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Illini Aim to Bounce Back from Blowout Loss in Homecoming Tilt
27 Sep
Summary
- Illinois football team looks to rebound from 63-10 loss
- Matchup between ranked Big Ten and Pac-12 teams
- Only 1 of 5 ESPN "College GameDay" experts picked Illinois to win
On September 27, 2025, the Illinois Fighting Illini football team is looking to bounce back from a devastating 63-10 loss to Indiana when they host the USC Trojans in a homecoming matchup. The No. 23 Illini are facing a tough challenge against the Trojans, as just one of the five experts on ESPN's "College GameDay" picked Illinois to defeat the visitors from the Pac-12 Conference.
Coach Bret Bielema and his team will be eager to prove themselves after the lopsided defeat two weeks ago. The Illini will be playing in front of their home crowd at Gies Memorial Stadium, hoping to give their fans a reason to celebrate on homecoming weekend.
While the game did not earn the "College GameDay" treatment, with the popular pregame show broadcasting from State College, Pennsylvania, for the Penn State-Oregon matchup, the Illinois-USC clash is still one of the biggest games on the Week 5 calendar. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. local time, and fans will be tuning in to see if the Illini can pull off the upset against the highly-touted Trojans.
