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Consistent with conference tie-ins, the game featured teams from the Big Ten Conference, and the Southeastern Conference (SEC). This was the first meeting between South Carolina and Illinois.
South Carolina played to a 9–3 overall record (5–3 in SEC play) during the regular season. After starting with a 3–3 record in their first six games, they finished with a six-game winning streak. The Gamecocks faced six ranked teams, losing to LSU, Ole Miss, and Alabama while defeating Texas A&M, Missouri, and Clemson. They entered the national rankings in mid-November, and entered the bowl placed 15th in the final College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings.
Illinois played to an overall regular-season record of 9–3 (6–3 in Big Ten play). After opening the season with four consecutive wins, the Fighting Illini suffered three defeats in five games, then ended with three wins in a row. Illinois faced five ranked opponents, defeating Kansas, Nebraska, and Michigan while losing to Penn State and Oregon. Ranked nationally for much of the season, the Fighting Illini entered the bowl placed 20th in the final CFP rankings.