Skip to main content
Join
Team Avatar
Illinois

Bret Bielema voices frustration over preseason rankings

Grant Grubbs Profile Pictureby:Grant Grubbs•12/31/24•

grant_grubbs_

Bret Bielema
Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema (Michael Allio / Icon Sportswire)

In the preseason media poll, Illinois was voted to finish 13th in the Big Ten. Instead, the Fighting Illini finished in fifth place and will compete against South Carolina in the Citrus Bowl on Tuesday. Ahead of the matchup, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema weighed in on the credibility of preseason rankings.

“We were a 5-7 team a year ago, no one really thought much of us going into this year,” Bielema said. “I did as a football coach. I did as a head coach. I could tell the type of team I had, but it takes a while for the outside world to see those things.”

The world has seen it now. Illinois finished the regular season with a 9-3 record, including three wins over ranked opponents. It’s the best regular season Illinois has had since Bielema’s second year at the helm of the program in 2022.

Illinois’ defense has been particularly excellent this season, only allowing 22.1 points per game. Moreover, the Fighting Illini have squeezed 19 combined turnovers out of their opponents this season.

Bielema believes many outsiders counted out his team before they’d even played a snap this season.

“The College Football Playoffs do a good thing in the fact that they don’t rank anybody until Week Five or Six,” Bielema said. “I think that’s probably a great way to look at it because there’s going to be teams that are going to be held to a high standard that everybody just thinks they’re a top-20 team and they can’t hold up to it.

“On the flipside, there’s teams that people think certain teams are going to be a bottom-20 football team, and they’re not. I think each year individually has its individual season, and we have to rank teams accordingly.”

Now, Bret Bielema and Co. will have one more opportunity to prove their doubters wrong. On Tuesday, the Fighting Illini will square off against No. 15 South Carolina at 3 p.m. ET.

According to most sportsbooks, Illinois is an 8.5-point underdog against the Gamecocks. South Carolina is entering the showdown on a six-game win streak, most recently defeating Clemson 17-14 in the Palmetto Bowl. Thankfully for the Fighting Illini, they’re used to being dark horses.