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Have Illinois and NIU ever been ranked in the top 25 at the same time before?

I see this past weekend they went to Philadelphia and beat a team out there. That is a long trip for a high school football game.

Bears OL is going to get Williams killed if they don’t figure things out. Caleb is taking a beating tonight.

....any word? I need to know how early to head over the stadium!!

Around the CFB World.

1. Let's start in Badgerland. From about 1993 to 2018 (I'm just going with 25 years), Wisconsin was a veritable football power. They won Rose Bowls, they beat Michigan and Ohio State, they owned Iowa for long stretches, I can still remember a win over LSU that very much vexes me, and so on. And it still doesn't make any sense other than to say (a) the extreme power running game was so different than most other offenses it was hard to prepare for and (b) they juiced the hell out of their roster (I absolutely believe this). Any which way, it's over. It's over in basketball too, tho that is less surprising. Wisconsin isn't a bad program in either sport, but they are completely off the national radar now. The magic in Madison is over.

2. Illinois is so much better when it tries to go a little more up tempo, throws the ball (our WRs are good, as is our QB), and focuses the running game off tackle. If you were CMU, would you have anything in the first half go different except for the late long FG? CMU wanted a slow it down, low play count, in the box football game. They got it for a half. Thankfully Lunney adjusted, put up an easy 7 the first drive of the second and 3 points that easily should have been 7 on the second drive of the half. The game never got closer than 14 thereafter.

3. Nebraska is better than IL, but I'd rather be the first quality D their frosh QB sees than one later in the B1G season. Will be a high pressure game for the. For us, the first road game, which can be rocky at times.

4. Purdue had a nice first game, and apparently was a very popular bet today based on the spread dropping 3-4 points in the last 24 hours. YIKES!!! I went from worried that was going to be a sneaky tough game to thinking it might be our easiest game left. And I am not impressed with any of MN, Rutgers, and NW (who isn't exactly blowing the doors of EIU tonight).

5. There are lots of problems at Michigan. Moore may well be the biggest one, but man it appears Harbaugh knew a huge talent drop cometh. They are really not good at QB, but it's not just QB over there. Arkansas State is likely a bad football team too (close wins over Central Arkansas and a terrible Tulsa).

6. It sure seems like there are 4 B1G teams playing for something and the rest is a pile of meh. tOSU, Oregon, USC, and PSU are all playoff contenders. Fifth place is wide open.

7. It's one half, but Georgia won its two national titles because of Todd Monken. They may be the most talented team a 4th straight year, but they no longer have an elite play caller. And the SEC is quite good, they are at least contemplating 5 in the playoffs (may still be tough, but it's possible).

8. What's the matter at Kansas? They somehow pulled off a second straight loss where by all rights they probably should have won. UNLV is not bad, but at least Illinois took the game from KU late, dominating the last 20 minutes. UNLV just accepted the present like a happy kid at Christmas.

9. In theory, I like the new clock rules this year. But seriously, we are getting to the point where these games have too few plays. Maybe knock 5 seconds off the play clock? The game won't slow much, but you'd have more plays.

Illinois wins it 30-9 to improve to 3-0.

Will be either 6:00 or 6:30 p.m. CT. No network designation yet. But it doesn't look like it's a Peacock only game.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Illinois football program is back in the top 25, coming in at #24 in Sunday's AP Top 25. Illinois is in the top 25 for the first time since 2022, when the Illini reached as high as #14 and were ranked for four consecutive weeks in October and November.

The Fighting Illini have knocked off Eastern Illinois, #19 Kansas, and Central Michigan to start the season 3-0 for the first time since 2011. Illinois is off to 3-0 start with a top-20 win for the first time in 50 years (1974).

#24 Illinois is back in action on Friday night at #22 Nebraska for a 7 p.m. CT kickoff on FOX. It will be the Illini's first ranked vs. ranked game since 2008 when #21 Illinois fell 38-24 at #12 Penn State.

More Illini Top 25 Notes
• Sept. 15 is the earliest Illinois has been ranked since 2008.
• Bret Bielema is the first Illini coach to earn Top 25 rankings in two of his first four seasons since Ron Zook in 2007 and 2008.
• Illinois and Nebraska will meet as ranked foes for the first time since Sept. 21, 1985 when #17 Nebraska knocked off #20 Illinois, 52-25, in Lincoln.
• Since 1942, Illinois has compiled a 81-50-2 (.620) record when ranked in the AP Top 25.
• Illinois was one spot outside of this week's Coaches Poll, coming in at #26. Nebraska is #22 in this week's Coaches Poll.

KU 17 UNLV 16 mid 3rd qtr.

Did we break them or are they not as good as expected?

Is Indiana good? Curt Cignetti puts out a young Nick Saban / Brian Kelly sort of vibe.

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