After a somewhat no-thrills win vs. Northwestern in a rare Thanksgiving weekend blizzard. the Illini ended the regular season with an 8-4 record and will play in a late December bowl game.
The Illini handled both the weather and the Wildcats relatively well, but it was more about getting a lead and holding on to it. In fact, they were down by three with 30 seconds to go in the 1st half when Kaden Feagin scored on a 1-yard run. In the second half, it was the battle of field goals, which the Illini won
2-1. This game reminded me of a couple of old sayings. One is a “win is a win” and the Al Davis quote, “Just win baby.” That is what that game felt like.
Northwestern has a good team. That being said, Illinois had the better talent and should have won that game. As one would expect, the passing game was minimal. Altmyer was 10-of-15 for 136 yards. Ca’Lil Valentine was the primary ground attack, 74 yards on 14 carries. The Illini defense did step up its game from the last couple of weeks. Gabe Jacas had two sacks, Miles Scott picked off two passes, and Torrie Cox corralled a third.
With the win, the Illini are now 8-4 and have achieved at least eight wins in at least three out of the last four seasons. The first time that has happened since 1902-05 (the Illini actually won at least 8 games a year from 1901-1904). This will also be the first year of back-to-back bowl appearances since 2010-11.
That all leads to the question, which one? A number of sources have it down to four distinct possibilities:
- Pinstripe Bowl
- Music City Bowl
- ReliaQuest Bowl
- Las Vegas Bowl.
Prospective opponents could hinge on games this weekend, particularly in the ACC, where Duke plays Virginia. Neither team is ranked, and the conference champ will end up in the CFP. Miami is the current ACC representative in the top 12, but would be knocked out in favor of the ACC champ. The committee could knock out BYU if it loses to Texas Tech, but last season, the only conference champ loser to be knocked out was three-loss Iowa State. This leads to the SEC between Georgia and Alabama. If Georgia were to win that game, it would give Alabama three losses, putting them on the bubble.
Also, by rule, the highest-ranked member of the Group of Five team gets an automatic invitation. There is no Group of Five team in the top 12. Tulane is currently 24th and plays North Texas in the AAC championship. So one of those two will likely make the CFP. This puts Alabama on a precarious perch if they lose to Georgia.
Given the current rankings, here is what the bowl situation is for Bret Bielema’s squad.
The Pinstripe Bowl in New York on Dec. 27 vs. an ACC opponent. Two teams have surfaced as opponents: Pitt and Wake Forrest. Pitt has been linked to this bowl by several sources. There have been other Big Ten teams linked like Minnesota, Nebraska, and even Penn State as an attractive all-Penn match-up with Pitt. I think Illinois would match up well with either team, but I would rather play Wake Forrest than Pitt. Duke could even be in play if they lose to Virginia, which could make for an interesting rematch as well.
The Music City Bowl in Nashville on Dec. 30 vs. an SEC opponent. There are a couple of sources predicting an Illinois-Missouri match-up, while another sees the Illini playing LSU. I personally would rather play LSU, as they have a good defense, but their offense is suspect. I think Missouri’s rushing attack could be too strong for the Illini to contain. I believe Tennessee could also be in play here, which could be a nightmare matchup for Illinois.
The ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa on New Year’s Eve vs. an SEC opponent. There have been suggestions of Vanderbilt, which I think is a definite possibility here. I have seen Kentucky mentioned, but that would be a stretch. I think Texas is a possibility here as well. Both Vandy and Texas would be matchup problems; both have excellent passing games and can put points on the board. I wouldn’t mind seeing Kentucky, but again, I don’t see that happening.
The Las Vegas Bowl in, of course, Las Vegas on Dec. 31 vs. a former Pac-12 member. Obviously, not all former Pac-12 teams would be considered here, and most people think that Utah is the team the Illini would draw. If BYU is knocked out, they could also be in the conversation. Ariona could be an outside shot here. I think any of these teams could give Illinois a stout game.
I think the possibility of a Missouri vs. Illinois match-up in the Music City Bowl is the most likely. I also think the Pinstripe Bowl vs. Pittsburgh is a high possibility. We will know in a few days.
