Illinois Is Out of the College Football Playoff – So What Else Is Left to Play for?

Even if Illinois beat Washington on Saturday and won its final four regular-season games, the Illini still may not have made the College Football Playoff. But any probability has been all but officially removed after the Illini lost to the Huskies 42-25 in Seattle.

Despite Saturday's defeat, however, Illinois still has plenty to play for. Three reasons immediately come to mind:

1. A good bowl game

Just like last season, Illinois is in good position to qualify for an excellent bowl game. If the Illini win their final four regular-season games, they'll make it happen.Illinois won nine regular-season games last year, and if the team wins out to close out its 2025 slate, it will be at nine wins again. Best of all, the competition down the stretch isn't all that competitive. Rutgers and Maryland have been scuffling as of late, Wisconsin is bad, and despite playing better over the past couple weeks, Northwestern isn't exactly Goliath.So where does that leave the Illini? In a prime position to play in a meaningful bowl game, such as the Citrus Bowl (which they participated in last year) or the Gator Bowl. As for potential opponents, well, it's still a little early for that. But a few teams that make sense at the moment are LSU, Boise State, Virginia and Missouri.

2. A chance for another 10-win season

This is no easy task – but it's still possible. Illinois would have to win its final four regular-season games and then win its bowl matchup. That's asking a lot, because there's a pretty good chance at least a handful of the Illini's top players with NFL aspirations (including quarterback Luke Altmyer), won't play in the bowl game.But it's a commendable goal. Illinois football has never won 10 games in back-to-back seasons, which would help legitimize the program as a consistent force. Not only could it help the Illini draw better recruits and transfer portal candidates, but it sends the right signal to boosters as well. And that's vitally important for any program, but especially a Big Ten outfit that has to compete against teams like Ohio State, Michigan and Oregon year in and year out.

3. Recruiting

We touched on this after the Ohio State loss, but the talent gap between the Buckeyes and Illini is drastic. Still, Illinois is slowly narrowing the divide, getting better recruits under Bielema, which should remain the case as long as Illinois continues to consistently win.That hasn't happened in Champaign for years. How Illinois closes out the season will make an enormous difference in the quality of recruits the program can target as the Illini try to stay ahead of Washington, Iowa and Nebraska – and eventually make a move on the conference's top tier.