Week 9 Polls - Illinois #20 in AP Poll
My guess.......18?
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
I think we go up 2 points, actually, even if it’s “unfair” to those in front of us.
Top 25 will be interesting. A lot of schools that typically aren’t represented often, and definitely not all at once. Iowa state being so high, Indiana, illinois, byu, Boise, Pitt, SMU, Army, Navy and then probably Vanderbilt tomorrow. You can even include k state and mizzou in that list of non ‘blue blood’ programs.
A few notable teams not ranked will be Michigan, Oklahoma, USC, Iowa, the FSU train wreck, and others that had high hopes.
Illini should have a shot at playing a #1 next week.
A few notable teams not ranked will be Michigan, Oklahoma, USC, Iowa, the FSU train wreck, and others that had high hopes.
Illini should have a shot at playing a #1 next week.
Interesting that two of the military academies are doing well despite no NIL (presumably) and no portal involvement. Go Army!
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Interesting to see where CBS is projecting our ranking:
Illinicpa14
- Chicago
Was talking about this with some friends last night. Would love someone to fact check but they are the control study of teams that will have guys playing for the love of the game, no portal, and in a system for 4/5 years. Looks like what they are getting out of it is better than all the mediocre teams who are throwing together new rosters adding/losing guys.
Be curious if either are competitive at all with. Notre Dame in the next month.
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
SP+ rankings for all 134 FBS teams after Week 8: Ohio State back on top
After another topsy-turvy week, Ohio State reclaims the top spot in SP+ rankings. Plus, College Football Playoff projections and more.
Still #45 in SP+
12th in the Big Ten. Behind Michigan, Nebraska, and quite amazingly Kansas.
Other than Navy (which is a different sort of thing) we are being pretty strongly and specifically pointed to by advanced stats as the single most overrated team in the country.
And I kinda-sorta get it, but only to a point.
The other interesting thing is despite the skepticism, they aren't crazy about the rest of our schedule either so would still project us 10-2 (with Minny at home being toss-up-ish).
A 10-2 Big Ten team in the mid-40's of SP+ would be quite a sight to see.
We’re kinda being disrespected still.
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
I think the way to think about it is that in 5 games against power conference competition, so 10 offenses/defenses, the only opposing unit you can kind of objectively say we dominated is Purdue's absolutely wretched defense.
We haven't battered a real team on either side of the ball the way we did, say, Wisconsin or Nebraska in 2022.
Bat an eyelash and we're a hard luck 3-4 who just won a frustration game to rescue our bowl hopes.
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Dan
Admin
Illinois #20 in AP Poll
apnews.com
NCAA College Football Rankings: AP Top 25 Football Poll
The official page for the AP Top 25 college football poll, a tradition since 1936. Keep up to date and view the latest ranking updates each week.
apnews.com
Tough last 2 months for all the "i hope we aren't ranked" posters#20
NCAA College Football Rankings: AP Top 25 Football Poll
The official page for the AP Top 25 college football poll, a tradition since 1936. Keep up to date and view the latest ranking updates each week.
MoCoMdIllini
- Montgomery County, Maryland
Check out Vandy getting in at 25.
Literally no one.
The Galloping Ghost
- Washington, DC
And goodness knows we've batted that eyelash so many times. Finally, *knocks on every single piece of wood available* things are breaking our way. Metrics can hate us and we might very well be fraudulent, but just keep winning.
OK, so I get some of the disrespect for Illinois, as we've somewhat earned that throughout our history. That being said, on a clean sheet of paper from the beginning of the year, please, please explain to me how the SP+ has Ole Miss (5-2) at #4 and Illinois (5-1) at #47 before this weekend's games.
Ole Miss has huge margins of victory over the murderers row of home games against Furman (2-5), MTSU (2-5), and Georgia Southern (5-2). Wow, that's impressive! They have road wins over Wake Forest (3-4) and South Carolina (4-3) (which is looking better), but they lost at home to unranked Kentucky (3-4) and on the road at LSU (6-1). LSU's loss to USC (3-4) doesn't look that great now and their only "good" win was against Ole Miss at home and, maybe, @ Arkansas and @ South Carolina. In other words, between Ole Miss and LSU it's the typical SEC self-licking ice cream cone. They're both good because they played each other and also both beat South Carolina but their "quality" wins don't really exist. I'm supposed to be impressed because LSU beat UCLA (2-5)?
