Bret Bielema’s team was arguably just two wins away from securing a CFP berth, but the opportunity to win another postseason game is a sign of what could come next. While that victory could be fueled by belief, Illinois AD Josh Whitman stepped forward in that spirit to publicly show his appreciation for the Illinois head coach.

“It’s everything that he does,” said Whitman on Sunday, referring to Bielema’s ability to make bowl games a common occurrence for the Illini. “He just has exceeded our expectations in virtually every way.

“It’s from the way he leads with his work ethic,” added the Illini AD.

“He’s the first person in the building, the last person to leave… It’s all the things that are necessary in today’s age to try and put together a successful program. And he’s just very well suited for this environment today and really grateful that he continues to be the leader of our program.”

Whitman’s words make one thing clear: Illinois believes it has a steady, loyal hand leading the program. While he hired Bielema, Whitman has had a front-row seat to the transformation. Although the turnaround didn’t happen overnight. But under Bielema, it’s been undeniable, and the AD knows it better than anyone.

When Bret Bielema arrived in 2021, Illinois football was in rough shape. The program hadn’t posted a winning season since 2011. Then bowl trips had dried up after 2019, while nine straight losing seasons told the story.

Fast forward to now, and the turnaround is real. Under Bielema, the Illini broke through with an eight-win season in 2022, their first in more than a decade. Last season, they raised the bar again with a 10-win campaign, something Illinois hadn’t seen since 2001. More importantly, the postseason success followed.

Three straight bowl appearances: 2023 ReliaQuest Bowl, 2024 Citrus Bowl, and 2025 Music City Bowl. While Illinois earned its first bowl win since 2011 with a victory in the 2024 Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, now one more win in Nashville would deliver something the program has never had before: back-to-back bowl victories.

Moreover, it would give Illinois nine or more victories for the second straight season. While that kind of consistency changes perception, for Bret Bielema, beating the Volunteers isn’t just another box to check. It’s about protecting a new standard.

“What this does is it gives you an opportunity; obviously, if you’re fortunate enough to win it, a bowl game is very unique in the fact that you carry it with you for the next six, seven, eight months, right, until you play that next game again. So a tremendous opportunity for our kids,” said Bielema.

While the Illini head coach has made it clear that beating Tennessee in the bowl game is critical for immediate program growth, he also owns a 36–26 record of five seasons and signed a new six-year contract extension in May. But Whitman’s appreciation doesn’t stop with the head coach.

The AD also made sure to recognize the players. Illinois is set to graduate a historic senior class, one that helped drive the program to three bowl appearances in a four-year span.

“It’s an incredible group. They have such maturity, they have such impact on this program. It’s a great example of why I love what we do here,” said Whitman.

While Bret Bielema and his team have steadily climbed over the past few years, beating the Vols this season won’t be an easy task, as the odds suggest. Even Tennessee’s head coach has delivered a strong message ahead of the game.

Josh Heupel’s message before facing Bret Bielema’s squad

Although both the Vols and the Illini enter at 8–4, Tennessee is favored to win the 2025 Music City Bowl against Illinois. The Volunteers currently hold a 3.5-point edge, with the money line set at -175. That confidence is echoed in the tone of Josh Heupel’s message ahead of the matchup.

“Looking forward to seeing the right shade of orange (at Nissan Stadium) in big numbers tomorrow,” said the Vols head coach on Monday.

However, that confidence comes with good reason. Led by QB Joey Aguilar, Tennessee’s offense has been a scoring machine. The Vols finished as the SEC’s top-scoring unit, pouring in more than 40 PPG. Moreover, analysts point to the grind of the SEC as a major edge. Facing elite speed and depth every week has hardened Tennessee for moments like this.

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“It’s our second time here, continues to get better… our players with events throughout the course of the week… Really excited that we have an opportunity to play in this game. Great month of preparation, and get a chance to go out and play a really good opponent in Illinois,” added Heupel.

Still, the Vols head coach has respect for the opponent.

“Got great respect for Coach Bielema, what he’s done at Illinois, but really throughout his entire coaching career,” stated Heupel. “Tough, smart, physical football team, and looking forward to going out and competing with our guys tomorrow in Nissan Stadium.”

Now we will see who makes it count this season.