Bret Bielema isn't focused on the Fighting Illini's top-10 ranking

For the first time in over two decades, the Illinois Fighting Illini football team has broken into the top 10 of the AP Top 25 Poll.

Following a dominant, double-digit win over the Duke Blue Devils and a 49-point victory over Western Illinois in Week 1, Illinois surged into the No. 9 spot in the country.

However, even with the exciting new ranking for a team that hadn't found itself in the top 25 since 2001, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema isn't allowing his players to become distracted by the hype around their program.

"I made our guys aware of it," Bielema said in a mid-week press conference. "Just real quickly talked about where we are, but the fact of the matter is that every week is an opportunity to improve, and I really try to focus them in on that."

With a 2-0 record in their back pockets, the Fighting Illini will host the Western Michigan Broncos in Week 3 before starting Big Ten play against the Indiana Hoosiers the following weekend.

"Obviously very exciting," Bielema said. "People are excited about and I think that's a good thing... but I do think these guys are all about the game in front of them."

Since taking over the Illinois football program in 2021, Bielema has led the team to a 30-22 overall record, including a 10-3 finish and a win in the Citrus Bowl over the South Carolina Gamecocks last season.

Led by veteran quarterback Luke Altmyer as well as running backs Kaden Feagin and Aidan Laughery, the Illinois offense has been dominant, outscoring its opponents 97-22 through the first two matchups of the season.

The 2-0 start is exactly what Bielema and his staff needed to keep the momentum from last year in motion, especially as the conference schedule flies into focus.

Illinois and Western Michigan are scheduled to kick off at 6 p.m. CT on Saturday, Sept. 13, and the game will be broadcast on FS1. A 3-0 start to the season would help to cement the team's spot in the Top 25.