Ohio State gets its Big Ten slate started Saturday at Ohio Stadium, and the matchup with Illinois comes with a little extra weight: the Illibuck Trophy is on the line, and the Buckeyes are trying to keep a long winning streak against the Fighting Illini rolling.
The No. 7 Buckeyes and Illinois kick at 12 p.m.
Eastern on FOX, with free viewing options available through trial offers from DIRECTV and FuboTV. SlingTV also carries the game through Sling Select for $19.99 per month in select markets.
Ohio State enters at 2-1 after blasting Kent State 59-3 last week in Columbus. The Buckeyes piled up 527 yards to the Golden Flashes’ 134, a sharp response after their only loss, a trip to then-No.
4 Texas that now looks even tougher with the Longhorns sitting at No. 1.
Julian Sayin has been the engine of the offense. The junior quarterback, who finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting last year, has thrown for 839 yards, six touchdowns and one interception, and his 90.4 QBR ranks fourth nationally. He was steady rather than spectacular against Illinois a year ago, completing 19 of 27 passes for 166 yards and two scores.
Jeremiah Smith keeps piling up numbers, too. The junior receiver recently broke the program’s all-time receiving yards record in the Kent State game and now has 21 catches for 400 yards and three touchdowns. He’s averaging 19 yards per grab.
Ohio State’s run game has leaned on sophomore Bo Jackson and senior Ja’Kobi Jackson. Bo has 39 carries for 230 yards and two touchdowns, while Ja’Kobi has 21 carries for 150 yards and four scores. Ja’Kobi was also called out publicly by Ryan Day, an unusual move from the Ohio State coach.
There’s still work to do on defense and on third down. The Buckeyes have only four sacks through three games, and they went just 1-for-8 on third-down tries against Kent State. They’ll try to clean up both areas against an Illinois team that has been productive through the air.
Senior safety Earl Little Jr. leads Ohio State with 17 tackles and two pass deflections. Junior safety Jaylen McClain has nine tackles and one interception. Sophomore defensive end Zion Grady and senior offensive lineman Phillip Daniels are both questionable.
Illinois comes in at 2-1 after a 48-10 win over Southern Illinois in Champaign. The Fighting Illini led 31-10 at halftime and pulled away with 17 points in the fourth quarter. Their lone loss was against Duke.
Senior quarterback Katin Houser has thrown for 758 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions, and his 88.4 QBR ranks eighth in the nation. Illinois’ offensive line has given up only two sacks through three games.
The big-play threat is senior receiver Collin Dixon, who has 25 receptions for 367 yards and an FBS-best seven touchdowns. Junior running back Ca’Lil Valentine leads the ground game with 38 carries for 177 yards and one touchdown.
On defense, Illinois has been giving up 182 rushing yards per game to FBS opponents, and Bret Bielema is looking for a physical response against one of the nation’s top teams. Senior linebacker Ismael Kante leads the Illini with 15 tackles and one interception, while senior defensive back Matthew Bailey has 14 tackles and one interception.
Ohio State has won 10 straight against Illinois, including an 18-point win in Champaign last season. The Buckeyes have held the Illibuck trophy since 2008. Illinois’ last win in the series came on Nov. 10, 2007, when the unranked Illini stunned top-ranked Ohio State 28-21 in Columbus.
Gus Johnson and Joel Klatt will call the game, with Jenny Taft reporting from the sideline. The over/under is 53.5.
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Ohio State Freshman Jay Timmons Is Earning Trust Faster Than Expected
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The early returns have been strong enough that Timmons is already being talked about as a prospect with a very high ceiling down the road. His play against Texas stood out as another sign that the moment has not been too big for him, even in an environment where young defensive backs are usually brought along more slowly. For Ohio State, the bigger question now is how far his rapid rise can continue as the schedule gets tougher and the expectations keep growing. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Commit Jamier Brown Is Quickly Regaining Lost Time
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Kye Graham kept the offense humming with 284 passing yards and three touchdowns, while Wayne backed it up with timely defensive stops and scoring drives to put the game away. For Ohio State, Browns recent stretch is the encouraging part, because the Buckeyes are getting a look at a receiver who is already helping his high school team settle in and build momentum after an unusual start to the season. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Fans Will Love The Standard Indiana Just Exposed
Curt Cignetti is already talking like a coach who knows success changes the conversation. After Indianas recent surge, the Hoosiers head coach used a message to the fan base to push back on rising expectations, pointing to the programs history of thin crowds and asking supporters not to grumble about lopsided wins. It was a blunt reminder that, around college football, a winning stretch can quickly turn into a referendum on how much winning is enough.
For Ohio State fans, the contrast lands cleanly. Ryan Day has made his own standard public and unmistakable, setting a much higher bar for the Buckeyes than simply stacking victories and keeping people content. So while Cignetti was managing the temperature in Bloomington, his comments served as a useful backdrop for what Ohio State expects of itself, and why the conversation in Columbus usually starts where other programs hope to finish. [Read more 🡒]