With the calendar flipping from July to August, college football is nearly upon us. Fall camps are underway, and games will kick off later this month — Week 0 begins Saturday, August 24.
While most eyes in the Big Ten will be focused on traditional powers like Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, Oregon, and USC, I’ll be keeping a close watch on a pair of so-called “basketball schools” — Maryland and Illinois. Below are two bold predictions, one for each.
Maryland Will Go Bowling
Terps head coach Mike Locksley is looking to pull a Bob Seger and turn the page on last season’s disappointing 4–8 campaign. At Big Ten Media Days, Locksley acknowledged the fractured chemistry that plagued the 2024 team — fueled by a combination of NIL complications, inflated egos, and coaching mismanagement. He’s made it clear that changing the team’s mindset and camaraderie will be paramount in 2025.
While team cohesion is crucial — just look at the culture Marcus Freeman has built at Notre Dame and the resulting success in 2024 — talent still wins games. Fortunately for Locksley, there’s no shortage of it in College Park. He’s brought in two highly rated freshmen on offense: quarterback Malik Washington and running back Zymear Smith.
Both were four-star recruits, with Washington ranked fifth nationally among quarterbacks by 247Sports. Pair those young standouts with potential future NFL-caliber pass catchers like wide receiver Jalil Farooq and tight end Dorian Fleming, and the Terps’ offense could hum again like it did from 2021 to 2023.
Defensively, Maryland brought in veteran coach Ted Monachino as its new defensive coordinator and outside linebackers coach. Monachino most recently coached at North Carolina, but the Iowa native is perhaps best known for coaching the Baltimore Ravens’ linebackers during their Super Bowl XLVII run.
Combine those program upgrades with a favorable schedule — one that omits Ohio State, Penn State, Oregon, and USC — and Maryland has a realistic path to six wins. In other words, expect Testudo and the Terps to be bowling come December.
Illinois Will Be CFP Bound
Unlike Maryland, Illinois is coming off a breakout 2024 season. The Fighting Illini went 10–3, finished No. 16 in the AP Poll, and capped it all off with a Citrus Bowl win. It marked their first 10-win season since 2001, when they finished No. 12 and won the Big Ten title.
So, was last season a flash in the pan, or can Bret Bielema’s squad sustain success in 2025? I’m betting on the latter — and not only will Illinois replicate its 10-win campaign, I’m boldly predicting the Fighting Illini will earn a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Illinois returns a bevy of starters, including senior quarterback Luke Altmyer, the team’s steady leader. And like Indiana’s fortuitous schedule last year, the Illini have the benefit of a very manageable slate. Aside from a high-stakes matchup against Ohio State in the Battle for the Illibuck, Illinois avoids all other major Big Ten contenders: Penn State, Michigan, Oregon, and USC.
That scheduling break could be just enough for Illinois to make a serious push. So don’t be surprised when Bielema and the boys are popping bottles in Champaign on Selection Sunday.
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