Ohio State's big Big Ten opener is coming up on Saturday afternoon in the Horseshoe. They will be hosting their only trophy game as the Illinois Fighting Illini come to town. Let's preview the game with some stats and historical facts.
Tale of the tape - Ohio State offense vs Illinois defense
2026 (national rank) | Illinois | Ohio State |
|---|---|---|
Points per game | 21.3 (65) | 46.0 (11) |
Yards per game | 348.7 (79) | 523.3 (9) |
Yards per play | 5.1 (66) | 7.8 (10) |
Rushing yards/attempt | 3.6 (59) | 4.6 (64) |
Passing yards/attempt | 6.9 (76) | 11.3 (3) |
Red zone efficiency | 63.6% (78) | 70.6% (49) |
Turnovers per game | .7 (101) | 1.3 (77) |
Tale of the tape - Illinois offense vs Ohio State defense
2026 (national rank) | Illinois | Ohio State |
|---|---|---|
Points per game | 39.0 (36) | 10.0 (11) |
Yards per game | 405.7 (70) | 211.7 (8) |
Yards per play | 7.2 (18) | 3.3 (4) |
Rushing yards/attempt | 5.3 (36) | 2.6 (18) |
Passing yards/attempt | 9.2 (24) | 4.0 (2) |
Red zone efficiency | 70% (51) | 50% (40) |
Turnovers per game | .7 (37) | 2.0 (19) |
Series history
This is the 105th meeting between Illinois and Ohio State. Ohio State leads the series 70-30-4. The Buckeyes have won their last seven games against Illinois dating back to a 2007 loss in Columbus. This is their 53rd meeting in Columbus. The Buckeyes' record is 30-18-4 in those games, with wins in each of the last four.
Since the AP poll began in 1936, this is the 49th time a ranked Ohio State team has played an unranked Illinois. The Buckeyes are 41-6-1 in those games. They've won their last nine games in that situation going back to 2007. Ohio State is 66-23-2 against Illinois since the Illibuck trophy started being awarded to the winner in 1925.
Ohio State and Illinois are both looking to complete a winning September. The Buckeyes have had 55 consecutive winning Septembers dating back to 1971. Ohio State hasn't had a losing record in any regular season month since they went 2-3 in October of 2004. That's 63 consecutive winning months for the Buckeyes. Illinois is going for its third straight winning September.
Ohio State and Illinois are both opening Big Ten play on Saturday. The Buckeyes have won their conference opener in each of the last 14 seasons, dating back to a 2011 loss to Michigan State. Illinois has lost its conference opener in 8 of the 10 years, with the two wins both being against Nebraska.
Battle on the prairie
Ohio State is 138-44-5 against current FBS teams from the state of Illinois. They have won their last 17 games against teams from the Prairie State, dating back to a 2007 loss to Illinois. Illinois is 41-74-4 against current FBS teams from the state of Ohio. They have won each of their last 6 games against teams from the Buckeye State other than Ohio State, dating back to a 2009 loss to Cincinnati.
Ohio State has won each of its last seven games against unranked Big Ten teams, going back to a 2024 loss to Michigan. That Michigan loss is Ryan Day's only loss to an unranked opponent. Illinois has lost its last 4 games against ranked teams on the road dating back to a 2024 win at No. 22 Nebraska. They have lost their last 5 games against teams ranked in the top 10, dating back to a 2021 win at No. 7 Penn State.
Ryan Day beat Illinois last season in his first matchup against the Fighting Illini. It is also his only time coaching against Bret Bielema. Bielema is 1-6 when coaching against Ohio State. 1-5 with Wisconsin and 0-1 with Illinois.
Saturday's game will be broadcast on FOX Big Noon Kickoff. Ohio State is playing on Big Noon for the 32nd time. The Buckeyes are 37-4 in that time slot. Illinois is playing on Big Noon for the 4th time. They are 1-2 in that time slot. The two teams played each other on Big Noon in 2025 in Champaign. The Buckeyes won 34-16.
Odds, similar games, and predictions
Ohio State is a 27.5-point favorite on Saturday afternoon in Ohio Stadium per DraftKings. There have been some recent Big Ten home games where they were favored by a similar spread. In 2024, they beat Nebraska 21-17 as a 25.5-point favorite. In 2023, they beat Michigan State 38-3 as a 31.5-point favorite. They also beat Minnesota 37-3 as a 27.5-point favorite. In 2022, they beat Iowa 54-10 as a 29.5-point favorite.
I'm not sure what to expect on Saturday because I don't think we have a great feel for these teams yet. I respect Bret Bielema for what he's done at Illinois. He has won games and made appearances in the top 25 for a program that has been at the bottom of the Big Ten for most of the 21st century before his arrival.
That said, it looks like this year will be a slight step back in Champaign. The Illini defense looked incredibly weak in their loss to Duke. If Ohio State's offense doesn't have a big day, I think that would be concerning. I expect Illinois to throw the ball a lot to try to get back in the game, which plays into Ohio State's hands, as the secondary has been the strength of the team. Ohio State wins, but I think Illinois covers 45-20.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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