Ohio State’s next Big Ten test now has a start time and a stage.
The Buckeyes and Illinois will kick off at 12 p.m. ET on FOX on Saturday, Sept. 26, as part of Big Noon Kickoff, the conference announced Monday afternoon. The game will bring the Fighting Illini to Ohio Stadium for Ohio State’s Big Ten opener.
That matchup comes after a rough night in Texas for the Buckeyes. Ohio State went on the road for the first time this season and left with a 24-23 loss to the Longhorns after building a 20-3 halftime lead and stretching that advantage to 20 points early in the second half. Texas then ripped off 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to complete the comeback.
Before Illinois arrives in Columbus, Ohio State will host Kent State on Saturday afternoon at Ohio Stadium.
Illinois is trying to steady itself too. The Illini opened the year with a 42-23 win over UAB, though they gave up 413 yards of total offense in that game. Last weekend, they fell at home to Duke, 31-27.
The Ohio State-Illinois matchup also carries a long history. The two programs used to meet regularly in a series tied to the Illibuck trophy, and this will be the 104th all-time meeting. Ohio State leads the series 69-30-4.
Their first game came in Columbus in 1902 and ended in a 0-0 tie. Illinois picked up the first win in the series with a 46-0 road victory in 1904. The teams later played another shutout, 37-0, in 1914, and tied again the next year before Ohio State finally got its first win over the Illini, 7-6, in 1916.
Illinois controlled the series in the 1920s, but Ohio State answered with a strong run of its own, winning 15 of 16 matchups from 1930 to 1945. Illinois later won five straight from 1988 to 1992, but the Buckeyes have owned the most recent stretch, winning the last 10 meetings. That includes last year’s 34-16 win at Memorial Stadium.
Ohio State’s upcoming schedule now looks like this:
Saturday, Sept. 5 - Ohio State 56, Ball State 3
Saturday, Sept. 12 - Texas 24, Ohio State 23
Saturday, Sept. 19 - Kent State; 12 p.m. ET, FOX
Saturday, Sept. 26 - Illinois; TBA
Saturday, Oct. 3 - at Iowa; TBA
Saturday, Oct. 10 - Maryland; TBA
Saturday, Oct. 17 - at Indiana; TBA
OFF WEEK
Saturday, Oct. 31 - at USC; TBA
Saturday, Nov. 7 - Oregon; TBA
Saturday, Nov. 14 - Northwestern; TBA
Saturday, Nov. 21 - at Nebraska; TBA
Saturday, Nov. 28 - Michigan; 12 p.m. ET, FOX
In Other News...
Ohio State Has A Ryan Day Problem Fans Cant Ignore
Ohio States recent habit of watching comfortable fourth-quarter leads shrink has turned into more than a bad stretch. The Buckeyes have had the kind of defensive fatigue and late-game confusion that can undo otherwise solid afternoons, and the issue has shown up in consecutive games enough to raise real questions about how the team closes.
Ryan Days program has been especially vulnerable when opponents keep pushing the pace and the defense is forced to hold up under pressure. The loss to Texas only sharpened the concern, since the Longhorns have brought a steadier offensive identity over multiple seasons while Ohio State has struggled to adjust and protect leads when games turn critical. [Read more 🡒]
Ryan Day Just Put Ohio State's Punt Decisions On Notice
Ohio States special teams already had a spotlight on them after the loss to Texas, and Ryan Day only sharpened it when he revisited the punt decision from Texas 39-yard line. The Buckeyes chose to kick on 4th-and-4, and the result was a 26-yard net that left plenty of room for second-guessing. Day still defended the call, while also pointing to punter Joe McGuires talent and framing the issue as more about execution than philosophy.
Robby Discher was brought in this offseason as special teams coordinator with the expectation that this phase would get cleaner, and Days comments suggested the Buckeyes are watching closely to see whether that happens. If the operation stays inconsistent, the comfort level on similar fourth-down decisions may start to change, especially in the kinds of high-leverage spots that can swing a top-end game. The message was clear enough: the punts are not automatic if the returns keep coming up short. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State May Have Found A Young Defensive Difference Maker
Riley Pettijohns role in Ohio States loss to Texas was one of the quieter bright spots for a defense that spent much of the night under pressure. The young linebacker logged a career-high 37 snaps while moving around to multiple spots, and he flashed enough disruption to stand out even in a tough result. He also fit in with a broader theme from the game, as other young Buckeyes like Jay Timmons and Khary Wilder showed they may be ready for bigger chances too.
Ryan Day has already signaled that Pettijohns workload should keep growing, and it is easy to see why the staff is intrigued. The linebacker has shown a knack for slipping blocks and finding the football, the kind of trait that can change how a defense feels from one week to the next. Ohio State still has to sort out the bigger picture after the loss, but Pettijohns emergence gives the Buckeyes something real to build on. [Read more 🡒]