The offseason always finds its darlings, and Illinois fit that billing in 2025. Bret Bielema’s team brought back a bunch of experience on both sides of the ball, led by quarterback Luke Altmyer.

We always expected Week 7 against Ohio State would be the decisive game for that College Football Playoff dream.

No, the result—a comfortable 34-16 triumph for the Buckeyes—was not surprising. We watched Indiana steamroll the Fighting Illini a few weeks back, and that result shattered most of the hype. Still, at 5-1 with a chance to spring a home upset, Illinois had an opportunity to rejoin the CFP conversation.

Instead, the once-optimistic Illini have relinquished all margin for error in their pursuit of a national surge in 2025.