Illinois football lands at No. 22 on the AP Coaches Poll

Illinois’ last-second victory in its eighth win of the season elevated the team to #24 with the AP Top 25 voters.

By Elizabeth Hess November 25, 2024 4:32 pm

Coach Bielema leads a team ranked #25 in the College Football Playoff Top 25. — Chambana TodayCanvaProThe Fighting Illini football teams continues to rise in the AP Top 25 Coaches Poll.

CHAMPAIGN, IL (Chambana Today) – Illinois’ last-second victory in its eighth win of the season elevated the team to #24 with the AP Top 25 voters.

The Fighting Illini, now 8-3, continue to earn respect across the polls. On the Asmussen ballot, Illinois sits even higher at No. 19.

Despite the rise, Illinois appeared on fewer ballots this week, missing six altogether—a noticeable decline from the previous poll. While AP voting trends are interesting, the focus now shifts to Tuesday night’s College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings. Illinois entered last week’s CFP standings at No. 25, and now Coach Bielema waits to see where the team stands.