Saturday is shaping up to be an interesting matchup for USC. The latest AP Top 25 Poll saw the Trojans rise a couple of spots. Entering the Michigan State game, USC was ranked 25th. Now heading into the Illinois matchup, they are ranked 21st.
Some of the inconsistencies continue to baffle college football fans when it comes to which teams are placed where by the voters. It is still significant that a Trojan team that started out the year unranked continues to find itself in a comfortable position in the rankings.
It is also safe to say that a win against Illinois would propel USC into the top 20.