Illini tumble in AP Top 25 following crushing defeat at Indiana, open as home underdogs vs. USC

After a crushing 63-10 loss at Indiana, Illinois fell 14 spots to No. 23 in this week's AP Top 25. Illinois has been ranked for the first five polls of the season, reaching as high as No. 9 entering last week before getting out-classed by the Hoosiers.

Meanwhile, Indiana rose eight spots to No. 11 after demolishing the Illini. Indiana's 63 points were the most ever scored against a top-10 AP Top 25 team.

The Illini (3-1, 0-1 Big Ten) host No. 21 USC on Saturday at 11 a.m. CT (FOX), and the FOX will host its Big Noon Kickoff pregame show from Champaign. The Illini opened as 1.5-point home underdogs vs. the Trojans (4-0), according to The Action Network, but that line has quickly moved to 7 points in favor of USC.

Indiana outgained Illinois 579 to 161 yards, out-rushed Illinois 312 yards to two yards and sacked Luke Altmyer seven times. Illinois ran only four plays in Indiana territory and crossed the 25-yard line just once, on Collin Dixon's 59-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter.

"I'm at a loss for words. I've never been a part of anything like that. The thing that jumped out to me as we began to unfold in the second half was we just didn't have answers for what they were doing and they kept pouring it on, which was exactly what they should do."

Why it matters: The worst loss of the Bret Bielema era by far — the previous largest margin of defeat was 29 points in a 38-9 loss at No. 1 Oregon last season — really resets and dampens expectations for an Illinois team that understandably was getting a lot of hype this offseason after returning 16 starters from a 10-win season a year ago. But the Illini's veteran offensive line has struggled far more than expected, and the secondary has quickly been thinned by injuries. The Illini have plenty of opportunities ahead to bounce back in the rankings, but their credibility took a big hit in Saturday's uncompetitive loss.

Big Ten teams in rankings

1) Ohio State

2) Penn State

6) Oregon

11) Indiana

19) Michigan

21) USC

23) Illinois

What's next: Illinois hosts No. 25 USC for an 11 a.m. CT kickoff (FOX) for the Illini's homecoming game. FOX's Big Noon Kickoff will broadcast from Champaign before the game. This is the first time the two teams will play as Big Ten opponents and the first time the Trojans and Illini will square off since the 2008 2008 Rose Bowl game following the 2024 season. USC will be making its first trip to Champaign since 1996 and the Trojans lead the all-time series 11-2. The game is sold out at Gies Memorial Stadium.

The Trojans (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) are No. 5 in the country in scoring offense (55.0 points per game). USC quarterback Jayden Maiva leading the country in passing efficiency (215.5) with for 1,223 passing yards, nine touchdowns and zero interceptions, while wide receiver Makai Lemon has 24 receptions for 438 yards and three touchdowns.

"The response is what's going to define us," Bret Bielema said. "Today happened. I get it. I understand it. It's something we've got to live through. Very disappointed for our football team, our coaches, our fans, anybody who had supported us to get to this point. We took a long time to build ourselves to get to this point, and we've got to have the right response because USC is going to obviously take advantage of everything they see on film."

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