Illinois Projected to Miss College Football Playoff in New On3 Bowl Predictions

Although a bowl bid is almost never a bad thing, this matchup would come as at least a mild disappointment for Illini fans, who have higher expectations entering the 2025 season. With a strong returning core and momentum after a 10-win campaign, Illinois has hopes of pushing for the newly expanded College Football Playoff. A trip to Nashville, though respectable, would fall short of those goals.

A matchup with Ole Miss would come with a compelling storyline: Illini quarterback Luke Altmyer facing his former team. Altmyer began his college career in Oxford, Mississippi, before transferring in 2023 to Illinois, where he gradually became the centerpiece of the Illini offense and a respected leader in the locker room.

This past offseason, Altmyer turned down opportunities to return to the SEC, choosing instead to finish what he started in Champaign. A showdown with Ole Miss in the Music City Bowl would be more than just another game – it would be personal. Specifically, it would be a chance for Altmyer to prove he made the right decision and cap off his college career with an emphatic statement.

The game would also serve as a reminder of how tough the road to national contention is for programs accustomed to being on the outside looking in. Illinois is good, but the Music City Bowl isn’t the College Football Playoff – and that’s the standard coaches, players and fans have set.

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