Illinois left out of AP preseason college football rankings
The Illini were not included in the Associated Press preseason Top 25, with analysts pointing to the team’s chances of earning a first ranking later in the season.
Illinois was omitted from the Associated Press preseason Top 25 college football poll, according to Yahoo Sports, as the new rankings were released ahead of the season. The absence leaves the Illini outside the opening national list.
The poll’s release has already prompted debate about where several teams were placed, with CBS Sports highlighting Texas, USC and other programs in its assessment of the rankings. That discussion has also included which teams may be most likely to fall out of the final poll.
For Illinois, the immediate question is when the program might break into the rankings for the first time. The preseason result gives the team a route to prove itself once games begin.
The Associated Press poll is one of college football’s most closely watched early-season markers and often shapes the first national conversation around contenders and outsiders.
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