One win wasn’t enough for the Illini to jump into the rankings (and I don’t think anyone expected it would).
After a 30-28 win over Toledo on Saturday, Illinois earned one vote in the AP Top 25. That’s more than this week’s opponent — Kansas — who earned ZERO votes.
Four Big Ten teams are in the poll — the three big ones from the East division, plus Wisconsin — but there is a path for Illinois to get there as soon as the middle of the month. If Illinois can pull off the upset at Kansas and then beat Penn State at home, I don’t think anyone is questioning whether this is a ranked team.