See if Ohio St., Michigan St. are Back on Top in Week 5 Big Ten Power Rankings
Saturday Blitz Big Ten Power Rankings Week 5
12. Illinois Fighting Illini, 3-2 (0-1), Lost to Nebraska Cornhuskers 45-14 Last Saturday
The Fighting Illini still have plenty of chances to move up this list, but their best win so far this year is Western Kentucky, and their two losses have been by a combined 56 points. By the way, those are the only two games they have played against Power Five opponents as well, and Western Kentucky doesn’t look like anything special.
So forgive us if we don’t show any respect to this team’s 3-2 record. To be fair, Nebraska and Washington are both Top 25-caliber teams, but when those are the only tests they have had on the year, it’s hard to respect them. The defense is as horrendous as it’s been in the past, and while the passing game looks decent, there’s no rushing attack to speak of. It’s making the offense look incredibly mediocre.
Playing in the Big Ten West, there are still plenty of winnable games and enough chances for Illinois to make a bowl game and move up this list. But for right now, there’s no reason to be impressed by what they’ve done.