This isn’t your average college football ranking.
My Ultimate 136 is a set of rankings that is fluid, but it’s my job to look ahead and make a claim for all FBS teams based on what I know and why I know it. Here are the three pressing questions I started by asking when putting together this list:
- Who do I think is good?
- Why do I think they’re good?
- What are the chances they will finish above or below my expectations?
Here is a look at where Illinois lands in my Ultimate 136
Illinois ranking: 16
Last year’s ranking: 87
Top player: LB Gabe Jacas: Named to both the Lott Impact Trophy and Bronco Nagurski Trophy preseason watch list; was one of nine Power 4 players to record 8+ sacks and 3+ forced fumbles last season.
RJ’s take: Bret Bielema coached the Illini to their first 10-win season since 2001 last year and must be counted as a program capable of contending for the Big Ten title in 2025, especially with the unprecedented Year 1 success of Indiana — for which all turnarounds will be measured.
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Bielema avoids Michigan, Penn State and Oregon on the schedule, and that’s not nothing given the bevy of experience returning to play for him — 19 starters are back in Champaign. If you didn’t know that, I wonder if he simply hasn’t tweeted about it yet?
Illinois Win Total Odds: Over 8.5 (+144) Under 8.5 (-178)
Have an issue with my rankings? Think your alma mater is too low, or your school’s rival is too high? Get at me on X, @RJ_Young, and I’ll select my favorite tweets and respond to them in a future article.
RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports. Follow him at @RJ_Young.
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