The 2025 campaign has been good to the Illinois football program, as we are halfway through the year and nearly bowl-eligible already.But one would think, seven games into the season, just two losses to the No.1 and No.3 team in the country, and three power-four wins, one of which was against a top 25 program, that the Illini would be ranked.

That isn’t the case. Last week, after fighting tough with No. 1 Ohio State, Illinois dropped from No. 17 all the way out of the AP Top 25. We landed with the most votes, so technically, the Illini were ranked No.26 in the nation.Week eight is already upon us, as multiple ranked programs kicked off the weekend on Friday night. The result: Illinois should be seeing our familiar home in the AP Top 25 once again this week.

Illinois Football: A Path to the Top 25

The Illinois Fighting Illini are on the verge of cracking the AP Top 25. A jump over Nebraska is already anticipated, projecting the team to No. 25 nationally. Though, the potential doesn’t stop there. Several key matchups this week coudl propel the Illini even higher.

HereS a breakdown of games that could benefit illinois’ ranking:

* BYU vs. Utah: No. 15 BYU hosts No. 23 Utah. A Cougars victory would knock Utah down,moving Illinois to No. 24.
* Missouri vs. Auburn: Auburn, a team with a strong defense, is poised to challenge No. 16 Missouri. An Auburn win would cause Missouri to fall, potentially lifting Illinois to No. 23.
* USC vs. Notre Dame: The loser of the No. 20 USC vs. No. 13 Notre Dame game is almost certain to drop below Illinois in the rankings,guaranteeing the Illini a move up.
* Virginia vs. Washington State: Washington State recently gave Ole Miss a tough fight and now has an opportunity to upset No. 18 Virginia. A Cougars win could cause Virginia to fall, potentially moving Illinois up to No. 22.