Don't look now, but the Illinois football team has found itself with a number next to our name. The Illini are off to a very strong start this season with a 3-0 record and a win over then-No. 19 Kansas. It was this win over the Jayhawks that has led to Illinois finding itself in the top 25 for the first time since 2022. But don't expect the Illini to let this get to their heads.
The Illini DB has be outstanding through the first three games.
“Pardon my language,” defensive coordinator Aaron Henry said. “I hate rankings. I talk to our defense especially. We say, “FTR.” I ain’t gonna tell you what that means.”
The Illini say Bleep The Rankings. It isn't just the defense. The offense feels the same way.
“Sure, there's value there,” offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. said. “We don't pay much attention to the outside noise. It's a lot better than not being ranked. Our players have put themselves in position to be noticed because of the way we started the season and that's always good.”
The Fighting Illini are off to the best start since 2011. The upset victory over Kansas Sept. 7 is the biggest win of the 3-0 start.
As they prepare for the first road game of the season against the Nebraska Cornhuskers Friday night, the focus is on the game. Lunney said the rankings are irrelevant as of now.
“Is that going to carry weight when we go into the game Friday night? No, it won't carry any weight when the two teams are on the field,” Lunney siad. “It's just two teams getting after each other. I think it's nice for our players to be recognized for that.”
Xavier Scott Making Plays Everywhere
After recording another pick the following week against Central Michigan, Xavier Scott has the second-most interceptions in the country. Scott has been all over the field making plays in the first three games of the season and I don’t see him slowing down anytime soon. With his incredible nose for the football, I would not be surprised if some fans thought Lovie Ball was back in Champaign.
What To Watch For This Week
This week, the Illini will be traveling to Lincoln to take on the No. 22 Cornhuskers and their freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola. While many know Raiola for his obsession and resemblance to Patrick Mahomes, he has been impressive so far, although Nebraska has yet to face a real challenge on the defensive side.
Key Players to Watch
Nebraska's Dylan Raiola
“That cat’s different, man. He is as good as advertised. Obviously, there’s a lot reminiscent of Pat Mahomes, but the young man is a big-time player in his own right. For a player that young to come in and command that offense the way he does, he does a tremendous job. ... He’s a freshman, but you can throw all that out the window. That dude has been playing the game a long time. He’s doing it the right way. His teammates are behind him.”
Illinois' Xavier Scott
Scott is a junior out of Riviera Beach, Florida, who has played in at least 11 games each of the last two seasons. After spending his freshman season learning from Illinois greats like Sydney Brown, Devin Witherspoon and Quan Martin, Scott stepped into his own last season. While hopes were high for him to have a big season this year, I don’t think anyone expected it to happen this quickly.
Illinois' Zakhari Franklin
“I’m gonna say Zakhari Franklin. I call him a crutch for Luke Altmyer. Why do I call him that? Because on third down, that is his guy. Last week he had five catches for 66 yards. Not anything too crazy, but when it mattered, he got it done. I think they’re going to rely on him, especially when Nebraska has its best cornerback on Pat Bryant.”
Illinois' Defensive Line
“TeRah Edwards is an unsung hero. He does all the dirty work. Doesn’t get a lot of praise. The addition of Briggs has been awesome. That dude is a terror — an absolute terror — inside. This is no recruiting pitch to any portal D-lineman in the future, but that cat is special. I’m so glad he came here. TeRah was a portal kid, as well. The value those two men bring inside for us, I think it makes us very effective. It makes us very strong at the point of attack. Then, obviously, you have those other two guys on the outside (Seth Coleman and Gabe Jacas), and I think we’ve got a pretty unique and special front when you combine them all together.”
Bielema's Illini Are Back
This isn’t the first time Illinois has been ranked in the Bielema era either. Just two seasons ago, Illinois worked its way up to No. 14 in the country and No. 16 in the College Football Playoff. Bielema now has the Illini ranked in two out of four seasons he has been the head coach. The last coach to say that was Ron Zook during the 2007 and 2008 campaigns. That was 17 seasons ago.
This Week's Matchup
In that game, Xavier Scott had his national coming-out party. Last year, Scott had two interceptions and a forced fumble in the entire season. Against Kansas, he was able to match his previous totals and even one-up himself by returning one of the interceptions for a touchdown to give the Illini the lead just before halftime, and forcing the fumble on the final play of the game to seal the victory for the Illini.
The Illinois schedule gives us a chance to not only be in the top 25 for much of the season but to also make a run at the College Football Playoff top 12. Four ranked opponents await in the next five games. This is a crucial stretch of the season.
Illinois is a much-improved team than the one Nebraska beat 20-7 last year. If the Fighting Illini can carry over their success from one Memorial Stadium to another, the Huskers could be on serious upset watch. With a win, the Illini would move up in the rankings and put a lot of pressure on the rest of the Big Ten. However, a loss could quickly bring them back to Earth. Either way, this is going to be a big week for the Illini.
The Illini know they need to stay focused and not get caught up in the hype. They need to keep playing their game and not let the rankings get to their heads.
