It’s been 23 days since Illinois found out it would play in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl on New Year’s Eve, and the day is finally here. No. 20 Illinois (9-3) will take on No. 15 South Carolina (9-3) Tuesday at 3 p.m. in Orlando, Florida. The sports editors at The Daily Illini have predictions for Illinois’ final game of 2024.
Ben (South Carolina, 30-20): It’s officially the biggest game of the year — an opportunity to win 10 games and go down as the best Illinois squad since 2001. A tough South Carolina team stands in the way, though, and Illinois will have its hands full.
South Carolina’s freshman quarterback, LaNorris Sellers, is ridiculous, and mobile quarterbacks put up big-time numbers in bowl games. He’s got a few former top recruits to throw to but is more than happy rolling out of the pocket and making things happen. Illinois’ new linebacker core has stepped up in the absence of junior linebacker Dylan Rosiek, but it will know for sure how good the new group is after Tuesday.
Another area to watch is the depth of South Carolina’s defensive line. The Gamecocks head coach, Shane Beamer, praised the Illini offensive line earlier this week, showing he knows how important this matchup will be. Illinois will need to give junior quarterback Luke Altmyer time to throw and open up holes for the running backs.
South Carolina has a legit defensive line and a generally similar roster to that of Penn State and Oregon. Illinois lost pretty handily to both teams this season, and it’s not getting any easier. Head coach Bret Bielema’s team has a lot more confidence at this point in the season, however, so I could easily see a world in which Illinois gets out of the gate quickly and makes this one interesting.
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Tess (South Carolina, 28-17): So far, the bowl games played have been entertaining and full of passion and physicality. This Citrus Bowl will be no different. The Illini and Gamecocks will bring their all, even with some missing pieces from the roster.
After watching highlights from South Carolina and reading up on its strengths, it does seem like it will come out victorious for this game. But Illinois is full of surprises, and anything can happen with enough effort and communication.
With Sellers’ legs, I predict he finishes with at least 50 rushing yards, possibly even a rushing touchdown himself. It’s happened plenty of times this season, and if they want to treat the game like a normal competition, a Sellers touchdown is quite possible.
However, Sellers also got picked off in his last three games and has struggled with ball security this season. With that in mind, I also predict that Illinois’ defense will make a huge play in the first half that could result in a touchdown.
Whether that’s a forced fumble by junior outside linebacker Gabe Jacas or an interception by sophomore defensive back Matthew Bailey, Illinois’ defense should be on its A-game tomorrow, ready for anything. If the Illini want to pull off an upset, they’ll need to strive for takeaways and convert those to points on the board.
Conor (South Carolina, 24-7): Illinois’ offense could be an issue against South Carolina. Defense has always been the Illini’s strong suit under Bielema, but this year’s success has been accompanied by an equally strong offense that scored over 30 points in seven games. In extreme cases, the offense has even bailed the defense out, such as when it weathered a 49-point explosion from one-win Purdue (1-11).
However, much of what has made the offense special this season will be absent in this bowl game. Most notably, senior wide receiver Pat Bryant opted out to secure his stock in the 2025 NFL draft. As far as bailouts are concerned, Bryant was the only player in the nation with three game-winning touchdowns in the final two minutes of regulation or overtime this season.
It feels impossible, but the Illini could have been 6-6 this year if not for Bryant. Of course, an offense consists of 11 players, not one, and Illinois still has plenty of talent from those game-winning drives remaining. However, the butterfly effect from missing a star player cannot be overstated. Illinois’ offense without Bryant does not have many advantages against the SEC’s best non-playoff team.
