Who is next for Bielama and Illinois football? The bye week. But the Fighting Illini will stay ranked another week!
There have been plenty of pleasant surprises this year in college football. Illinois football is ranked, Kansas ranked, Syracuse ranked and UCLA ranked just to name some of these surprises. Safe to say its good for the sport. No matter what we like the big teams being in contention even if you hate them like Bama, Georgia, Ohio State, Clemson, Michigan, LSU and more. Those teams being good is normal and they have awesome stadium environments that are enjoyable to watch week to week. Obviously some of those teams are having a tough year but normally they’re exciting and good. What is always fun to see no matter what are the upsets and “smaller school” teams playing harder and smarter and who finally get rewarded by being ranked for their stellar play.
Before this year Illinois had not been ranked since 2011 and it is exciting to see them back in the polls at #18 currently. Importantly there will finally be a switch up in the Big Ten West where we won’t see Wisconsin just roll into the Big Ten Championship because everyone else is just plain bad. Illinois football under Bielama is ready to take center stage in the Big Ten West and take them to their first Big Ten title game since 2001. It must be a little painful for Wisconsin fans to watch Bielama their old coach who led them to multiple Big Ten titles go and turn a program around and no be in the driver seat to play at Lucas Oil Stadium in December.
Illinois play Nebraska next week. We all know what’s going on with Nebraska currently but don’t take any game lightly especially when Illinois is so close to finally getting back to the title game. Bielama would love to play for the Big Ten title especially in the year that Wisconsin fires their coach and Illinois are in the same side of the conference that Wisconsin has basically owned for years.
𝐀𝐏 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐥 𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠
No. 18#Illini // #HTTO // #famILLy pic.twitter.com/EweKJJ51TU
— Illinois Football (@IlliniFootball) October 16, 2022
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