Five ESPN Experts Predict Illinois to Make the College Football Playoff

To say Illinois has lived up to preseason expectations thus far may be an inaccurate statement. In fact, the program may have sailed past those expectations through three weeks – especially in that 26-point win at Duke in Week 2.

Currently the No. 9 team in the country, the Illini are in the thick of the College Football Playoff race – words that Illinois fans surely never thought they would hear. And, according to a handful of ESPN experts, the Illini very well may be in the CFP come December. Following Week 3 action, ESPN’s top college football minds offered their respective CFP projections, and the Illini were featured in five of 11 projections.

ESPN experts predicting Illinois to the CFP

Andrea Adelson: Illinois at No. 10

Kyle Bonagura: Illinois at No. 8

Adam Rittenberg: Illinois at No. 9

Mark Schlabach: Illinois at No. 10

Jake Trotter: Illinois at No. 10

Not an easy road

In any case, Illinois' climb to the CFP summit remains quite the burdensome journey: at Indiana, vs. USC, vs. Ohio State and at Washington will be the most treacherous steps ahead.

And although nearly every other matchup is expected to be a walk-through for the Illini – at Purdue, vs. Rutgers, vs. Maryland, at Wisconsin and vs. Northwestern – each comes against a Big Ten foe that, under certain circumstances, is capable of tarnishing Illinois’ record.

Considering the offensive line woes and overall lack of consistency on both sides of the ball through two weeks, the Illini aren’t exactly immortal. That said, when Illinois is operating at its highest level, there may be no opponent in the nation that wouldn't be in danger themselves.

Duke may have been a feather in the Illini's cap, but the Hoosiers will present a test that's a level above. Unlike the Blue Devils (five turnovers against Illinois), Indiana has a veteran-laden roster and isn't likely to shoot its own foot or beat itself.

For the first time this year, Illinois will be forced to string together four full quarters in a tough environment. If the Illini can do that and knock off the Hoosiers, they will leave Bloomington not just as a CFP threat, but also as a legitimate Big Ten title contender.