Now, Illinois has a home win against ranked Kansas (2-5) (which isn't looking so great), a road win against ranked Nebraska (5-2) and a close loss on the road against ranked Penn St. (6-0). We played Penn St. very tough, made them earn that win. Our wins against Central Michigan (3-4) and Eastern Illinois (1-6) aren't great but we beat them appropriately, similar to how Ole Miss beat Furman and MTSU. Our Purdue game was a nightmare but I'm putting that squarely at the feet of the coaching staff who took their foot off the gas and started playing conservative once they had a 27-3 lead. I've seen it too many times where coaches change their offensive and defensive approach once they have a "solid" lead and it completely takes the players out of the game. I thought maybe the Illinois coaches learned their lesson but last night's 4th quarter was a nightmare of the coaches playing conservative on offense to "protect the lead". Where were the slant passes to get first downs and keep the clock moving during the 4th quarter? Nope, let's just keep running it up the middle and then punting.
Anyway, I refuse to agree with any rating system or any ranking that has Ole Miss ranked/rated above Illinois. And if that's still the case after yesterday's win over Michigan, then it is just simply disrespect and nothing more.
Ole Miss has huge margins of victory over the murderers row of home games against Furman (2-5), MTSU (2-5), and Georgia Southern (5-2). Wow, that's impressive! They have road wins over Wake Forest (3-4) and South Carolina (4-3) (which is looking better), but they lost at home to unranked Kentucky (3-4) and on the road at LSU (6-1). LSU's loss to USC (3-4) doesn't look that great now and their only "good" win was against Ole Miss at home and, maybe, @ Arkansas and @ South Carolina. In other words, between Ole Miss and LSU it's the typical SEC self-licking ice cream cone. They're both good because they played each other and also both beat South Carolina but their "quality" wins don't really exist. I'm supposed to be impressed because LSU beat UCLA (2-5)?
Now, Illinois has a home win against ranked Kansas (2-5) (which isn't looking so great), a road win against ranked Nebraska (5-2) and a close loss on the road against ranked Penn St. (6-0). We played Penn St. very tough, made them earn that win. Our wins against Central Michigan (3-4) and Eastern Illinois (1-6) aren't great but we beat them appropriately, similar to how Ole Miss beat Furman and MTSU. Our Purdue game was a nightmare but I'm putting that squarely at the feet of the coaching staff who took their foot off the gas and started playing conservative once they had a 27-3 lead. I've seen it too many times where coaches change their offensive and defensive approach once they have a "solid" lead and it completely takes the players out of the game. I thought maybe the Illinois coaches learned their lesson but last night's 4th quarter was a nightmare of the coaches playing conservative on offense to "protect the lead". Where were the slant passes to get first downs and keep the clock moving during the 4th quarter? Nope, let's just keep running it up the middle and then punting.
Anyway, I refuse to agree with any rating system or any ranking that has Ole Miss ranked/rated above Illinois. And if that's still the case after yesterday's win over Michigan, then it is just simply disrespect and nothing more.
lstewart53x3
- Scottsdale, Arizona
Moving up to 20 should be good enough to keep us ranked even with a loss to 1 Oregon (beat Oregon!).
To finish the season ranked, probably need to go 9-3 or better.
To finish the season ranked, probably need to go 9-3 or better.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Here to once again say I’m not afraid of a series vs. big, bad #21 Mizzou.Illinois #20 in AP Poll
NCAA College Football Rankings: AP Top 25 Football Poll
The official page for the AP Top 25 college football poll, a tradition since 1936. Keep up to date and view the latest ranking updates each week.
I think our rating has is about right considering our body of work
Teams that are getting benefit of the doubt based on their history
Clemson and Notre Dame Alabama if you use the logic their loses were against good teams then why are we 20 when our only L is @PSU. ND has the best win out of the group but losing to NIU is the worst loss
Teams that are underrated
IU Pitt Army Navy
They all should be higher in the polls. If they are over rated the rest of the season will work it out. IU plays O$U and Army Navy play each other
I would have
9 ISU
10 BYU
11 IU
12 Pitt
13 army
14 Navy
15 Clemson
Teams that are getting benefit of the doubt based on their history
Clemson and Notre Dame Alabama if you use the logic their loses were against good teams then why are we 20 when our only L is @PSU. ND has the best win out of the group but losing to NIU is the worst loss
Teams that are underrated
IU Pitt Army Navy
They all should be higher in the polls. If they are over rated the rest of the season will work it out. IU plays O$U and Army Navy play each other
I would have
9 ISU
10 BYU
11 IU
12 Pitt
13 army
14 Navy
15 Clemson
Finishing the season ranked would be awesome. A top 25 full body of work with lots of optimism going into next season.
The 22 season was nice but that finish was brutal
