Taking on Tennessee in the Music City Bowl, the Illinois Fighting Illini will face a SEC team in their bowl game for the third straight time. Because after all, “It Just Means More.”
They split the last two, beating South Carolina last year in the Citrus and losing to Mississippi State in the Reliaquest in 2023 (2022 season), so we’ll see what happens in the rubber match against the Volunteers.
Music City Bowl FYIs
Illinois Fighting Illini 8-4 (5-4) vs Tennessee Volunteers (8-4, 4-4)
Tuesday Dec. 30, kickoff 4:30 central, ESPN, Tom Hart (play-by-play), Jordan Rodgers (analyst), Cole Cubelic (reporter)
Illini Sports Network radio Brian Barnhart (play-by-play), Carey Davis (analyst), Michael Martin (sideline)
Nissan Stadium, home of the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, TN
Spread: Tennessee -2.5, O/U 61.5, Money lines Tenn -135 ILL +114
In the 2025 Music City Bowl, the Illini football tradition of facing a bowl game opponent in their home state continues. It has happened in eight of their last 20 bowl appearances.
Illini Bowl History- Playing Opp. in their Home State
2019, Red Box, L 35-20 to Cal, Santa Clara, CA
2011, Fight Hunger, W 20-14 over UCLA, San Francisco, CA
2010, Texas, W 38-14 over Baylor, Houston, TX
2008 (2007 season), Rose, L 49-17 to USC, Pasadena, CA
2002 (2001 season), Sugar, L 47-34 to LSU, New Orleans, LA
1984 (1983 season), Rose, L 45-9 to UCLA, Pasadena, CA
1952 (1983 season), Rose, L 40-8 to UCLA, Pasadena, CA
1947 (1983 season), Rose, W 45-14 over UCLA, Pasadena, CA
Tennessee Volunteers Music City Bowl Preview
The Volunteers are a football school, plain and simple. This is true despite being highly nationally relevant in men’s basketball and baseball too. Vols alums in both of these sports continue to leave a lasting impact, even long after their professional playing careers are over.
One such example is two-time NBA All-Star Allan Houston. His cousin is UCLA women’s basketball star Kiki Rice, and he recently gave her Bruins squad a motivational pep talk.
“He’s an incredible athlete, and we actually saw him last year when we were playing in the Bay, playing Creighton at one of our tournaments, and he happened to be coming through the gym, doing something at the (Golden State) Warriors facility,” Rice said in an interview with Ratings.org.
“So he talked to our team and that was really cool for everyone, and for myself as well,”
“To have had that experience, to be able to talk to him, bounce ideas off of him, and to kind of have those resources is really special for me.”
As for the current hoops team, they lost to the Illini, in Nashville, earlier this month. Now comes the rematch, in football.
OPt-outs are hitting this team really hard. Outside linebacker/edge rusher Joshua Josephs was the latest to say thanks, but no thanks to playing in this one. The Vols will now be without four of their best defenders (CB Jermod McCoy, CB Colton Hood, LB Arion Carter) as well as their biggest playmaker on offense in wide receiver Chris Brazzell.
In addition, OG Wendell Moe is out injured.
So in other words, all of their top NFL Draft prospects will be missing, for one reason or another, from the Music City Bowl.
Illinois Fighting Illini Music City Bowl Preview
While they didn’t come remotely close to making the College Football Playoff (and honestly, after 63-10 in week four, no one who was actually being honest with themselves truly believed the CFP talk was legitimate) this has been a solid stretch for the Illini football program.
Back to back 8-win seasons haven’t happened since 1989-90, so by Illini standards, this has been a special period. They have never had back-to-back nine win seasons, ever.
In order to get to win #9 though, they’ll have to do it without edge rusher extraordinaire Gabe Jacas.
The Big Ten leader in sacks, a day two prospect with the highest draft stock of any Illini, opted out of the Music City Bowl. He will certainly be missed here.
The only other major opt-out, OT J.C. Davis, was totally expected. Last year, Illini coach Bret Bielema had to go to Oakland on Christmas Eve and re-recruit him to play in the Citrus Bowl.
Davis is a good player, but he’s only a late round to UDFA level prospect. He might have been better served by playing, and perhaps improving his stock.
Also, the offensive line as a whole was, often times, pretty brutal this season, so the sooner Illinois gets going on retooling the unit, well, the better.
As it stands right now, there is no news on standout defensive back Xavier Scott. He hasn’t opted out or been ruled out, due to injury, so it appears he’s playing?
The only major confirmed injury is safety Matthew Bailey. Of course, the big news is quarterback Luke Altmyer, who has opted in.
Altmyer is on the Illini quarterback Mt. Rushmore, and this could be a classic sendoff. However, his NFL Draft stock leads a lot to be desired.
This game could provide a special opportunity to make an elite closing statement with that.
Music City Bowl Prediction
Illini 34, Tennessee 31
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, RG.org and Ratings.org. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.