OHIO STATE vs. ILLINOIS — WEEK 6 PREVIEW

THE PERTINENT INFO

When: Saturday, October 11, 2025

Where: Memorial Stadium — Champaign, Illinois

Kickoff / TV: Noon ET // FOX

Announcers: Gus Johnson · Joel Klatt · Jenny Taft (projected)

Records:

#1 Ohio State (5–0, 2–0 Big Ten)
Illinois (5–1, 2–1 Big Ten)

Series Record: Ohio State leads 68–30–4

Last Meeting: Nov. 18, 2017 — OSU 52, Illinois 14

Last Illinois Win: Nov. 10, 2007 — Illinois 28, OSU 21

Last Game in Champaign: Nov. 14, 2015 — OSU 28, Illinois 3

Current Streak: Buckeyes have won 9 straight, 18 of the last 19

Coaches:

• Ryan Day (Ohio State) — 75–10 (.882) Highest win percentage in college football history (min. 50 games), surpassing Knute Rockne (.881)
• Bret Bielema (Illinois) — 43–38

Recent Performances:

• Ohio State dominated Minnesota 42–3 behind Julian Sayin’s 23-of-27, 326-yard, 3-TD performance. Carnell Tate added 183 yards receiving.
• Illinois defeated Purdue 43–27 behind Luke Altmyer’s 390 yards and 3 TDs.

THE LAST TIME…

• 2017 — OSU 52–14 (Columbus) · J.T. Barrett threw 2 TDs
• 2007 — Illinois 28–21 (Columbus) · Juice Williams led the upset
• 2015 — OSU 28–3 (Champaign) · Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 181 yards
• OSU has won nine straight and 18 of the last 19
• Illinois hasn’t scored more than 17 points vs. OSU since 2014

ON THE HORIZON

• OSU has outscored opponents 187–25 through five games.
• 0 red-zone touchdowns allowed — only FBS team still perfect.
• Julian Sayin leads the nation in completion percentage (80.2%).
• Ryan Day’s .882 win % tops all FBS coaches (min. 50 games).
• Luke Altmyer ranks 8th nationally in QBR after his 390-yard game vs Purdue.

LET’S GO STREAKING 

• Ohio State has held every opponent under 10 points this season (five straight games).
• The Buckeyes have allowed zero first-half touchdowns through five games.
• Three opponents have failed to score an offensive touchdown.
• This marks the first time since 1973 that OSU has opened 5–0 while allowing 10 or fewer points in each game.
• Ohio State has now won nine straight games against Illinois.

GET TO KNOW THE ILLINI

Location: Urbana–Champaign, Illinois
Founded: 1867
Enrollment: 59,000+ (one of the largest U.S. campuses)
Known For: Engineering, Business, Computer Science, Agriculture
Mascot: Fighting Illini (Chief Illiniwek retired in 2007)

Notable Alumni

Dick Butkus — NFL Hall of Famer
George Halas — NFL co-founder
Steve Chen — YouTube co-founder
Jack Welch — Former GE CEO
Nick Offerman — Actor (Parks & Recreation)

THE ILLIBUCK TROPHY

Introduced in 1925, originally a live turtle (symbolizing longevity).
Replaced by a wooden turtle in 1927.
Each winning school’s year is engraved on the shell.
Ohio State has held the Illibuck since 2008, leading the series 68–30–4.

Illinois Quick Facts

Colors: Orange & Blue
Stadium: Memorial Stadium (built 1923) — dedicated to WWI veterans
Famous Illinoisans: Abraham Lincoln, Walt Disney, Ronald Reagan, Hillary Clinton
Illinois alumni & faculty: 20+ Nobel and 30+ Pulitzer Prize winners

TRIVIA 

1. Last Illinois win over Ohio State:
2. Ohio State QB that day:
3. Big Ten coach who played LB for Iowa:
4. Ohio State RB who led the last game in Champaign (2015):
5. How many Big Ten titles has Bielema won?

MATT GUTRIDGE LITTLE-KNOWN FACTS CORNER

• 0  Red-zone TDs allowed by OSU (through Week 5)
• 1  National rank in scoring defense (5.0 PPG)
• 2  National rank in pass defense (124.4 YPG)
• 4  National rank in total defense (250.3 YPG)
• 9  Straight wins vs Illinois
• .882  Ryan Day’s career winning percentage — best in college football history

Answer Section

1. ​2007 — Illinois upset No. 1 Ohio State 28–21 on Nov. 10, 2007.
2. Todd Boekman (156 yards, 3 INT).
3. Bret Bielema played defensive line at Iowa (1989–1992)
4. Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 181 yards and 2 TDs in OSU’s 28–3 win.
5. Three — all with Wisconsin (2010, 2011, 2012).

EDGE & PREDICTION

EDGE: Ohio State

Balanced offense, dominant defense, and superior situational metrics tilt this heavily in OSU’s favor.

PREDICTION: Ohio State 34 — Illinois 6