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Illinois football penalized for playing top teams in the country

With only two losses against top teams in the nation, Illinois football gets kicked out of the AP Top 25.
ByRees Woodcock|
Believing he crossed the goal line, Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback Luke Altmyer (9) reacts to watching a replay of his run on the video board during the second half of the NCAA football game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Gies Memorial Stadium in Champaign on Oct. 11, 2025. Replay did not confirm Altmyer's beliefs.
Believing he crossed the goal line, Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback Luke Altmyer (9) reacts to watching a replay of his run on the video board during the second half of the NCAA football game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Gies Memorial Stadium in Champaign on Oct. 11, 2025. Replay did not confirm Altmyer's beliefs. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Illinois football team is coming off a tough loss against the No. 1 team in the nation, Ohio State.

Most people breathing thought that the Buckeyes would take out the Illini. They were double-digit favorites, and some costly turnovers throughout the game sealed Illinois’ fate.

The newest AP Top 25 poll didn’t take too kindly to the Illini loss. Coming into the weekend, Illinois was the No. 17 team in the nation. A loss to the top team in the country shouldn’t move us too far down, but that didn’t end up being the case.

Where does Illinois now sit after Saturday? Unranked.

We are currently the top team getting votes with 113 votes. A few of the interesting newcomers to the AP Top 25 include Texas, Nebraska, and USC.

The lack of respect Illinois football has from the AP Top 25 is astonishing

Look, I know the Illini aren’t a traditional powerhouse. We aren’t going to get the love from some of the bigger names. But what I am seeing in the AP Top 25 poll doesn’t sit well with me.

You have an Illinois team that is 5-2 this season. The only two losses are against No. 1 Ohio State and now No. 3 Indiana. That alone isn’t bad. Those are two great teams, one that made the College Football Playoff last season, and the other won the national championship.

Those are literally the only two blemishes on the schedule right now. And don’t get me wrong, I understand dropping a few spots, but to go from No. 17 to now, essentially, No. 26 is crazy. A nine-spot drop for battling with the No. 1 team in the country.

Meanwhile, Nebraska is jumping Illinois with their best win being Maryland. They have one loss on the resume, and it is to Michigan, which is one spot behind Illinois in the current rankings.

USC is now ahead of Illinois. They are 5-1, which is a good record, but their best win is against Michigan. Oh, and they lost to Illinois three weeks ago. We are their only loss.

Dropping Illinois down into the 20s would have been understandable. Dropping us out of the AP Top 25 is incredulous. This is what you get for playing two of the top three teams in the country.

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