Illinois Football Anticipated a Rise in AP Top 25: Did the Illini Crack the Top 10?

Let the record show this is Illinois' highest AP ranking since 2001, when the Illinis rose as high as No. 7 in the land en route to the Sugar Bowl. And let the record also show the current ranking is worth about as much as a chili bowl at Merry Ann's Diner left unfilled by a forgetful fry cook. The season doesn't begin in earnest until Saturday's game at Duke. If the Illini win that one, then we'll have something to talk about. And if they do, there's a fine chance they'll crash the top 10. Wouldn't that be something?

Meanwhile, did 2024 ever end? Because the Big Ten owns the top of the polls again, just like last year. Fresh off a win against Texas, Ohio State is the new No. 1 according to both the AP and the coaches. Penn State is No. 2 in both polls. Oregon checks in at sixth (AP) and fifth (coaches). The Illini stayed at 12th in the coaches poll.

Notably, South Carolina went from one spot behind the Illini to one spot ahead of them in both polls. The Gamecocks beat Virginia Tech in a pretty good showing. Guess it's almost like that whole Citrus Bowl thing never even happened, right?

Michigan (14th) and Indiana (20th) also made the AP rankings, with USC, Nebraska and Iowa in "others receiving votes" territory.

Week 2 AP Top 25 poll

(Rank, team, record, points)1. Ohio State (55 first-place votes), 1-0, 1,6362. Penn State (7), 1-0, 1,5583. LSU (3), 1-0, 1,5144. Georgia, 1-0, 1,4105. Miami, 1-0, 1,3606. Oregon (1), 1-0, 1,3027. Texas, 0-1, 1,2938. Clemson, 0-1, 1,1359. Notre Dame, 0-1, 1,06810. South Carolina, 1-0, 88211. Illinois, 1-0, 85512. Arizona State, 1-0, 85013. Florida, 1-0, 73714. Florida State, 1-0, 70515. Michigan, 1-0, 68616. Iowa State, 2-0, 56617. SMU, 1-0, 56118. Oklahoma, 1-0, 51919. Texas A&M, 1-0, 42420. Ole Miss, 1-0, 39321. Alabama, 0-1, 36022. Tennessee, 1-0, 33923. Indiana, 1-0, 25724. Texas Tech, 1-0, 24725. Utah, 1-0, 227