Illinois Football: Can the Illini Finish Strong?
CHAMPAIGN – Illinois isn’t exactly where it hoped to be entering the final three games of the season. The Illini (6-3, 3-3 Big Ten) are not in the College Football Playoff rankings, a result of uncompetitive losses to No. 1 Ohio State (34-16), No. 2 Indiana (63-10) and unranked Washington (42-25).
Yet, Illinois entered Game 10 of last season with the same record and still made it a season to remember, winning its final three regular-season games to set up a trip to the Citrus Bowl. This allowed Illinois an prospect to beat an SEC opponent (South Carolina) for the first time in program history and win 10 games in a season for just the fifth time in program history.
So, Illinois likely isn’t heading to the College Football Playoff. But with a strong finish, the Illini still have the chance to put together one of the best seasons in program history – for a second straight season.
“It’s a big point of emphasis.A lot of teams get remembered by how they finish in November,” Illinois tight end said.
Key Takeaways
- Illinois faces an uphill battle to reach the College Football Playoff.
- A strong finish to the season could still result in a historically prosperous year for the program.
- Last year’s team proved a similar late-season surge is absolutely possible, culminating in a Citrus Bowl victory.