Ohio State came out of Week 4 with a familiar result in the standings and a few eye-catching numbers in the box score.
The Buckeyes handled Illinois 42-19 at Ohio Stadium to open Big Ten play 1-0 for the 15th straight season, but the afternoon was more than just a conference win. It was the kind of game that lit up the stat sheet on offense while leaving the defense with some things to clean up before a tougher test at No. 14 Iowa in Week 5.
Julian Sayin put together a career day at quarterback, and Jeremiah Smith matched him step for step as the two drove Ohio State’s attack. Sayin completed 75 percent of his passes for 367 yards and four touchdowns, while also running for 29 yards and another score.
He targeted Smith 16 times, and the star receiver turned that workload into a career-high 12 catches for 217 yards and four touchdowns. On the ground, Ja'Kobi Jackson and Bo Jackson were efficient, combining for 21 carries, 109 yards and one touchdown.
Ohio State’s defense wasn’t airtight, but it did enough to keep Illinois from turning the game into a shootout. The Buckeyes allowed only two touchdowns, forced two punts and came up with two turnovers on downs.
Safety Jaylen McClain led the way with eight total tackles and four pass breakups. Devin Sanchez and Jermaine Mathews Jr. each posted seven tackles and broke up five passes.
Kenyatta Jackson Jr. and Riley Pettijohn each got to the quarterback for a sack, and Pettijohn added two tackles for loss.
The broader statistical picture still shows Ohio State near the top of the sport in several key areas, even if some of the defensive numbers took a hit after the Illinois game. The Buckeyes are allowing 12.3 points per game, which ranks tied for 11th nationally and fifth in the Big Ten.
Their total defense sits at 274.3 yards per game, good for 27th nationally and seventh in the conference. Against the pass, Ohio State is giving up 160.3 yards per game, ranking 17th nationally and fifth in the Big Ten.
The run defense, though, has slipped to 114.0 yards per game, which places the Buckeyes 45th nationally and 11th in the league.
On third downs, opponents are converting 36.67 percent of the time against Ohio State. In the red zone, though, the Buckeyes have tightened up, allowing scores on 71.43 percent of trips, tied for second in the Big Ten. They’ve also totaled seven sacks so far.
Special teams has been a mixed bag. Ohio State is making 80 percent of its field goals and all of its extra points, but the punting and return numbers remain low on the national scale. The Buckeyes are averaging 41.56 yards per punt, 15.33 yards per kickoff return and 5.09 yards per punt return.
A few other numbers from Saturday stood out around the program. The win was the 105th meeting between Ohio State and Illinois, and the Buckeyes now own a 71-30-4 edge in the series with 10 straight victories.
Ohio State remains 993-338-53 all-time and still holds the highest winning percentage in college football history. Since 2000, the Buckeyes have also posted the best home record in the FBS at 160-17.
Ryan Day is now 85-13 as Ohio State’s head coach, which puts him fourth in school history in wins and nine behind Jim Tressel for third. His .867 winning percentage trails only Knute Rockne among FBS head coaches in the game’s history.
Under Day, Ohio State is 56-5 in Big Ten play and has the nation’s best 47 home wins. In his 61 Big Ten games, the Buckeyes have averaged 40 points while allowing 15.3.
Since the start of the 2024 national championship season, Ohio State has allowed just 11.3 points per game, the best mark in the country by 1.7 points. The Buckeyes also rank first nationally in yards allowed at 242.3 per game and passing yards allowed at 150.8.
There were a few individual milestones, too. Smith set career highs in catches, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns in the same game, and he became the fastest Scarlet and Gray player to reach 100 receptions, 1,000, 1,500, 2,000 receiving yards and 25 touchdown catches.
He also became the first Ohio State player with 3,000 career receiving yards. Sayin’s 75.1 career completion percentage makes him the most accurate quarterback in program history, and Saturday was his eighth career 300-yard passing game, tying him for third in Ohio State history.
McClain matched his career high with eight tackles, and Ja'Kobi Jackson became the first running back to score a rushing touchdown in four straight games since TreVeyon Henderson did it in 2023.
In Other News...
Ohio State Defense Faces A Road Test Iowa Can Expose
Ohio State heads into a ranked road matchup at Iowa with the kind of test that can sharpen a defense or expose a flaw. The Buckeyes will have to deal with a difficult environment and an Iowa offense that leans on quarterback Hank Brown, a productive backfield and a defense led by linebacker Cam Buffington and safety Zach Lutmer, while the bigger worry for Ohio State is whether it can hold up against the run and stay sound in coverage against tight ends.
The Hawkeyes have enough moving parts to make this more than a routine Big Ten trip, especially at home where the crowd can turn every series into a grind. Ohio States defensive front will be under pressure to set the tone early, because if Iowa can keep the Buckeyes guessing and force them to chase the game, this matchup could become a lot more uncomfortable than the rankings suggest. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Defense Isnt In Trouble But One Concern Isnt Going Away
Ohio States defense has spent enough time under the microscope already this fall, and a former Buckeye who has been watching the unit closely sees a group with real room to grow rather than a unit in panic mode. He pointed to the kind of issues that can show up early in a season, including miscommunications and the absence of veteran star power, while still saying defensive coordinator Matt Patricia remains effective in his job. He also gave credit to Illinois quarterback Katin Houser for making the defense work for it.
The bigger takeaway, though, is that the concerns do not appear to be structural in his view. He expects the Buckeyes defense to keep improving and believes it will be good by the end of the season, even if the ceiling may not be quite elite. For a program used to treating every defensive hiccup as a minor crisis, that is a useful reminder that some early-season problems can be real without being fatal. [Read more 🡒]
Ryan Day Sounds Different As Ohio State Heads Into Kinnick
Ryan Day spent part of the week laying out where Ohio State stands as it heads to Kinnick Stadium, and the conversation touched just about every corner of the roster. He gave updates on player availability, pointed to Julian Sayins continued growth, and said the running backs have made progress as the Buckeyes keep sorting out roles for Jeremiah Smith, Khary Wilder and Kyle Parker. It was the kind of check-in that comes with a road game like this, where the details matter and the margin for error tends to shrink.
Kinnick has a way of making even experienced teams feel uneasy, and Day acknowledged the challenge while framing Ohio States current state as a product of steady development since the season began. He also left open a few questions about how the lineup will look once the Buckeyes get through the week, including one involving Legend Bey and how much he can get done in practice before a decision has to be made. [Read more 🡒]