No. 12 Illinois returns Friday with a lot of carryover from last season. Sixteen starters are back, including a pair of preseason all-Big Ten seniors in quarterback Luke Altmyer and linebacker Gabe Jacas.
Illinois also brings great expectations into this year as a result of the team’s 10-3 showing last season. It’s not surprising, then, that the Illini appeared in the AP preseason poll for the first time since 2008. Illinois has a real chance at cracking the playoffs if enough goes right.
To take a look at how things could go this year in Champaign, we went game-by-game and offered our predictions.
Week 1: vs. Western Illinois
Ben: W
Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!
Western Illinois has just four wins in the last three seasons. It isn’t exactly a serious threat to Illinois. With the squad the Illini have put together, the Leathernecks may be in for a beating similar to that of Eastern Illinois’ last season.
Brendan: W
The Leathernecks haven’t surpassed the five-win plateau since 2017 and should prove little challenge to the Illini. Big Ten opponent Indiana pummeled Western Illinois 77-3 during their matchup last season. The only question should be whether the Illini can cover the massive 45.5-point spread.
Week 2: at Duke
Ben: W
While it had a successful 2024 campaign, Duke lost a handful of important starters to the transfer portal, including its starting quarterback. The team fixed most of its roster holes via the transfer portal, but growing pains are likely for a new roster, especially early in the season. That could give Illinois the upper hand in this matchup.
Brendan: L
It’s been 60 years since the Illini last tangled with the Blue Devils and 67 since they last made the trip to Durham. When Illinois returns this year, it’ll meet a team led by Duke’s new $8 million investment: redshirt sophomore quarterback Darian Mensah. The Tulane transfer threw for 22 touchdowns and over 2,700 yards last season. Mensah also racked up a 76.3 rating, good enough for 19th in the country. Illinois is the favorite, but with Mensah under center, Duke will have a good chance of delivering an upset.
Week 3: vs. Western Michigan
Ben: W
Just like with Western Illinois, Illinois should have no problems against Western Michigan. The Broncos haven’t played particularly well as of late, and there’s no reason to believe they’ll turn it around this year. They had a decent record last season but struggled against Power Four teams.
Brendan: W
Western Michigan projects to be among the worst FBS teams this season. The Broncos posted a 6-7 record last season but are now without former redshirt senior quarterback Hayden Wolff and suffered a mass exodus in the transfer portal. No matter what record the Illini return to Champaign with, the Broncos should provide little challenge.
Week 4: at No. 20 Indiana
Ben: W
The first conference game of the season could be a tricky one. No. 20 Indiana is coming off a fantastic season after it won 11 games and earned a College Football Playoff berth. However, similar to Duke, Indiana lost a handful of important players, like starting redshirt senior quarterback Kurtis Rourke.
Brendan: W
Throughout the offseason, Illinois has drawn comparisons to last year’s surprise Indiana team. A win here would help support that. The Hoosiers are not the same team as last year, but with redshirt junior Fernando Mendoza now at quarterback, they’re just as dangerous. Indiana also boasts a pair of preseason all-Big Ten players in redshirt senior defensive lineman Mikail Kamara and sophomore defensive back D’Angelo Ponds. It won’t be easy for the Illini to take down the Hoosiers on the road, but if the offense is firing on all cylinders, they could walk away victorious.
Week 5: vs. USC
Ben: W
The second game of Illinois’ conference schedule is another tough one. The University of Southern California has been a college football powerhouse throughout its history. The Trojans haven’t been as great recently, going just 4-5 in the Big Ten this past season. A strong roster and a favorable schedule could help USC, but Illinois should still come out on top.
Brendan: W
Following what’s sure to be a hard-fought game in Bloomington, the Illini return home for another test. Illinois hasn’t played USC since the 2008 Rose Bowl, which USC won handily. This year, USC looks to rebound from a disappointing 7-6 2024 season. The Trojans especially struggled on the road, posting a 1-4 record away from Los Angeles. The veteran Illini, combined with a raucous Homecoming crowd, should be enough for a win.
Week 6: at Purdue
Ben: W
While they likely won’t have a great season, the Boilermakers have always given the Illini trouble. Last year, Illinois barely squeaked by with a win against Purdue. In the last 10 years, Illinois has managed just three wins against Purdue. Even with a win, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Illini struggle.
Brendan: W
Although Purdue was one of the worst teams in the country last season, it still nearly took down Illinois in an overtime thriller. The Boilermakers will be better this season under new head coach Barry Odom, but likely not by much. The Illini should be able to keep the Cannon with relative ease if they can play up to their talent level.
