Greg McElroy Announces Surprise College Football Team for Indiana-Like Run in 2025

Lightning struck once with Indiana, but the Hoosiers couldn’t dodge Notre Dame’s knockout punch. Their playoff hopes might have vanished, but their impressive run proved one thing: Teams armed with the right schedule and returning firepower can crash the party. Now, Greg McElroy has set his sights on another squad that possesses that same winning formula. This team emerged victorious in the previous season, managed to keep their core players together, and now has a clear path to contention. If Indiana almost pulled it off, who’s stopping this team?

With the post-season underway, each day brings a fresh wave of news and headlines. This time it’s about an underdog team that might have an impressive run just like Indiana; at least Greg McElroy believes it, as he says, “You look at where the Big 10 is right now — Illinois. But the schedule is really manageable. And we looked last year at Indiana, and Indiana punching their ticket to the dance, getting to the playoff. And really, at the time, they didn’t have a whole lot of signature victories on their schedule. Yeah, but you know what Indiana also didn’t have? A bunch of losses. Why? Because their schedule was manageable.” That might be the case. A decently talented roster playing a heavily favored schedule.

Now that might be true to some extent, as Indiana’s easy schedule made a big fuss last season. Look, last season, the Hoosiers made it to the playoffs without facing any ranked opponents, and the only playoff or ranked team Curt Cignetti and Co. faced was the Bucks. Fun fact – they failed miserably in that game. So, there is a chance that Illinois might gain some success this season as they have teams like Purdue and Rutgers on the road ahead.

Even analyst Brandon Walker mentioned the same thing about Indiana’s easy playoff ride, saying, “I don’t think Indiana is, in any other year, would be near the playoffs.” It’s evident that Curt Cignetti’s Big 10 experience has been relatively kind, whereas most of the teams in the conference fell victim to the strength of their companions.

Moreover, Greg McElroy is not wrong when he says that Illinois’ 2025 season’s schedule is really manageable, as the team will only have to face three tough games, which are against Indiana, Wisconsin, and Washington. But let’s not forget that the Illini have to face last year’s champions, Ohio State, also the same team that gave Indiana its first loss in the season. So let’s just hope history doesn’t repeat itself in that case. But that’s not the only thing that will make them stand out this season.

Greg McElroy highlights Illinois’ hidden weapon

It’s no wonder that Illinois has gone all out to strengthen their chances for another successful run. Three crucial players, Xavier Scott in the defensive back position, J.C. Davis as an offensive lineman, and Gabe Jacas as a defensive end, are all returning after playing pivotal roles in Illinois’ impressive 10-win season and their triumphant victory over No. 14 South Carolina in the Citrus Bowl. With these key players back in the lineup, Illinois can maintain the integrity of their core team, setting themselves up for a genuine chance at remaining in the playoff conversation.

That’s exactly what makes them stand out, and even Greg McElroy talked about their 10 wins and a strong bowl game, saying, “I’m not just saying this to garner a significant reaction. There will be people this summer that will pick Illinois to potentially play in the Big 10 championship game. Now, I think that’s a little bit too far-fetched. It seems like a lot, but when you win 10 games the year before and you bring back 18 starters from a team that won the Citrus Bowl over another playoff contender in South Carolina, people are going to feel good about what you have.” It’s evident that the Illini aren’t just holding the line; they’re bringing back 18 starters from that bowl-winning squad.

Plus, coach Bret Bielema isn’t just stopping there, as he recently secured a commitment from a four-star safety player, Kaedyn Cobbs. The interesting thing is this guy chose Illinois over teams like SMU and Nebraska. Stability like that doesn’t come around often, and with momentum on their side, Illinois looks ready to turn last season’s breakthrough into something even bigger.

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