In a recent episode of The Big Ten Huddle, I released the 2025 Big Ten football travel rankings, which revealed a golden opportunity for the Illinois football program.
With the lowest travel burden in the conference at just 2,735 miles, Illinois holds a significant edge over other teams they will face, like Washington (7,023 miles) and USC (7,306 miles). Coupled with the second-easiest schedule in the Big Ten—ranked 44th nationally by ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI)—the Illini are set up to defy the skeptics and make a serious run at the College Football Playoff.