinois loss.

Sept. 27: vs. Southern California

Trap game. USC was down in 2024 and has since lost several key players to the transfer portal, but Lincoln Riley had the Trojans playing better ball later in the season than they had delivered early on. Win or lose at Indiana, the Illini had better have their heads right a week later. Prediction: Illinois win.

Oct. 4: at Purdue

If Illinois hasn't learned from the near-calamity against Purdue in October and doesn't lay the wood to a Boilermakers squad that is essentially starting from rock bottom, the rest of this exercise will have been pointless. You have to show up every week in the Big Ten, especially on the road, but there should be no worries here. Prediction: Illinois win.

Oct. 11: vs. Ohio State

The sky is falling in Columbus every moment the Buckeyes aren't in the act of winning a national championship, but don't be fooled: Ohio State will be a college football powerhouse yet again in 2025 and the Illini's toughest opponent on the schedule. Prediction: Illinois loss.

Oct. 25: at Washington

Illinois' first Big Ten West Coast road trip, uh, didn't go so well (Autzen Stadium might as well be the Illini's Alamo). But the Huskies are beatable, and Bielema and his staff have been money coming off bye weeks. Give them the benefit of the doubt here. Prediction: Illinois loss.

Nov. 1: vs. Rutgers

Trap game No. 2! If Illinois holds to our projected form, the team will enter this matchup at 6-2 and contemplating a closing four-game stretch against opponents who have gone a combined 20-28 in 2024. That would put an unprecedented 11 wins and a College Football Playoff appearance within reach – and set up the Illini, if they aren't careful, for a potential upset. Prediction: Illinois win.

Nov. 15: vs. Maryland

Stranger things have happened, but this is one of the more open-and-shut Big Ten games the Illini will face all season. The Terps won only four games this season and closed on a five-game skid. Prediction: Illinois win.

Nov. 22: at Wisconsin

Camp Randall in late November is never a picnic for opponents, but Bucky has fallen on hard times in Badger country. Plus, Bielema and his players (who seem to truly dig him) will be motivated to avenge a 25-21 homecoming loss to Wisconsin in Champaign in 2023 and ensure the coach walks away from his old stomping grounds a winner. Prediction: Illinois win.

Nov. 29: vs. Northwestern

The frigid and blustery conditions at Wrigley Field a week ago can't be ruled out in Champaign at this time of year, but at least Memorial Stadium is home and the Illini are rolling against the Wildcats, whom they've taken down in three of the past four years. Prediction: Illinois win.

How does 10-2 going into a CFP matchup sound to Illinois fans? Hopeful? Sure. A pipe dream? Not after what we witnessed in 2024 and what we're seeing (admittedly, far ahead) on the schedule for next year. If nothing else, there's reason to believe that what Bielema and the Illini pulled off this season is repeatable – and perhaps the dawn of an expectation of excellence.