Illini Football In The Rankings

Last updated following the 2024 season

Since 1942, Illinois has compiled an 87-53-2 (.620) record when ranked in the Top 25, including a 37-12-2 record when ranked among the Top 10.
The following is a list of Illinois when ranked (as recorded by the Associated Press) since 1942.
 

DATE / RANK / OPPONENT / W/L / SCORE

10/17/42 #5 at #19 Iowa W 12-7

10/24/42 #5 vs. #8 Notre Dame L 14-21

10/31/42 #12 at #13 Michigan L 14-28

11/7/42 #20 at Northwestern W 14-7

11/14/42 #13 at #10 Ohio State L 20-44

10/14/44 #14 vs. Iowa W 40-6 

10/28/44 #14 vs. Notre Dame L 7-13 

11/11/44 #10 at #8 Michigan L 0-14 

10/12/46 #12 at Indiana L 7-14 

11/2/46 #11 at Iowa W 7-0 

11/16/46 #9 vs. #13 Ohio State W 16-7 

11/23/46 #5 at Northwestern W 20-0 

10/11/47 #6 vs. #5 Army T 0-0 

10/18/47 #6 vs. #13 Minnesota W 40-13 

10/25/47 #5 at Purdue L 7-14 

11/1/47 #11 vs. #2 Michigan L 7-14 

11/15/47 #11 at Ohio State W 28-7 

11/22/47 #12 vs. Northwestern L 13-28 

10/7/50 #15 at Wisconsin L 6-7 

10/28/50 #12 vs. #19 Indiana W 20-0 

11/4/50 #10 at Michigan W 7-0 

11/11/50 #10 at Iowa W 21-7 

11/18/50 #8 vs. #1 Ohio State W 14-7 

11/25/50 #6 at Northwestern L 7-14 

10/6/51 #8 vs. Wisconsin W 14-10

10/13/51 #7 vs. Syracuse W 41-20 

10/20/51 #8 at #20 Washington W 27-20 

10/27/51 #4 at Indiana W 21-0 

11/3/51 #3 vs. #15 Michigan W 7-0

11/10/51 #2 at Iowa W 40-13 

11/17/51 #3 at Ohio State T 0-0 

11/24/51 #6 vs. Northwestern W 3-0 

1/1/52 #4 vs. Stanford (Rose Bowl) W 40-7 

10/4/52 #2 at Wisconsin L 6-20 

10/11/52 #13 vs. Washington W 48-14 

10/18/52 #17 at Minnesota L 7-13 

10/17/53 #9 at Minnesota W 27-7 

10/24/53 #7 vs. Syracuse W 20-13 

10/31/53 #4 vs. Purdue W 21-0 

11/7/53 #4 vs. #17 Michigan W 19-3 

11/14/53 #3 at Wisconsin L 7-34 

11/21/53 #7 at Northwestern W 39-14 

9/25/54 #6 vs. Penn State L 12-14 

10/6/56 #13 at Washington L 13-28 

10/26/57 #16 at #8 Michigan State L 14-19 

11/16/57 #15 at Wisconsin L 13-24 

10/10/59 #20 at Ohio State W 9-0 

10/17/59 #13 vs. Minnesota W 14-6 

10/24/59 #13 vs. Penn State L 9-20 

9/24/60 #4 vs. Indiana W 17-6 

10/1/60 #4 vs. West Virginia W 33-0 

10/8/60 #4 vs. #5 Ohio State L 7-34 

10/19/63 #7 vs. Minnesota W 16-6 

10/25/63 #4 at UCLA W 18-12 

11/2/63 #2 vs. Purdue W 41-21 

11/9/63 #2 vs. Michigan L 8-14 

11/16/63 #8 at Wisconsin W 17-7 

11/28/63 #8 at #4 Michigan State W 13-0

10/3/64 #3 at Northwestern W 17-6 

10/10/64 #2 vs. #4 Ohio State L 0-26 

9/28/74 #16 vs. Washington State W 21-19 

10/5/74 #14 vs. California L 14-31 

9/25/82 #19 vs. #3 Pittsburgh L 3-20 

10/9/82 #20 vs. Purdue W 38-34

10/16/82 #15 vs. Ohio State L 21-26 

10/8/83 #19 at Wisconsin W 27-15

10/15/83 #19 vs. #6 Ohio State W 17-13

10/22/83 #11 at Purdue W 35-21 

10/29/83 #9 vs. #8 Michigan W 16-6 

