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Illinois Football Anticipated a Rise in AP Top 25: Did the Illini Crack the Top 10?

Illinois' new rankings is the program's highest since 2001 – but it only matters if the Illini win at Duke next
Steven Greenberg|
Aug 29, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini linebacker Gabe Jacas (17) jumps on teammate Illinois Fighting Illini defensive lineman Eli Coenen (96) after a sack on Western Illinois Leathernecks quarterback Chris Irvin (5) during the first half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images
Aug 29, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini linebacker Gabe Jacas (17) jumps on teammate Illinois Fighting Illini defensive lineman Eli Coenen (96) after a sack on Western Illinois Leathernecks quarterback Chris Irvin (5) during the first half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

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Illinois football has moved up in the world – from 12th in the preseason AP Top 25 to 11th after Week 1 – thanks to a 52-3 win against Western Illinois.

Or maybe the Illini's opening performance had nothing to do with their slight rise. More likely, it was simply a matter of not having embarrassed themselves out of the gate like certain others (we're looking at you, Alabama) did.

Let the record show this is Illinois' highest AP ranking since 2001, when the Illinis rose as high as No. 7 in the land en route to the Sugar Bowl. And let the record also show the current ranking is worth about as much as a chili bowl at Merry Ann's Diner left unfilled by a forgetful fry cook. The season doesn't begin in earnest until Saturday's game at Duke. If the Illini win that one, then we'll have something to talk about. And if they do, there's a fine chance they'll crash the top 10. Wouldn't that be something?

Meanwhile, did 2024 ever end? Because the Big Ten owns the top of the polls again, just like last year. Fresh off a win against Texas, Ohio State is the new No. 1 according to both the AP and the coaches. Penn State is No. 2 in both polls. Oregon checks in at sixth (AP) and fifth (coaches). The Illini stayed at 12th in the coaches poll.

Notably, South Carolina went from one spot behind the Illini to one spot ahead of them in both polls. The Gamecocks beat Virginia Tech in a pretty good showing. Guess it's almost like that whole Citrus Bowl thing never even happened, right?

Michigan (14th) and Indiana (20th) also made the AP rankings, with USC, Nebraska and Iowa in "others receiving votes" territory.

Week 2 AP Top 25 poll

(Rank, team, record, points)

1. Ohio State (55 first-place votes), 1-0, 1,636
2. Penn State (7), 1-0, 1,558
3. LSU (3), 1-0, 1,514
4. Georgia, 1-0, 1,410
5. Miami, 1-0, 1,360
6. Oregon (1), 1-0, 1,302
7. Texas, 0-1, 1,293
8. Clemson, 0-1, 1,135
9. Notre Dame, 0-1, 1,068
10. South Carolina, 1-0, 882
11. Illinois, 1-0, 855
12. Arizona State, 1-0, 850
13. Florida, 1-0, 737
14. Florida State, 1-0, 705
15. Michigan, 1-0, 686
16. Iowa State, 2-0, 566
17. SMU, 1-0, 561
18. Oklahoma, 1-0, 519
19. Texas A&M, 1-0, 424
20. Ole Miss, 1-0, 393
21. Alabama, 0-1, 360
22. Tennessee, 1-0, 339
23. Indiana, 1-0, 257
24. Texas Tech, 1-0, 247
25. Utah, 1-0, 227

Published
Steven Greenberg
STEVEN GREENBERG

Greenberg is a columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times, has written about college sports since the early 1990s. He covered University of Wisconsin football and basketball in the early 1990s before spending nearly 20 years as a magazine editor and writer. A former managing editor, features writer and college football columnist for The Sporting News, he has written for The New York Times, Rolling Stone and Bleacher Report and joined the Sun-Times in 2013.

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