You’ll have to forgive Illinois football fans for wincing when the words “playoff contender” or “this year’s Indiana” are tossed about as liberally as they have been this offseason. Not because the comparison to Indiana is misguided — it is, as the Hoosiers were coming off a 3-9 record last season with a first-year coach while Illinois won 10 games in 2024 — but because Illinois and expectations have gone together like oil and vinegar.
You’ll hear a lot about how Illinois returns nearly every key starter from last year’s team. You’ll also hear about third-year starting quarterback Luke Altmyer, who hasn’t posted gaudy numbers the last two seasons but has routinely found ways to make big plays when his team needs him most.
What you don’t hear much about is this: the last time Illinois both started and ended a season ranked in the AP Top 25 was 1990.
Back in 1990, Illinois was coming off a 10-2 season under John Mackovic that ended with a win over Virginia in the Citrus Bowl. That team was led by Jeff George, and although he left to become the No. 1 pick in the 1990 NFL Draft, the Illini began 1990 ranked at No. 11. They barely clung on, finishing the season 8-4 and ranked No. 25.
While they’d be ranked for a few weeks in 1991, Illinois wouldn’t enter the AP Poll again until 1994 when it began the season at No. 21. The Illini would finish 7-5 and only spend three weeks in the poll that year. And it’s been a common theme for them since.
Illinois began the 1994, 2000, and 2008 seasons ranked and finished those three seasons with a combined record of 17-18. An inability to sustain success has dogged the program since the late 1950s, which is precisely what Bret Bielema was brought in to fix ahead of the 2021 season.
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Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/whispers-of-a-dark-horse-cfp-run-pit-illinois-against-the-programs-fiercest-rival-preseason-expectations/
Author : Tom Fornelli
Publish date : 2025-05-17 15:43:00
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