11/5/83 #6 at Minnesota W 50-23 

11/12/83 #5 vs. Indiana W 49-21 

11/19/83 #4 at Northwestern W 56-24 

1/2/84 #4 vs. UCLA (Rose Bowl) L 9-45

9/7/85 #11 vs. #6 USC L 10-20 

9/14/85 #19 vs. Southern Illinois W 28-25 

9/21/85 #20 at #17 Nebraska L 25-52

9/4/89 #22 at #5 USC W 14-13 

9/16/89 #10 at #8 Colorado L 7-38 

9/23/89 #20 vs. Utah State W 41-2 

10/7/89 #18 vs. Ohio State W 34-14 

10/14/89 #16 at Purdue W 14-2 

10/21/89 #13 at Michigan State W 14-10 

10/28/89 #8 vs. Wisconsin W 32-9 

11/4/89 #8 at Iowa W 31-7 

11/11/89 #8 vs. #3 Michigan L 10-24 

11/18/89 #12 vs. Indiana W 41-28 

11/25/89 #11 at Northwestern W 63-14 

1/1/90 #11 vs. #16 Virginia W 31-21 (Cirtus Bowl)

9/8/90 #11 at  Arizona L 16-28 

9/15/90 #21 vs. #11 Colorado W 23-22 

9/22/90 #15 vs. Southern Illinois W 56-21 

10/6/90 #13 at #20 Ohio State W 31-20 

10/13/90 #11 vs. Purdue W 34-0 

10/20/90 #8 vs. #25 Michigan State W 15-13 

10/27/90 #5 at Wisconsin W 21-3 

11/3/90 #5 vs. #13 Iowa L 28-54 

11/10/90 #17 at #19 Michigan L 17-22 

11/1790 #22 at Indiana W 24-10 

11/24/90 #22 vs. Northwestern W 28-23 

1/1/91 #16 vs. #14 Clemson L 0-30 

(Hall of Fame Bowl)

10/25/91 #22 vs. Minnesota W 24-3 

10/12/91 #20 vs. #11 Ohio State W 10-7 

10/19/91 #13 at #15 Iowa L 21-24 

10/26/91 #17 at Northwestern L 11-17 

11/16/91 #25 vs. #4 Michigan L 0-20 

9/1/94 #21 vs. Washington State L 9-10 

9/2/95 #25 vs. #13 Michigan L 14-38 

9/2/00 #21 vs. Middle Tennessee W 35-6 

9/9/00 #21 at San Diego State W 49-13 

9/16/00 #19 vs. California W 17-15 

9/23/00 #19 vs. #10 Michigan L 31-35 

9/30/00 #24 at Minnesota L 10-44 

9/29/01 #22 at #17 Michigan L 20-45 

11/3/01 #21 at #20 Purdue W 38-13 

11/10/01 #15 vs. Penn State W 33-28 

11/17/01 #12 at #25 Ohio State W 34-22 

11/22/01 #10 vs. Northwestern W 34-28 

1/1/02 #7 vs. #12 LSU (Sugar Bowl) L 34-47 

10/13/07 #18 at Iowa L 6-10

11/17/07 #20 vs. Northwestern W 41-22

1/1/08 #13 vs. #6 USC (Rose Bowl) L 17-49

8/30/08 #19 vs. #6 Missouri L 42-52

9/6/08 #24 vs. Eastern Illinois W 47-21

9/13/08 #24 vs. Louisiana-Lafayette W 20-17

9/27/08 #21 at #12 Penn State L 24-38

9/24/11 #24 vs. Western Michigan W 23-20

10/1/11 #24 vs. Northwestern W 38-35

10/8/11 #19 at Indiana W 41-20

10/15/11 #16 vs. Ohio State L 7-17

10/22/11 #23 at Purdue L 14-21

10/15/23 #24 vs. Minnesota W 26-14

10/29/23 #17 at Nebraska W 26-9

11/5/23 #14 vs. Michigan State L 15-23

11/12/23 #21 vs. Purdue L 24-31

9/20/24 #24 at #22 Nebraska W 31-24 (OT)

9/28/24 #19 at #9 Penn State L 7-21

10/12/24 #23 vs. Purdue W 50-49 (OT)

10/19/24 #22 vs. #24 Michigan W 21-7

10/26/24 #20 at #1 Oregon L 9-38

11/2/24 #24 vs. Minnesota L 17-25

11/23/24 #24 at Rutgers W 38-31

11/30/24 #22 at Northwestern W 38-28 (at Wrigley Field)

12/31/24 #21 vs. #14 South Carolina W 21-17 (Cheez-It Citrus Bowl)