The 2025 campaign has been good to the Illinois football program, as we are halfway through the year and nearly bowl-eligible already.
But one would think, seven games into the season, just two losses to the No. 1 and No. 3 team in the country, and three power-four wins, one of which was against a top 25 program, that the Illini would be ranked.
That isn’t the case. Last week, after fighting tough with No. 1 Ohio State, Illinois dropped from No. 17 all the way out of the AP Top 25. We landed with the most votes, so technically, the Illini were ranked No. 26 in the nation.
Week eight is already upon us, as multiple ranked programs kicked off the weekend on Friday night. The result: Illinois should be seeing our familiar home in the AP Top 25 once again this week.
The big upset of the weekend was Louisville tacking down No. 2 Miami in Coral Gables. But there was also another ranked game taking place that affected Illinois a little more.
No. 25 Nebraska made the trip to Minnesota. The Golden Gophers were 4-2, but winning on the road in the Big Ten is never easy. The Cornhuskers ended up laying an egg, losing to Minnesota, 24-6.
There is always the chance of Louisville jumping Illinois in the AP Top 25. But here is the thing: the Cardinals didn’t have a single vote to be ranked last week. So, are they really going to go from zero votes to being the top 25 with one win?
The double-digit loss by Nebraska should get Illinois back in the AP Top 25. There are also some other big games to watch out for this weekend.
Illinois football can really make up some ground in the AP Top 25
I am eyeing some big games that will help boost the Illini up in the AP Top 25. We are already going to jump Nebraska, so that should get us to No. 25 in the country.
No. 15 BYU is at home against No. 23 Utah. A win by the Cougars knocks the Utes down. That moves us to No. 24.
Auburn is a competitive team with a good defense. They are going to give No. 16 Missouri a tough time. A win by Auburn would send Missouri tumbling. I could see that happening. That moves Illinois up to No. 23.
Whoever loses in the No. 20 USC vs No. 13 Notre Dame game will tumble backward past Illinois. That is a lock for the Illini to move up a spot.
Washington State just gave Ole Miss everything they could handle last week. The Cougars now have a chance to knock off No. 18 Virginia. That would make the Cavaliers drop down, potentially moving Illinois up to No. 21.
I am keeping an eye on the South Carolina game, too. They have talent, and No. 14 Oklahoma is a bit overrated. I could see the Gamecocks coming away with a win, and this would send the Sooners plummeting. Illinois could then move to No. 20.
The last two ranked games that could help Illinois are the early kickoff. No. 12 Georgia Tech heads to Duke. The Blue Devils are good, and it wouldn’t shock me to see Duke clip the Yellow Jackets. The other game is No. 10 LSU at No. 17 Vanderbilt. If the Tigers win, Vanderbilt drops below Illinois. If the Commodores win, LSU might not drop a ton.
If all of the best-case scenario happens, Illinois could rise as high as No. 18 in the country without even playing a game. Let’s see some chaos on this fine Saturday.