We’re just about halfway through the college football regular season. Time sure does fly when your favorite team looks this good week in and week out. And that’s exactly what Ohio State has been doing each week: go in, take care of business, prepare for the next week, rinse and repeat.
The Buckeyes get their next test in a road matchup with Illinois. Bret Bielema has worked hard to get the Fighting Illini out of the cellar in the Big Ten. Illinois cruised to a 10-3 season last year, including a win over South Carolina in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl. This year, despite being embarrassed by Indiana, Bielema has the Illini in a similar position. Ranked No. 17 in the nation, Illinois welcomes No. 1 Ohio State to Champaign.
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Will this be a trap game for the Buckeyes? Time to get ready to battle for the Illibuck Trophy and see who brings home the wooden turtle.
Records and Broadcast Information for Ohio State vs. Illinois
Records
Ohio State (5-0), Illinois (5-1)
Broadcast Information
Date: Saturday, October 11
Gametime: Noon ET
Network: Fox
Venue: Gies Memorial Stadium (Champaign, Illinois), Capacity: 60,670
All-Time Series: Ohio State leads 68-30-4
Last Meeting: Ohio State defeated Illinois 52-14 in 2017
Ohio State potential game plan for victory vs. Illinois
Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin (10) takes a snap during the first half of the NCAA football game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Oct. 4, 2025.
At the beginning of the season, this game looked like it could give the Buckeyes problems. The Illini were ranked No. 12 and were rolling. And then came the Indiana game in which Illinois got taken behind the woodshed to the tune of 63-10. Well, don’t get too excited, Buckeye Nation … that Indiana game was an anomaly and Illinois is still a very good football team. Good enough to pull off an upset? Yes. Will it happen? That remains to be seen.
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Let’s start with the Fighting Illini offense, which starts with quarterback Luke Altmyer. The fifth-year senior can really spin it and is building on a successful 2024 campaign, where he threw for nearly 3000 yards and 22 touchdowns to only six interceptions. This year, he’s already thrown 12 touchdowns and has zero picks. On top of that, he’s been deadly accurate, completing 74 percent of his passes.
Of course, Altmyer hasn’t faced the No. 1 defense in the country yet. Ohio State gets to the opposing backfield better than anyone, and the Illinois offensive line lets defenses get to the backfield more than just about anyone. Altmyer has been sacked an alarming 19 times through six games. That usually spells trouble for just about any offense and will have the OSU defensive line salivating.
On the offensive side, Julian Sayin seems to be finding his groove. And the Illini secondary has been anything but good, giving up more than 250 yards through the air per game and 10 touchdowns and only two interceptions. Sayin just keeps getting better and better, going over 300 yards for the third time this season last week against Minnesota. If Saying keeps slinging it at that rate, with some timely runs sprinkled in, you gotta like the Buckeyes’ chances.
Ohio State key offensive player
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) runp past Minnesota Golden Gophers defenders during the first half of the NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Oct. 4, 2025.
Jeremiah Smith – Wide Receiver
It probably goes without saying that Jeremiah Smith is always a key offensive player for Ohio State. However, with a secondary as weak as the Fighting Illini have, Smith could be an even bigger factor than normal. Especially after Carnell Tate had a breakout game against Minnesota, teams will have to stay honest when covering the dynamic duo. Smith has had big games this season, but a big game against a ranked opponent not only would help the Bucks win the game, but could be a catalyst for a Heisman campaign.
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Ohio State key defensive player
Sep 6, 2025; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Davison Igbinosun (1) celebrates his pass break up during the second quarter against the Grambling State Tigers at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images
Davison Igbinosun – Cornerback
Davison Igbinosun decided to come back to Ohio State for one more year when most felt he would be a mid-round draft pick. He felt he needed to work on some things to improve his draft stock, and he’s done just that. Iggy has been rock solid all season, and he’ll need to be against what will be the best passing attack the Buckeyes have seen all season. Igbinosun will be looked upon to help keep the Illini receivers in check.
The Prediction for Ohio State vs. Illinois
Oct 4, 2025; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Carnell Tate (17) celebrates his touchdown with teammates during the second quarter against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images
If you expect Ohio State to roll into Memorial Stadium and do the same thing to Illinois that Indiana did, you may be disappointed. The Buckeyes are never overlooked by opponents, and No. 1 always gets the opposition’s best shot. You can bet Bret Bielema will have his team ready when OSU rolls into town on Saturday.
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Because of that and the fact that the Buckeyes get another top team on the road, I expect this one to be close… at least for a while. Bielema knows better than to try and get into a track meet with Ohio State. He’ll try to play ball control and keep the Buckeye offense on the sideline for as long as he can. But the OSU defense has been spectacular this year. Illinois may be able to put more points on the board than others, but the Illini defense will not be able to contain Sayin and the wide array of offensive firepower in Scarlet and Gray.
It’ll be close deep into the second half, but Ohio State pulls away to move to 6-0 and keeps the Illibuck Trophy in Columbus for another year.
Final Score
Ohio State 35, Illinois 13
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Line
Ohio State -14.5
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This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State vs. Illinois: Complete preview and prediction for Week 7
