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Illinois Football Finishes No. 16 in AP Poll as Fans and Experts Look Ahead

Even as the Illini celebrate their best finish in 23 years, jockeying for position in the 2025 rankings has already begun

Jason Langendorf

Dec 31, 2024; Orlando, FL, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini running back Josh McCray (6) celebrates his touchdown against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the fourth quarter at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images
Dec 31, 2024; Orlando, FL, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini running back Josh McCray (6) celebrates his touchdown against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the fourth quarter at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images / Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images
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No. 6 Ohio State took down No. 5 Notre Dame 34-23 in Monday's FBS I final – still best-known to college football fans as the national championship – to put the wraps on the 2024 season. Sort of.

Nowadays, college football never sleeps. While the Buckeyes and Irish spent the past few weeks winding their way through the College Football Playoff bracket and ultimately preparing for each other in last night's showdown in Atlanta, most other teams – including the Illini – were already moving on to the urgent business of 2025.

But even as Bret Bielema and his staff work on bringing back key incumbents, further bolstering the 2025 roster via the transfer portal and gathering commitments from class of 2026 recruits, it's worth taking a moment to consider how far the Illini have come in a short time – especially with Tuesday's release of the final AP Top 25 poll.

Illinois (10-3, 6-3 Big Ten) closed out the 2024 season ranked No. 16 – the program's first end-of-year ranking since 2007 and best finish in the AP poll since Ron Turner's Illini ended the 2001 season at No. 12. Bielema's 2024 Illini knocked off No. 14 South Carolina 21-17 in the Citrus Bowl on New Year's Eve to tie the program record for wins in a season. Only 10 other Illinois teams have ended a season ranked higher than 16th.

Rankings, as should be quite obvious by now, are for the fans. (Wasn't the CFP supposedly created to neutralize the bias and arbitrary nature of polls? And does it make any sense to rank teams that played a few hours ago with others that haven't played in almost a month?)

The AP Top 25 is a fun, mostly useless diversion. But ... that doesn't mean fans aren't wholly invested in their teams' standing within them. Already, we're seeing the (extremely aptly named) Way Too Early Top 25 lists for 2025, and, boy howdy, are there opinions. (The replies may not be for the faint of heart.)

That's just a small sampling of way-too-early opinions that can (and likely will) become incredibly outdated over the coming months – even before the start of spring football. College football in the modern era means, as a coach, never having to say, "My roster is set." And because that can cut both ways – just look at poor Purdue – programs are always hustling to create the best version of themselves. It's a never-ending process.

And don't forget that the Illini, thrilling as they were in 2024, were also only a few whiskers away from being a 7-6 also-ran. (Remember them requiring overtime and a Pat Bryant miracle to beat "poor" Purdue?)

There is much work still to be done. Always will be. So maybe take the rankings (especially those put together six months before the season's first kickoff) with a grain – and probably a block – of salt.

More From Illinois on Sports Illustrated:

Illinois Football Adds Three-Star Offensive Lineman Landen Von Seggern

Illinois Defensive Lineman Ezekiel Holmes to Declare for 2025 NFL Draft

Detroit Lions and Former Illini DB Kerby Joseph Named NFL First-Team All-Pro

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Jason Langendorf
JASON LANGENDORF

Jason Langendorf has covered Illinois basketball, football and more for Illinois on SI since October 2024, and has covered Illini sports – among other subjects – for 30 years. A veteran of ESPN and Sporting News, he has published work in The Guardian, Vice, Chicago Sun-Times and many other outlets. He is currently also the U.S. editor at BoxingScene and a judge for the annual BWAA writing awards. He can be followed and reached on X and Bluesky @JasonLangendorf.

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