Sometimes, a 10-win season just isn't enough to gain a little respect.
Just ask Bret Bielema. Entering his fifth season in Champaign, expectations couldn't be higher for a program still searching for long-term success and fresh off its first 10-win season since 2001.
Unfortunately for the Illini, though, they will have more to prove as CBS Sports' post-spring rankings have the Illini ranked No. 5, one spot below the Michigan Wolverines.
"Everybody is searching for "this year's Indiana," and they're all pointing at Illinois," Tom Fornelli wrote. "It's not quite the same situation; Indiana went 3-9 in 2023 and had a first-year coach in Curt Cignetti. Illinois is coming off a 10-win season, and Bret Bielema will be in his fifth year leading the Illini. But that team that won 10 games last year has damn near everybody back and a manageable schedule. So, while Illinois can't be Indiana because people will see it coming if they reach the College Football Playoff, that doesn't mean Illinois can't make a playoff push."
The issue is less about Fornelli ranking the Illini in the top-five. It more lies with the fact of parlaying expectations, where fans don't know what Michigan will look like. If Bryce Underwood plays, sure, this discussion is valid. If he doesn't, questioning the Wolverines' ranking doesn't seem all that unreasonable.
Either way, Illinois' schedule is manageable enough that its biggest game is glaringly obvious: an October date with Ohio State in Champaign. A win there could go a long way, especially if the Buckeyes find themselves at No. 1 or if Illinois is playing to keep a possible undefeated season afloat.
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The good news is that Illinois beat Michigan where it counts: head-to-head. In a few months' time, these rankings will be replaced with The Associated Press, eventually followed by the College Football Playoff. By then, knowing where both teams stand is key. In the middle of May, ultimately, it's anyone's guess.
Come August, Illinois again has a chance to prove college football pundits wrong, seeking back-to-back winning seasons.