Rutgers fans could start preparing to spend Christmas on the road.

The postseason picture did not change much for the Scarlet Knights after their gut-wrenching loss to No. 24 Illinois on Saturday, according to latest projections. If anything, their destination was seemingly solidified the moment that star Illini receiver Pat Bryant broke the plane on a stunning last-second touchdown in the 38-31 marathon in Piscataway.

Most predictions point to the same bowl game as last week for Rutgers: the Rate Bowl in Phoenix on Dec. 26. It would be a full-circle moment for the Scarlet Knights, who played in the same bowl game — then named the Insight Bowl — in 2005, the cherry on top of a breakthrough season in Greg Schiano’s first stint as head coach.

But if that is where Rutgers (6-5, 3-5) lands, it will be a bitter disappointment considering where it could have gone. A representative from the Citrus Bowl was on hand at SHI Stadium and seemed poised to pound his fist on the table for the Scarlet Knights to be considered had they upset the Illini. And even if they fell short, with a potential eighth win waiting in East Lansing next weekend, they would have a chance to make a strong case against blue-bloods Nebraska and Michigan for a spot in the Duke’s Mayo or Music City bowls.

Instead, barring a major miscalculation from the prognosticators we have followed all season, Rutgers will be playing in a familiar bowl game the day after Christmas.

Here is where the Scarlet Knights landed in bowl projections after Week 13 action:

ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura: Rate Bowl vs. TCU.

When and where: Thursday, Dec. 26 at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona.

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach: Rate Bowl vs. Kansas State.

When and where: Thursday, Dec. 26 at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona.

Action Network’s Brett McMurphy: Rate Bowl vs. Texas Tech

When and where: Thursday, Dec. 26 at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona.

247Sports: Rate Bowl vs. Kansas.

When and where: Thursday, Dec. 26 at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona.

Athlon Sports: Rate Bowl vs. TCU.

When and where: Thursday, Dec. 26 at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona.

CBS Sports: Boca Raton Bowl vs. UConn

When and Where: Wednesday, Dec. 28 at FAU Stadium in Boca Raton, Florida.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription.

Brian Fonseca may be reached at bfonseca@njadvancemedia.com.

The improbable last-second victory No. 24 Illinois (8-3, 5-2 Big Ten) pulled off against Rutgers in Piscataway, New Jersey, on Saturday set off more ripple effects than just the celebrations of Illini fans across the country. We’re talking, of course, about ESPN’s CFP Predictor.

Between the Illini win and the wild Saturday across college football – highlighted by Oklahoma’s 24-3 obliteration of No. 7 Alabama, Florida’s upset of No. 9 Ole Miss 24-17 and both No. 15 Texas A&M and No. 16 Colorado falling to unranked opponents – Illinois still has a chance to make the 12-team playoff, according to ESPN.

That chance, however, is a 1,000-yard shot in the dark with a pop gun: a measly 0.3 percent probability. It’s a fever dream that would only be realized if the college football world was completely flipped on its head, and in several highly specific ways, over the next two weeks. As Saturday reminded us, anything is possible – but Illini fans would be advised not to hold their breath.

Yet with Illinois sitting at 8-3 – so close, yet so far away – it’s hard not to wonder what could have been.

Think back, for a moment, on the season up to this point. No one can fault the Illini for the loss to Penn State (currently ranked No. 4 in the AP poll) at Happy Valley or to Oregon (ranked No. 1 for a sixth straight week) in Eugene. But that home loss to unranked Minnesota? Well, that’s a different story.

The Gophers are a solid middle-of-the-road Big Ten team, but based on any metric or eye test that exists, they were eminently beatable by the Illini. Instead, they vanquished Illinois – and any legitimate hopes it had of making the CFP. 

But for the sake of argument, let’s just pretend quarterback Luke Altmyer didn’t commit that fumble and Illinois wound up finishing that late-game drive in the end zone – probably a touchdown pass to receiver Pat Bryant – and tacked on the two-point conversion before winning a thriller in overtime.

Maybe that’s simply too much magic for a single team to ask for in a single season. But if it had happened, the Illini would currently be 9-2 (6-2 Big Ten), with 4-7 Northwestern (2-6 Big Ten) up next. In this scenario, even given a victory next week, 10 wins would still leave Illinois on the outside of a Big Ten Championship looking in, and ineligible to clinch an automatic CFP bid.

But what about an at-large bid? Let’s compare apples to apples – or, in this case, our hypothetical 9-2 Illini squad to a few SEC teams with similar profiles.

Start with Alabama, which is fresh off its aforementioned 24-3 thrashing by unranked Oklahoma. The Tide benefit from the 11th-toughest schedule in the country, but with three losses, they have just a 37.4 percent chance of making the CFP.

Now consider Tennessee. The Volunteers are currently 9-2, and their strength of schedule ranks 21st in the nation (only five ahead of Illinois’). Arguably the best match for the What Could Have Been Illini, the Volunteers currently have a 76.8 percent chance of making the playoff.

Yet it’s foolish to think Illinois – even at 9-2 today and with a win over Northwestern next week – would be a shoo-in for the College Football Playoff. It’s just hard to imagine the committee justifying the inclusion of five Big Ten teams in a 12-team playoff – but it would have been interesting to learn just how close the Illini could have come.

Regardless, at 8-3, Illinois has put together one of its best seasons in recent memory and appears well-positioned to be in line for a top-tier non-CFP bowl, which could offer the Illini an opportunity to further legitimize their 2024 campaign. Even if it’s not everything it could have been, during this week of giving thanks, Illinois – and its fans – have one of the program’s best seasons in recent memory to be grateful for.

Instant Analysis: Illinois Wins 36-31 Thriller at Rutgers on Last-Second Score

WATCH: Illinois WR Pat Bryant Scores Game-Winning Touchdown

3 Key Stats from Illinois Football vs. Rutgers (Week 13)

There’s a new king of the mountain when it comes to side dishes at Thanksgiving, and Illinois’ pick is also the favorite of Americans.

This news comes via Campbell’s annual State of the Sides report, released each year ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday to reveal what side dishes Americans are pairing with their turkeys on the big day.

According to the report, stuffing/dressing overtook mashed potatoes as America’s favorite side dish, with sweet potatoes also moving up to the third spot in the ranking.

Green bean casserole checks in at No. 4, according to the ranking, with mac and cheese dropping from third to fifth this year.

According to Campbell’s, Illinois was one of 45 states that picked stuffing as their favorite side dish, with Iowa, California, Utah, Wyoming and West Virginia siding with mashed potatoes.

The data also revealed several other key findings, including that 56% of Americans would prefer eating side dishes over their turkey on Thanksgiving. Roughly 4-of-10 Americans would also be content with having a plate made up of nothing but sides, according to the study.

Perhaps most importantly if you’re heading to a gathering this holiday season, 99% of Americans say they help to cook part of the Thanksgiving meal if they’re attending a gathering.