Ohio State heads into Big Ten play with a clean slate in one hand and a very different Illinois team in the other.
The No. 7 Buckeyes rolled past Kent State 59-3 on Saturday to improve to 2-1, and now they turn toward next Saturday’s noon ET matchup with the Fighting Illini at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. It’s the featured Big Noon Kickoff game, and it’s Ohio State’s second appearance in that slot this season.
The Buckeyes beat Illinois 34-16 last year, but this version of Bret Bielema’s team does not look much like the one Ohio State handled a season ago. Illinois is 2-1 and has gone through major turnover, starting with the loss of quarterback Luke Altmyer, who signed with the Detroit Lions’ practice squad.
Altmyer, a former three-year Big Ten starter who transferred from Ole Miss before the 2023 season, helped Illinois go 19-7 over the last two seasons, a run that included bowl wins over South Carolina in the 2024 Cheez-It Citrus Bowl and Tennessee in the 2025 Music City Bowl. He’s also widely regarded as one of the best quarterbacks in Illinois history.
The Illini’s earlier stretch under Altmyer began with a 5-7 finish, while Ohio State was chasing titles and won it all in 2024-25.
Illinois also has a new face leading the defense. Linebacker Gabe Jacas, who is now a rookie with the New England Patriots, was a major part of the group that picked up key home wins against USC, Purdue and Northwestern over the last two seasons.
That turnover has been obvious for this year’s Illinois squad, even if the results have still been strong enough to keep it relevant entering conference play. Last season, the Illini scored more points against Ohio State than any other regular-season opponent during their Illibuck Trophy matchup, a ranked showdown between No. 1 and No. 17.
Ohio State, for its part, has been built differently too. The Buckeyes had an historic NFL Draft in April, with 11 players moving on to the next level.
This season, Illinois has leaned on transfer quarterback Katin Houser, a senior who has played at East Carolina and Michigan State, and junior receiver Collin Dixon. Dixon has been the breakout name of the group, and his production has already turned heads. He set the Illinois single-season record for touchdowns at Gies Memorial Stadium during Saturday’s 48-10 win over Southern Illinois, breaking the mark previously held by Denver Broncos wideout Pat Bryant, who had six in 2024.
Bielema didn’t hold back when talking about Dixon after that win.
"It's incredible... He's so humble.
He works his absolute ass off every day. He's super intelligent.
Comprehends and understands football very, very quickly... He's really special."
Dixon’s seven receiving touchdowns through three weeks are the most by any receiver in the country, and that makes him the clear focal point for Ohio State’s defense. If the Buckeyes want to start conference play 1-0 and protect their top-10 AP Poll spot, slowing Dixon will be one of the biggest jobs on the board.
Ohio State hasn’t lost to Illinois since a 28-21 upset in Columbus on Nov. 10, 2007, when the Buckeyes were No. 1. But this one comes with enough change on both sides to make Saturday worth watching closely.
In Other News...
Ohio States Easy Win Couldnt Quiet One Big Concern
Ohio State handled Kent State 59-3 and put the game away early, taking a 35-0 lead into halftime and never letting the outcome feel in doubt. The Buckeyes still found enough balance to lean on the run, finishing with 145 rushing yards on 38 attempts, with Bo Jackson leading the way with 73 yards and a touchdown.
Even in a blowout, though, the ground game remains a point worth watching. Ohio States rushing offense is still inconsistent overall, sitting 79th nationally at just under 159 yards per game, and that leaves a gap between what this roster can be and what it has shown so far. The schedule will get less forgiving from here, and the Buckeyes will need more than a comfortable win to answer that concern. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Just Got A Clear Warning About Illinois Saturday
Illinois followed its loss to Duke with a much cleaner performance against Southern Illinois, and the part that should have Ohio State paying attention is how much more settled the Illini looked at the line of scrimmage. The offensive line showed progress, the run defense was sturdier, and the overall operation came across as a team that had already made some useful corrections before the matchup in Columbus.
Katin Houser also gave Illinois a steadier passing game by spreading the ball around, which matters because it hints at a more functional offense than the one that stumbled a week earlier. The defense, meanwhile, flashed enough improvement against the run to suggest this is not a team the Buckeyes can afford to overlook, even if the bigger question still hangs over whether those adjustments travel against a much faster and more talented opponent. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Fans Got A Big Noon Reminder Nobody Wanted
A rout should have sounded like a showcase, but Ohio States 59-3 win over Kent State came with a broadcast that drew as much attention as the score. FOX Sports announcer Gus Johnson delivered the game in a flat, muted tone, and he also made a factual mistake while discussing a players touchdown history, a rough combination in a matchup that was already struggling to hold viewers attention.
The bigger issue is one college football keeps circling back to every fall: games like this are increasingly hard to sell, even for a blueblood with a massive fan base. Ohio State can only do so much when the opponent is overmatched, and the broadcast only amplified the sense that fans, and maybe networks, would rather see a more competitive nonconference slate than another predictable Saturday afternoon tune-up. [Read more 🡒]