Week 7: vs. No. 3 Ohio State
Ben: L
Another team that Illinois has historically struggled against, No. 3 Ohio State, is the reigning national champion and one of the best teams in the country. Even with plenty of players leaving, the Buckeyes will be just as good as always. Home-field advantage will help the Illini, but it will be an uphill battle.
Brendan: L
Illinois took down the reigning national champions last year with its win over Michigan, but it’ll have a tough time doing it again this year. The Buckeyes are loaded with talent, including sophomore wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, an early favorite for the Heisman Trophy. New sophomore quarterback Julian Sayin will look for Smith often, and even with the home crowd behind them, the Illini would need a miracle to take this one.
Week 9: at Washington
Ben: L
Washington has seen improvement in key areas and is expected to be a much better team than last season. After a potentially tough game against Ohio State, Illinois may drop into a slight rut. A developed Washington team and an Illinois team with a long way to travel could spell disaster.
Brendan: W
If Illinois falls to Ohio State, it’ll carry that loss through a bye week, then all the way to Washington for what’s sure to be another hard-fought game. The jet-lagged Illini could be playing hungry, which would bode well against a stronger Huskies team. The key for Illinois is to keep dynamic sophomore quarterback Demond Williams Jr. at bay.
Week 10: vs. Rutgers
Ben: W
After escaping New Jersey last season with an incredible walk-off touchdown, Illinois is welcoming Rutgers to Champaign. Rutgers lost 21 players to the transfer portal this offseason and lost its leading rusher to the NFL. The Illini shouldn’t have a problem against the 2025 Scarlet Knights.
Brendan: W
Illinois opens November against a pesky Rutgers team that’ll be looking for wins anywhere it can. Besides Illinois, Rutgers’ nightmare schedule includes No. 7 Oregon, Ohio State and No. 2 Penn State, all over the season’s final six games. Now, without former running back Kyle Monangai, the Scarlet Knights pack less punch. The Illini should be able to send the crowd home happy.
Week 12: vs. Maryland
Ben: W
Illinois sports an overall losing record against Maryland. On the bright side, the two teams have only played three times. Most recently, the Illini won 27-24. Maryland had an even tougher time in the transfer portal than Rutgers, losing a staggering 32 players. It filled out some holes, but Illinois should be the better team.
Brendan: W
Fresh off another bye, Illinois should be well-rested and ready to take down the visiting Maryland Terrapins. The new-look Terrapins now carry former Oklahoma senior wide receiver Jalil Farooq. Whether redshirt junior Justyn Martin or freshman Malik Washington is throwing to Farooq remains to be seen, but in either case, Illinois should have little trouble earning a win.
Week 13: at Wisconsin
Ben: W
Wisconsin has had a rough go of it the last few years. It was supposed to be the next blue blood, but things didn’t go according to plan. This is a make-or-break year for the team and the coaching staff, and looking back at the past few seasons, it’ll likely be leaning toward break. Illinois should be able to take care of business in Madison late in the season.
Brendan: W
Illinois heads north to Madison for its final road trip of the regular season. The Wisconsin Badgers will be exhausted after playing Ohio State, Oregon, Washington and Indiana in the weeks before Illinois. The Badgers had a tough time scoring last season, averaging just over 20 points per game. Even with new graduate student quarterback Billy Edwards Jr., the Illinois defense should be able to shut down Wisconsin.
Week 14: vs. Northwestern
Ben: W
The final game of the season comes against Northwestern, as always. The Wildcats haven’t been very good since the late 2010s. Under head coach Bret Bielema, the Illini have three wins over the Wildcats and have broken a long losing streak. Illinois shouldn’t have trouble against the usual bottom-feeder of the Big Ten.
Brendan: W
The Illini would love to cap off what’s hopefully a successful season with a win against the Wildcats. Like Wisconsin, Northwestern welcomes a new quarterback to an offense that struggled in 2024. Southern Methodist transfer and graduate student Preston Stone takes over this year in Evanston, but even with his addition, Illinois should be able to hang onto its hat.
Postseason
Illinois comes in at 10-2 in both predictions. Looking at last year’s CFP teams, that record, combined with the Illini’s conference, should put them in the playoffs. A 10-2 record would land the Illini around the 10-12 seed, meaning they would face off against a higher-ranked opponent.
If that is the case, Illinois likely faces an early exit, as first-round upsets were absent last year. Still, the prospect of playoff football for Illinois would leave many fans overjoyed.
Time will tell how accurate our predictions were, and it all starts Friday night in Champaign.
@BrendanGallian
@ben_some16
