Can the Illinois Fighting Illini upset the USC Trojans?

The Illinois Fighting Illini, ranked No. 23, are underdogs against the USC Trojans, with only one of five ESPN "College GameDay" experts picking them to win the homecoming matchup.

How will the Illini respond after their 63-10 loss to Indiana?

The Illinois football team is looking to bounce back from the humbling defeat and prove themselves against the highly-touted Trojans in front of their home crowd.

What is the significance of the Illinois vs. USC game?

The matchup between the Big Ten's Fighting Illini and the Pac-12's Trojans is one of the biggest games on the Week 5 college football calendar, despite not earning the "College GameDay" treatment.

Home / Sports / Illini Seek Redemption Against Trojans in Homecoming Clash

Illini Seek Redemption Against Trojans in Homecoming Clash

27 Sep

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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

Illini Seek Redemption Against Trojans in Homecoming Clash

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.

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