Latest AP Top 25 shows respect for the Illinois football program

Being ranked inside the AP Top 25 doesn’t come often for the Illinois football team.

I can count on one had the number of seasons the Illini have been ranked since 2002. That is the struggle most fans have been through.

Bret Bielema has helped build the program back up to a respectable level, though. He had us as high as No. 14 in the country just two seasons ago, and we cracked the top 25 once again in 2024.

On Sunday, Illinois remained in the AP Top 25 poll for the fifth straight week. That ties our mark from the 2022 campaign. But remaining in the rankings wasn’t easy.

Illinois let a 1-5 Purdue program go toe-to-toe with us. They had us on the brink of defeat until some great play by the Illinois offense pulled us through.

I wasn’t sure what the new AP Top 25 poll was going to look like on Sunday, but not only did Illinois stay in the rankings, we moved up a spot to No. 22 in the country.

Illinois football is earning some respect from the AP Top 25 voters

In years past, I feel like most people wouldn’t take Illinois seriously. The game on Saturday against Purdue was supposed to be one of those disappointing defeats that send us plummeting out of the AP Top 25. But that didn’t happen.

Illinois of old would have lost that game. Bielema-era Illini find a way to win. This grit and resilience are being rewarded too.

I figured the Illini would drop a spot or two, and there was a chance we could be just outside the AP Top 25 on Sunday. The fact that the voters moved us up a spot is a bit surprising.

The move to No. 22 tells me that the college football world is taking Illinois seriously. We are a program winning games, and the only loss we have is to the newly minted No. 3 team in the country, Penn State.

This upcoming weekend should be fun, though. Illinois stays home and welcomes in the No. 24 ranked Michigan Wolverines. A win on Saturday and the Illini will get to six wins, become bowl-eligible, and are sure to crack the top 20 nationally. A huge weekend is ahead.