The Illinois Fighting Illini football team ended its regular season on Saturday with a 38-28 victory against rival Northwestern at Wrigley Field.
Now, coach Bret Bielema and the Illini will find out their postseason details this weekend. Ahead of time, here is what experts across the nation are saying about Illinois’ potential bowl game.
Will Illinois make a bowl game?
Yes. The No. 21-ranked Illini have won nine games and secured a bowl bid for the second time in three seasons under Bielema, who is now 27-22 in four seasons in Champaign.
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Illinois bowl game projections
Every expert has the Illini playing in the Citrus Bowl on New Year’s Eve against a member of the SEC. Here is a full list of the experts choices:
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Citrus Bowl: Illinois vs. South Carolina, Dec. 31, in Orlando, Fla. (ESPN’s Mark Schlabach)
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Citrus Bowl: Illinois vs. Alabama, Dec. 31, in Orlando, Fla. (ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura)
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Citrus Bowl: Illinois vs. South Carolina, Dec. 31, in Orlando, Fla. (247 Sports)
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Citrus Bowl: Illinois vs. South Carolina, Dec. 31, in Orlando, Fla. (Action Network’s Brett McMurphy)
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Citrus Bowl: Illinois vs. South Carolina, Dec. 31, in Orlando, Fla. (USA Today)
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Citrus Bowl: Illinois vs. Ole Miss, Dec. 31, in Orlando, Fla. (College Football News)
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Citrus Bowl: Illinois vs. Alabama, Dec. 31, in Orlando, Fla. (CBS Sports)
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Citrus Bowl: Illinois vs. South Carolina, Dec. 31, in Orlando, Fla. (Athlon Sports)
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Citrus Bowl: Illinois vs. South Carolina, Dec. 31, Orlando, Fla. (Sporting News)
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Citrus Bowl: Illinois vs. South Carolina, Dec. 31, Orlando, Fla. (College Football Network)
When is bowl game schedule out?
Bowl games will be settled Sunday, Dec. 8, after the College Football Playoff committee reveals the field for the first 12-team playoff, after which bowls will begin officially announcing agreements. The bowl season begins with Cricket Celebration Bowl at noon on Saturday, Dec. 14.
When is CFP bracket out?
The final College Football Playoff top 25 rankings and the CFP playoff bracket will be released on Sunday, Dec. 8, one day after conference championship games. The show airs on ESPN from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
What bowl games are in College Football Playoff?
The College Football Playoff quarterfinals and semifinals rotate annually among six bowl games:
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Cotton Bowl
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Orange Bowl
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Fiesta Bowl
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Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
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Rose Bowl
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Sugar Bowl
The College Football Playoff National Championship will be Monday, Jan. 20, 2025 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
When do College Football Playoff games start
The College Football Playoff first round begins on Friday, Dec. 20 and will air on ABC/ESPN at 7 p.m. The other three first-round games are Saturday, Dec. 21 on TNT Sports and ABC/ESPN. These four games are at campus sites.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Illinois bowl game projections: What bowls Illini could play in
