Illinois head coach Bret Bielema isn’t one to stir the pot without reason, but when the final AP Top 25 poll dropped and left his Illini just two points shy of a ranking, he couldn’t help but react - and he did it in classic Bielema fashion: with a mix of humor, pride, and a not-so-subtle jab at the system.
Let’s be clear - Illinois had themselves a season. A 9-4 finish, capped by a dramatic 30-28 win over Tennessee in the Music City Bowl, marked back-to-back bowl wins under Bielema for the first time in his tenure.
In fact, it was the first time in program history - excluding interim-led squads - that the Illini have pulled off consecutive bowl victories. That’s not just a step forward; that’s a program turning a corner.
So when the AP voters left Illinois just outside the final Top 25, Bielema took to social media - where he's been quieter lately, aside from his signature recruiting "Bret Signals" - to make his case. And he didn’t just advocate for his team; he stood up for the Big Ten as a whole.
“I know that me/we are in control of our work ahead for 2026 season,” Bielema wrote. “I’m sure all voters knew that Iowa beat Vandy even though ranking is opposite….
TCU beat USC, and again, rankings are opposite. Maybe all these AP voters should do a story on each others voting logic.”
Translation? The rankings don’t always reflect what happens on the field - and Bielema’s got the receipts.
Illinois beat USC head-to-head back in September, yet the Trojans landed at No. 20 in the final AP poll. Both teams finished with the same record.
Same goes for TCU, who beat USC as well. Yet somehow, Illinois was left on the outside looking in.
To be fair, not everyone overlooked the Illini. Brett McMurphy of On3 slotted Illinois at No. 18 in his final ballot - a nod that didn’t go unnoticed by Bielema.
“Common sense starting to take place,” Bielema wrote in a quote tweet. “History is awesome but understanding the world today we live in is more important.”
That line hits at the heart of Bielema’s frustration - the idea that name recognition and historical prestige still carry more weight than current performance in the minds of some voters. And while the AP poll may be the most visible, it wasn’t the only one weighing in. The USA Today Coaches Poll gave Illinois the nod at No. 25, offering at least some validation for a season that deserved it.
At the end of the day, rankings are just numbers on paper. But for a program like Illinois, building momentum and national respect matters. And after a nine-win season, a bowl win over an SEC opponent, and a head-to-head victory over a ranked USC team, it’s not hard to understand why Bielema felt his squad earned a little more love.
The offseason is here, and the focus will soon shift to 2026. But don’t be surprised if Bielema uses this slight as fuel. Because if there’s one thing we’ve learned about Illinois under his leadership, it’s that they’re not just chasing respect - they’re earning it, one win at a time.