Illinois Football Makes AP Top 25 Return Entering Game vs. Rutgers

The Illini didn’t make the cut in the coaches’ poll, finishing second among others receiving votes

Nov 16, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini linebacker Gabe Jacas (17) sacks Michigan State Spartans quarterback Aidan Chiles (2) during the first half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images / Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

You just can’t keep a good team down – especially not after a bunch of college football teams toward the back end of the AP Top 25 have lost.

The four that are out after Week 12 losses: Kansas State, LSU, Louisville and Missouri.

The four that are in: Arizona State at No. 21, Iowa State at 22, UNLV at 23 and, yes, indeed, Illinois at 24.

POLL ALERT: Oregon remains No. 1 in AP Top 25 after close call, Notre Dame and Alabama each jump two spots, Georgia back in top 10.

Full poll: https://t.co/7dTTUiSC1j pic.twitter.com/nASsBD26MR

— AP Top 25 (@AP_Top25) November 17, 2024

The Illini (7-3 overall, 4-3 Big Ten) – coming off a 38-16 win against Michigan State – can stick a feather back in their helmets for being ranked for the first time since the Week 10 poll, when they also were 24th. The highest they’ve been this season was 20th, when they were 6-1. A win Saturday at Rutgers (11 a.m. CT, on Peacock) might put them back in the top 20.

The Illini didn’t make the cut in the coaches’ poll, finishing second among others receiving votes.

In the age of the expanded, 12-team College Football Playoff, the voter polls cease to have much meaning once the playoff rankings begin coming out on a weekly basis. Still, if you’re Illinois – accustomed to little success or national recognition – you grab on to something good whenever you can.

The Big Ten continues to dominate toward the top of all polls, with Oregon first, Ohio State second, Penn State fourth and Indiana fifth, according to AP voters and the coaches. Illinois is the only other Big Ten team ranked in either poll.

Week 13 AP Top 25

(Rank, team, first-place votes, record, points)

1. Oregon, 62, 1550
2. Ohio State, 9-1, 1485
3. Texas, 9-1, 1413
4. Penn State, 9-1, 1319
5. Indiana, 10-0, 1310
6. Notre Dame, 9-1, 1191
7. Alabama, 8-2, 1130
8. Georgia, 8-2, 1113
9. Ole Miss, 8-2, 1083
10. Tennessee, 8-2, 953
11. Miami (FL), 9-1, 945
12. Boise State, 9-1, 880
13. SMU, 9-1, 810
14. BYU, 9-1, 785
15. Texas A&M, 8-2, 687
16. Colorado, 8-2, 583
17. Clemson, 8-2, 559
18. Army, 9-0, 555
19. South Carolina, 7-3, 444
20. Tulane, 9-2, 323
21. Arizona State, 8-2, 322
22. Iowa State, 8-2, 256
23. UNLV, 8-2, 125
24. Illinois, 7-3, 74
25. Washington State, 8-2, 61

Others Receiving Votes: Missouri 56, Memphis 38, Kansas St. 36, Syracuse 21, Louisville 15, Pittsburgh 6, LSU 6, Louisiana-Lafayette 5, Vanderbilt 4, Colorado St. 2, Duke 2, James Madison 2, Georgia Tech 1.

More From Illinois on Sports Illustrated:

Big Ten Football Week 13 Power Rankings: Illinois, Rutgers Rising as Saturday Clash Nears

Instant Analysis: Illinois Football Upends Michigan State, 38-16

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