By Saturday, Ohio State will have gone 301 days without a win over a Power 4 opponent, a stretch that stands out even if it isn’t the longest in program history. It’s the longest drought since Ryan Day took over, and the last time the Buckeyes went 300 days or more without beating a Power 4 team was 2011.
That streak gets a shot at ending against Illinois, while Ohio State also looks to keep a 10-game winning streak alive against the Illini.
The staff’s picks were built around DraftKings’ line, which has Ohio State favored by 27.5 points with a 53.5-point over/under. The group is also playing the season-long Buckeye Talk tokens game, starting with 100 tokens and trying to build the biggest bankroll, or at least avoid a wipeout.
Stephen Means sees a Buckeye win that stays under the number in his own view of the spread, but still lands comfortably on the scoreboard.
Ohio State 38, Illinois 17
He called the 27.5-point spread high, though he also said he may be too close to what’s happening in Columbus and too focused on the flaws. Even so, he’s open to this becoming a clean, businesslike win - the kind where Ohio State handles its work early and finishes an opponent instead of letting it linger.
Over/under: Over 53.5 (5 BTT)
Record: 2-1
Against the spread: 3-0-0
Over/under record: 2-1-0
Tokens left: 170
Stefan Krajisnik also landed on 38-17, and he expects Illinois to make things respectable for a while.
Ohio State 38, Illinois 17
He pointed to veteran quarterback Katin Houser leading an Illinois offense that should do enough to hang around for much of the afternoon. But he also expects Ohio State’s offense, with Heisman hopefuls Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith, to create enough separation to leave no doubt about the result.
Krajisnik noted that Duke put up 31 points in its Week 2 win at Illinois, which suggests the Buckeyes can find success too. He also thinks Ohio State’s rushing attack should take a step forward as Ryan Day keeps searching for a more balanced offense.
In the passing game, he expects Smith to get his chances, while Sayin could also spread the ball around. Day wants better chemistry between his quarterback and the rest of the receiving corps, and a comfortable day against Illinois could help move that along.
Game pick: Illinois +27.5 (10 BTT)
Over/under: Over 53.5 (5 BTT)
Record: 3-0
Against the spread: 2-1-0
Over/under record: 1-2-0
Tokens left: 105
Andrew Gillis went a little lower, but still had Ohio State winning by multiple scores.
Ohio State 34, Illinois 13
He described this one as something of a slog, with Bret Bielema’s team staying in it without ever really threatening the Buckeyes. Ohio State, he wrote, should never be in danger, but it also may not fully blow the doors off.
Gillis pointed to a few areas Ohio State still needs to clean up, especially the run game on third downs and in the red zone. Those issues, in his view, could keep the margin tighter than it should be. Even so, he thinks this could be a game where defensive coordinator Matt Patricia starts to get a better feel for his defense and things begin to settle into place for the rest of the season.
He has Ohio State rolling into a three-score win before a tough trip next week to Iowa.
Against the spread: 3-0-0
Over/under record: 3-0-0
Tokens left: 149
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Urban Meyer recently raised the temperature even more by calling Smith the best receiver in college football history, and it is exactly the kind of claim that invites a bigger argument. The numbers behind Smiths start are elite, but when you stack him against some of the sports other great college receivers, the debate gets more complicated, especially with his NFL future still unwritten. [Read more 🡒]