Illinois' 10-3 season wasn't enough to earn an invite to the College Football Playoff, but it was the beginning of an incredibly productive offseason that could be a springboard to one of the most significant eras in team history.
Eighteen of 22 starters from the Citrus Bowl team return, including quarterback Luke Altmyer and his offensive line. Not to mention the Illini have a schedule that doesn't see them play Michigan, Oregon, or Penn State, to name a few.
Even with seven home games alongside defending national champion Ohio State before Halloween, some college football analysts, including Brad Crawford, are not impressed with Bret Bielema's turnaround.
Although Crawford was quick to acknowledge Bielema's rekindling of success, similar to what he built at Wisconsin in the mid-2000s, a nonconference game could signal the beginning of the end for any hopes of a College Football Playoff run.
More specifically, in early September.
"I think the preseason hype bubble will burst early for Illinois in Week 2 in Durham against Duke, a very good team that won nine games last season under Manny Diaz," Crawford said.
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If Crawford's 7-5 prediction comes true, it would continue an up-and-down Champaign tenure that has bounced between appearing in bowl games or falling below expectations.
Illinois would still make a bowl game in this scenario, but it would be nowhere near a College Football Playoff appearance.
At the end of the day, Illinois can only control how many games it wins and loses. The rest, meanwhile, is pure forecasting.
By August, the real work begins.