Illinois aims for College Football Playoff amid ranking concerns
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Jun 28, 2026, 2:07 AM
Last updated Jun 28, 2026
The Illinois Fighting Illini football team is in contention for a College Football Playoff spot after finishing the 2025 season with a Music City Bowl victory over Tennessee. Despite posting a 9-4 record, Illinois was not ranked in the final AP Top 25 poll, raising concerns about perceived biases in rankings. In previous seasons, Illinois has also been rated lower than warranted in the AP poll, creating challenges for their postseason aspirations. The Illini's strength of record ranking further underscores their potential against the backdrop of subjective committee decisions.
- •Illinois finished the 2025 season with a 9-4 record and a bowl win.
- •The team was unranked in the final AP Top 25 despite their performance.
- •Illinois' strength of record ranked 18th nationally, higher than ranked teams.
- •Previous seasons also saw Illinois ranked lower than their record indicated.
- •The current raises concerns about subjective committee rankings.
- 2:07 AMYahoo Sports — Illinois Football is nearly ready for the next step. Is everyone else?
"The Illini are being objectively underrated compared to their on-field performance.
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