Ohio State Against Illinois 5 Things Preview, Buckeyes Almost a Four-Touchdown Favorite

Ohio State is a big favorite over Illinois, a team that is weaker than it was last year. The Buckeyes are a 27.5-point favorite. This is the largest pregame betting deficit Illinois head coach Bret Bielema has ever faced at Illinois. Despite their problems and shortcomings, the Buckeyes are still the betting favorites to win the national championship. The game will likely be much closer than the betting line because Illinois is so tough.

These two teams have a long and storied history of playing each other. They play for the Illibuck trophy, which was once a live turtle and is now a wooden one. This tradition dates back to 1925; however, with the now-expanded Big Ten Conference, these two teams no longer play every year. Do you think it is bad that the Big Ten Conference expanded and traditions like this occur once every few years?

Ohio State Against Illinois Preview: 5 Things

Ohio State and Illinois play at noon on Saturday in Ohio Stadium. The game is a Big Noon kickoff on Fox. This is not as competitive a game as it was last year, mostly because Illinois is not as good as it once was. However, they will be able to keep the game reasonably close. Here are 5 things you need to know for the game.

Big Ten Conference Play Begins

For both teams, this is the first game of the conference schedule. The schedule is the news for the Buckeyes. They have conference games looming with USC, Oregon, Indiana, and rival Michigan. The Illini do not have as difficult a schedule, though they also have some marquee games. They play Oregon, Iowa, and Nebraska. They have already lost to Duke.

New Offensive Leader, but a Familiar Face

Luke Altmyer, who was the Illinois quarterback last year, was a senior last season, so he is done. He was a three-year starting quarterback for the Illini, so he was quite experienced. He was replaced by a quarterback from the transfer portal this year, Katin Houser. The transfer portal is a bewildering fact of life in modern college football. Ohio State, for instance, has more than 50 new players.

Houser, an Elite-11 finalist in high school out of the legendary St. John Boscoco Prep in California, started seven games for Michigan State, once against Ohio State. He had good passing statistics for the Spartans. His statistics in East Lansing were 1,130 yards, six touchdowns, and five interceptions. Houser then transferred to East Carolina after Mel Tucker was fired from Michigan State following a scandal; then he transferred to Illinois.

There is a Coaching Link Between These Two Teams

This is an interesting link. The special teams at Ohio State have struggled for the better part of the last decade. Robby Discher came from Illinois to become the Buckeyes’ first special teams coordinator since  Parker Fleming was fired after the 2023 season. Discher ran Illinois’ special teams from 2023 to 2025. During the last two seasons, Ohio State’s special teams were run by quality control coach Rob Keys.

Illinois Has a New Defensive Coordinator

The new defensive coordinator at Illinois, and the defense he runs, could provide challenges for the Buckeyes. The Fighting Illini hired Bobby Hauck to run a 3-3-5 defense. The shifting defense usually allows for a bunch of tricks and tends to confuse offenses. Illinois’ defense is not as good as Ohio State’s offense. This inventive defense could prove to be the great equalizer.

The Fighting Illini Have 2 Players to Watch

Illinois has had recent success developing defensive backs and getting them to the National Football League. There are several examples of Fighting Illini players to graduate to the next level. The next prospect is likely safety Xavier Scott. He is in his fifth and final year at Illinois. Expect him to help on standout Ohio State Wide Receiver, Jeremiah Smith. Opposing teams have been double-covering him so far.

Collin Dixon is a senior wide receiver. He is the best wide receiver the Fighting Illini have. With 78 career catches, he presents a challenge for the Buckeye secondary. So far this season, he has 25 catches for 367 yards. To put those statistics in context, consider that Jeremiah Smith has 21 receptions for 400 yards. So, the statistics of Dixon are comparable.

Conclusion

This game should be a comfortable win for the Buckeyes, but maybe not by four touchdowns. However, the game is likely to be so one-sided that it is a little surprising that this game is a Big Noon kickoff game on Fox. Illinois has far fewer skilled players than the Buckeyes. That said, they have historically played the Buckeyes tough, including upsetting them in 2007. Ohio State should win, but likely by just two touchdowns.