ANOTHER ROAD WIN
No. 1 Ohio State beats No. 17, 34-16, and improves to 6-0 on the season.
Devin Sanchez's moment has already arrived.
The freshman and five-star prospect made his first career start at No. 17 Illinois in place of regular starter Jermaine Mathews Jr., who started at nickel in place of the injured Lorenzo Styles Jr.
Sanchez earned spot duty after an impressive first offseason in Columbus, playing as an extra cornerback in Ohio State's dime package in obvious passing situations. He's played 86 total snaps in 2025, making two tackles and a fumble recovery.
An incredible athlete molded by the top levels of Texas high school football, Sanchez was the No. 1 cornerback and No. 8 overall prospect in the 247Sports composite rankings for the recruiting class of 2025. Now, he'll get a chance to prove those rankings out in a major role.
Redshirt freshman cornerback Aaron Scott Jr. will also be a candidate for playing time. Mathews will likely slide back outside in Ohio State's 4-3 package, with linebacker Payton Pierce coming on as Sanchez goes off.
