Unless you’re an Illinois football fan who happens to be interested in the Big Ten as a whole, there has been little incentive – for years – to watch any conference games that didn’t include the Illini.
There were minimal ripple effects or implications from the rest of the league that would play out on Illinois, which had rarely been in the mix for the Big Ten title game, let alone a College Football Playoff berth.
But in 2025, between the new era the program is being ushered into by coach Bret Bielema, along with the expanded 12-team playoff, each and every game played within the conference affects the Illini in one way or another.
With that in mind, as No. 17 Illinois (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten) gets set to take on No. 1 Ohio State (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) on Saturday, we’ll take a look at the Big Ten’s other top matchups – and inform Illini Nation which sides it should be picking in each. Yes, we understand it may be quite difficult for the Illinois faithful to “root” for another program, this is an enemy-of-my-enemy situation that has in mind the best interests of Illinois’ CFP hopes. Fan up.
Be early. Be loud. Wear orange. pic.twitter.com/Kckx1XQnMY
— Illinois Football (@IlliniFootball) October 7, 2025
Sep 27, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley before an NCAA football game with the Illinois Fighting Illini at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images / Ron Johnson-Imagn Images
A classic showdown between two of the most historic programs in college football, this USC-Michigan matchup is exactly what the Big Ten envisioned when it added the Trojans to the mix.
back in business 😤
🗓️ October 11th
⚔️ vs Michigan
⏰ 4:30 PM PT / 7:30 PM ET
🏟️ @lacoliseum
📺 NBC pic.twitter.com/FM4qlt2fOc
— USC Football ✌️ (@uscfb) October 7, 2025
As for picking which squad the Illini should want to prevail, this one is actually tougher than you might think. At first glance, the obvious choice is USC. Not only would it strengthen Illinois’ victory over the Trojans, but it would add another blemish to Michigan’s record – meaning the Wolverines would need to beat Ohio State in their regular-season finale to avoid three losses and remain in the CFP mix.
On the other hand, if USC wins, then manages to venture to South Bend and knock off Notre Dame, its resume becomes top-notch in a heartbeat. Even if the Trojans fall at Oregon in November, they would likely finish the season 10-2, owning victories over Michigan and Notre Dame.
The Illini should earn a CFP spot over the Trojans – assuming Bielema’s squad also finishes 10-2 – due to a head-to-head edge, right? Well, it may not be that clear-cut. USC would have stronger wins than Illinois, and wouldn’t have a glaring 53-point loss. Right or wrong, USC is a much bigger football brand than Illinois – which, although the committee would never admit, may play a role in the final CFP decisions.
That said, we’ll still pick USC as the best option to win this game – especially considering Michigan’s light remaining schedule. (If the Wolverines win this game, they would very likely win out leading up to the Ohio State game, and then make the CFP with at least a 10-2 record.)
The pick: USC
Sep 27, 2025; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti enters Kinnick Stadium before the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images / Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
There’s no deception in this one. Illinois doesn’t play Oregon this year – meaning, it’s unaffected by whether the Ducks have a sparkling resume or falter down the stretch.
As for the Hoosiers – who gave the Illini that 63-10 whooping back in Week 4 – the outcome of their season definitely affects Illinois. And considering Indiana will be relatively unchallenged throughout the rest of Big Ten play, aside from this road outing at Oregon and a meeting with Penn State in Happy Valley, Bielema and Co. would love to see Indiana win this game.
Back from the bye. pic.twitter.com/VZB02OJumD
— Indiana Football (@IndianaFootball) October 7, 2025
There’s essentially no benefit for Illinois to the Hoosiers losing in Week 7. Indiana would still very likely finish the season at 11-1 or 10-2 – depending on its meeting with PSU – and would get in over the Illini either way.
Moreover, if Indiana were to knock off No. 3 Oregon in Eugene, Curt Cignetti’s group would soar into college football’s top three, and Illinois’ Week 4 loss wouldn’t be quite so big a stain on its resume.
The pick: Indiana