T-53 Illinois
2-2 in Big Ten play, T-8th in the Big Ten
Up 16 spots (T-69 to T-53) after a home win over T-38 Oregon (21-10). An upset: Illinois entered with 54.3 TDR points to Oregon's 67.8. Now 4-3. TDR score +5.4: win/loss record +3.9, road-win bonus +0.8.
2026 season recap (through week 8)
Illinois (Big Ten) is ranked T-53, tied with Middle Tennessee and Ole Miss in The Davis Rankings after week 8 of 2026, with a record of 4-3 and a score of 59.7 out of 100. That is up 16 from week 7. That puts it in the Character Building tier (ranks 51-75). Its strongest factor is recent results (100.0 out of 100). Its weakest is opponent record at game time (52.8 out of 100).
The best win by current ranking came in week 1, 42-23 over #56 UAB at home. The loss that stings most in the formula is the week 5 loss, 24-17 to #105 Purdue at home.
Illinois has won its last 2 games in a row. On the road it is 1-1. The average margin is +5.0 points per game, with a biggest win of 38 points. 3 of 7 games were decided by a touchdown or less.
Illinois is not ranked in the AP, Coaches, or CFP polls this week, while the Davis Rankings has it 53rd.
Next up is #119 Maryland in week 9, on the road. The toughest game left on the schedule by current rank is week 11 against #1 UCLA. 2 of the 5 games left are against teams currently in the top 25.
Schedule
| Week | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | UAB (home) | W 42-23 |
| 2 | Duke (home) | L 27-31 |
| 3 | Southern Illinois (home) | W 48-10 |
| 4 | Ohio State (away, conference game) | L 19-42 |
| 5 | Purdue (home, conference game) | L 17-24 |
| 6 | Michigan State (away, conference game) | W 38-37 |
| 8 | Oregon (home, conference game) | W 21-10 |
Upcoming games
| Week | Opponent | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Maryland (away, conference game) | (FS1) |
| 10 | Nebraska (home, conference game) | (FOX) |
| 11 | UCLA (away, conference game) | (FOX) |
| 12 | Iowa (home, conference game) | Sat Nov 21, time TBD |
| 13 | Northwestern (away, conference game) | Sat Nov 28, time TBD |
Ranking history 2026
Now #53, Character Building (week 8). Best #12 (week 1). Lowest #111 (week 5). Higher on the chart is a better rank. The shaded bands are rank tiers, with each tier's sticker at its left.
Week 8 TDR #53 (59.7, 4-3) Character Building
Week 1 TDR #12 (91.5, 1-0)
Week 2 TDR #89 (44.0, 1-1)
Week 3 TDR #57 (64.9, 2-1) Character Building
Week 4 TDR #96 (39.1, 2-2) Do We Need to Talk?
Week 5 TDR #111 (31.5, 2-3) Sick of It
Week 6 TDR #65 (54.4, 3-3) Character Building
Week 7 TDR #69 (54.3, 3-3) Character Building
Week 8 TDR #53 (59.7, 4-3) Character Building
Week by week
| Week | TDR | Score | Record | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | #12 | 91.5 | 1-0 | - |
| 2 | #89 | 44.0 | 1-1 | - |
| 3 | #57 | 64.9 | 2-1 | Character Building |
| 4 | #96 | 39.1 | 2-2 | Do We Need to Talk? |
| 5 | #111 | 31.5 | 2-3 | Sick of It |
| 6 | #65 | 54.4 | 3-3 | Character Building |
| 7 | #69 | 54.3 | 3-3 | Character Building |
| 8 | #53 | 59.7 | 4-3 | Character Building |
Score breakdown
Each factor is scored 0–100, then weighted into the composite score. Full methodology & weights
| Factor | Score (0-100) |
|---|---|
| win/loss record | 57.1 |
| recent results | 100.0 |
| road-win bonus | 55.6 |
| opponent record at game time | 52.8 |
| opponent record today | 53.3 |
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