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Oct 4, 2025; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini running back Ca'Lil Valentine (5) celebrates a touchdown during the second quarter against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

Social Media Buzzes as Illinois Football Climbs Back Into Top 20 of AP Poll

Originally posted on Illinois Fighting Illini on SI
By Pranav Hegde | Last updated Oct 5, 2025 6:50 PM ET

It was a wild weekend across college football. What many expected to be a relatively quiet slate – with few ranked matchups and a number of heavy favorites – quickly turned into one of the most chaotic Saturdays of the season. Upsets defined the day, with UCLA stunning Penn State in Los Angeles and both Iowa State and Texas suffering losses to unranked opponents. The results sent shockwaves across the national landscape and shuffled the latest AP poll in a big way.

For Illinois fans, however, it was business as usual. Bret Bielema’s group entered the weekend focused on a rivalry matchup with Purdue, and the Illini took care of business in fairly impressive fashion. Despite a slow start, Illinois pulled away with a dominant second quarter and never looked back, improving to 5-1 on the year and inching closer to bowl eligibility. The win not only kept the Illini’s season goals intact but also showcased their ability to handle adversity and stay locked in amid national chaos.

Up to No. 17 in the AP Poll. pic.twitter.com/IO0moi2AXi
— Illinois Football (@IlliniFootball) October 5, 2025

That composure was rewarded when the new AP Top 25 was released Sunday. Illinois jumped five spots, to No. 17, setting up a marquee top-20 clash this Saturday in Champaign when No. 1 Ohio State comes to town (11 a.m. CT, FOX). It will mark Illinois’ second appearance on FOX’s "Big Noon Kickoff" in just three weeks – an unprecedented level of national exposure for the program and a clear sign of how far the Illini have come under Bret Bielema.

Illinois’ consistent presence in the AP poll this season is a reflection of steady progress. After opening the year with a rout of Western Illinois, the Illini traveled to Durham and manhandled a talented Duke team – one that has since gone 3-0 in ACC play. A humbling loss at Indiana in Week 4 briefly slowed Illinois' momentum, but it bounced back with one of its best performances of the year against USC before backing it up with a strong showing in West Lafayette.

Naturally, the Illini’s move up to No. 17 sparked plenty of excitement (and other reactions) on social media. Fans flooded timelines celebrating the ranking, pointing out how far the program has come and looking ahead to what could be one of the biggest games in Memorial Stadium in decades. Illini Nation and Big Ten fans made their voices heard after another milestone weekend. Here are some of the best reactions to Illinois’ climb in the polls:

Feels good, feels right

#illini at 17 feels right. Beaten couple good teams this year. 2 road wins. Tons to improve but has high scoring offense 37 PPG and plus 7 TO ratio. https://t.co/RydTf0rSrZ
— Ryan Evan Schroat (@200ColumnsRy) October 5, 2025

Still skeptical?

Illinois ranked 17th is honestly insane. There are multiple unranked undefeated or 1-loss teams (both G5 and P4) that did not lose to any opponent by 53 points.
— Herd Bros (@TheHerdBros) October 5, 2025

The five best teams in the Big Ten?

Here’s the latest from the AP pic.twitter.com/1HVfVO4DT0
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) October 5, 2025

Shake it up

#1 Buckeyes travel to #17 Illinois on Saturday. Penn State goes from #7 to unranked after their loss at UCLA. https://t.co/hlcFodtwVc
— Jack Berney (@JackBerneyTV) October 5, 2025

What a time to be alive!

This is the golden age of Illini football.• 5-1 and ranked #17• Undefeated #1 Ohio State in town• Fox Big Noon Kickoff back• Sold out crowd• Orange out• 73° and sunny• CFP implicationsShock the world. pic.twitter.com/vdCFrJ2mCd
— The Field Pass (@TheFieldPass) October 5, 2025

It's just big-boned

Fat I. Now one of the seventeen best teams in the country. pic.twitter.com/czMTi0ECAZ
— Robert Rosenthal (@ALionEye) October 5, 2025

Oh, how I hate ...

Not everyone can be Ohio State pic.twitter.com/Vo1rfbdKIc
— Jon “JR” Rhoades (@jrs_rankings) October 5, 2025

Kind of a big deal

This is the 2nd time in 3 weeks Illinois will host a Top 25 ranked vs ranked game.It’s the 1st time since 1991 the Illini have hosted multiple Top 25 games in the same yr.It’s the 1st time since 1950 Illinois has hosted the No. 1 team as a ranked team.BIG one in Champaign. pic.twitter.com/s5g8X241gg
— Ben Stevens (@BenScottStevens) October 5, 2025