By Woodrow Carroll
When the University of Illinois opens its 2025 Football Season, playing host to Western Illinois August 29, there are many who feel the Fighting Illini could set a school record for most wins in a season. For good reason!
Last season, Illinois finished with a final record of 10-3, capped off by a 21-17 victory over South Carolina in the Citrus Bowl. That bowl victory allowed Illinois to match the school record for most wins in a season.
On five different occasions, Illinois has recorded 10 football victories during the course of the season. But, that 11th victory has been elusive.
Many moons ago, the 1902 Illinois squad under coach Edgar Hall finished with a 10-2-1 record. Illinois fans were in a long wait, however, before the Orange & Blue reached double digits in the victory department once again.
Under the guidance of Mike White, Illinois was 10-2 in 1983. John Mackovic equaled White’s 10-2 finish in 1989 as did Ron Turner with his 2001 squad. Getting to a bowl game was not the problem. Getting victory No. 11 was!
Scheduling is now in Bret Bielema’s favor when it comes to winning more than 10 games. If nothing else, additional games are usually viewed as a revenue source.
Bielema is in his fifth season guiding the Fighting Illini football fortunes. While Bielema’s overall record in Champaign is a respectable 28-22. It was at Wisconsin that Bielema first made a name for himself.
Bielema first took over as coach at Wisconsin in 2006. In seven seasons in Madison, Bielema posted an overall record of 68-24. Perhaps even more impressive might be the fact that in each of Bielema’s seven years as coach of the Badgers, the team made it to a bowl game.
Testing the waters of the SEC, Bielema signed on as head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks after completing his seven-year run with Wisconsin. His five years with Arkansas were less than memorable.
In that five-year span in Fayetteville, Bielema was 29-34 overall. Worse yet, Bielema was just 11-29 going up against Southeastern Conference foes.
After departing Arkansas, Bielema spent time in the NFL first with the New England Patriots then with the New York Giants.
Now, after four seasons guiding Illini football fortunes, Bielema’s record at Illinois is 28-22 with an overall mark of 125-80 when you figure in what Bielema has done at Wisconsin, Arkansas, and Illinois.
Lovie Smith’s time in Champaign came to an end after the 2020 Season. The success Smith knew in the NFL, especially with the Chicago Bears, was not replicated at Illinois. Overall, Smith’s Illini were only 17-39 while he was in Champaign. In Big Ten action, Smith finished with a lowly 10-33 mark. Perhaps even more glaring were the five losses to Northwestern during Smith’s tenure at Illinois. Losing to your instate league rival doesn’t promote job security.
When the Big Ten recently added Southern California, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington to the list of conference schools, the Big Ten pulled in recognizable names for sure. No unknown names there! Four schools that in the past would have constituted glamorous non-conference match ups in football. Now, in short order, you will see those conference schools on the Illinois Football schedule with a degree of regularity in coming seas
If Illinois is to record 10 or more wins in 2025, victories will not come easy. The Big Ten membership has grown to 18 with no real sure victory.
Defending National Champion Ohio State will play at Illinois, October 11, in what ranks as the premier home game for the Illini this coming season.
Among the conference “newcomers,” Southern California and Washington will grace the Illinois schedule. Southern Cal will come to Champaign Saturday, Sept. 27, and Illinois will travels to Washington Saturday, Oct. 25.