Illinois is one of several schools that claim to have “invented” the homecoming tradition. Nothing says autumn like a homecoming or “HoCo” as the kids call it these days, football game. The #23 Illini will welcome in the #21 USC Trojans for the homecoming clash, one that totally changed in complexion last weekend.
We’ll cover it all, but first, check out who the Grand Marshals are for the Homecoming Parade!
#ILLINOIS: Where legends begin, and always find their way back home.
REO Speedwagon is coming back to campus, the place where it all began, to lead this year’s Illinois Homecoming Parade as our grand marshals on Friday, Sept. 26. https://t.co/M2lBFeMwPS pic.twitter.com/BOvGSDbx1i
— University of Illinois (@UofIllinois) September 17, 2025
Yes, REO Speedwagon started at the U of I! We can’t fight this feeling anymore. We’ve forgotten what we started fighting for.
Homecoming FYIs
#23 Illinois Fighting Illini vs #21 USC Trojans
Saturday Sept 27 at 11 a.m. CT on FOX
Spread: USC Trojans -4.5, total 59.5, ESPN Matchup Predictor USC 72.9% chance of winning
Fun Fact I: FOX Sports’ national pregame show, Big Noon Kickoff, will be on site.
Fun Fact II: Illinois hosts a ranked-vs.-ranked game at Memorial Stadium in back-to-back years for the first time since 1990-91
Illinois Fighting Illini (3-1, 0-1) Preview
When it comes to picking up the pieces after a 63-10 shellacking, where does one begin? We’ll start with the secondary, a unit which lost four of its players during the humiliation at Indiana.
At one point, the Illini were without six of their top seven defensive backs, according to head coach Bret Bielema.
They’ll get Miles Scott, starting free safety and a team captain, back on Saturday. He was not injured, but ejected for targeting last week. In an exclusive with R.org, Scott discussed what he’s working on to level up his game.
“Definitely tackling,” he responded (ironic, considering he’s the team’s leading tackler this season). “I would say just having the right angles, always getting better at covering, wherever I’m covering, tight ends or receivers.
“If I’m in the deep post, just having great eyes — like these are the things I’m working on.”
The whole position group, well, actually the entire defense, should be working on the same things that he’s working on in order to try and get better. Scott communicates the defense’s play calls on the field, so having the “Defense’s Quarterback” back on the field will make a difference.
Fellow DBs Kaleb Patterson, Torrie Cox and Mac Resetich will be back as well. Strong safety Matthew Bailey faces a late fitness test, but Bielema expects him to clear the concussion protocol.
Now comes the bad news, and it’s really bad-
Xavier Scott will have surgery tomorrow, effectively ruling him out for all but the last couple games.
His injury, which he suffered with less than 10 minutes left to play while Illinois had a 31-0 lead on Western Michigan, is believed to be in the ankle/foot area.
He didn’t feature in the humiliation at IU.
USC Trojans (4-0, 1-0) Preview
Now that the Illini have basically brought the 2025 College Football Playoff hopes/expectations ship in to the shore, and thrown away the oars, forever, it will be interesting to see what direction this season takes.
Do they play more relaxed, and thus take care of business, and maybe still finish with eight+ wins?
Or does this head south in a hurry, with a dreaded snowball effect kicking in?
What we do know is that the USC Trojans are not the team you want to be facing in this position. Jayden Maiava is the nation’s highest rated passer. He’s sixth in passing yards and second in yards per attempt.
The Trojans are third nationally in total offense and fifth in scoring. Yikes!
This is who you get when you’re 1. reeling off a historically disastrous loss and
2. just learned that your best DB is maybe not returning this season.
Well, when life hands you lemons, you simply then must make lemonade.
USC receiver Makai Lemon is fourth in the nation in receiving yards. Illinois must find a way to make sure that defending Lemon is an exercise where the juice is worth the squeeze. Lemon is the Men of Troy’s top NFL Draft prospect, a late first/early second round projection.
Fellow receiver Ja’Kobi Lane is right there behind him, as a middle of the second round prospect.
Prediction: USC Trojans 37, Illinois 24
The last time USC came to Illinois, it was 1996 and they were ranked #19. They fell behind 3-0…….before than rattling off 55 unanswered (That Trojans team only finished 6-6). This won’t be anything like that, of course, but it’s a very bad match up at a bad time for Illinois.
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. 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, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter