Ohio State Set to Begin Big Ten Play Saturday
9/21/2026 4:44:00 PM | Football
Ohio State is looking for its 10th straight win in the series with Illinois, retaining in Illibuck Trophy since 2008.
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- No. 7 Ohio State is set to begin its 2026 Big Ten schedule Saturday against Illinois. Â
Kickoff is set for 12:00 p.m.Â
SETTING THE SCENEÂ
Kickoff is set for 12:00 p.m.Â
SETTING THE SCENEÂ
- Ohio State returns home and look to extend their home winning streak to 11 games.Â
- The Buckeyes are looking for their 70th win in the series holding a 69-30-4 record all-time.Â
- Ohio State is looking for its 10th straight win in the series with Illinois, retaining in Illibuck Trophy since 2008.Â
- This marks just the second time that Ohio State has played Illinois in the Day era (2020 game was canceled). The only other matchup came last season with the Buckeyes winning, 34-16, at Illinois.Â
- The Buckeyes are 489-115-20 all-time in Ohio Stadium.Â
- Ohio State's 158 wins at home since 2000 are nine more than any other program in the country.Â
- Ohio State goes into Saturday with 46 wins at home since the start of the 2019 season. That is the most wins by any team in that stretch.Â
- Since entering college football in 2024, Jeremiah Smith leads all players in receptions (184), receiving yards (2,958) and receiving TDs (30).Â
- In the first three games, Smith had 21 catches for 400 yards and three touchdowns. Over his last five career games, he is averaging 7.2 catches and 140.2 yards with four TDs.Â
- Smith goes into Saturday needing 22 receptions and six touchdowns to break all three Ohio State receiving records.Â
- Additionally, his next touchdown reception moves him into the top 10 in Big Ten history.Â
- Smith also now needs 182 yards to break into the top 10 in Big Ten history.Â
- Julian Sayin is the most accurate quarterback in program history with a career completion percentage of 75.1 pct. which also would be an NCAA record (min. 875 attempts).Â
- Additionally, Sayin has thrown for 39 touchdowns in his career which ranks 10th in program history.Â
- His seven 300-yd passing games are also tied for the fifth most in program history.Â
- Illinois will be head coach Ryan Day's 61st Big Ten game in his tenure as head coach (wins vs. Rutgers as acting head coach in 2018 included). Â
- Day's Buckeyes are 55-5 in the previous 60 Big Ten game including a 29-2 record in home Big Ten games. Additionally, Ohio State is 38-1 opponents who were unranked in Big Ten play during his tenure.Â
- Day's teams are 26-2 in the month of September and 8-0 in regular season conference games.Â
- In Day's 60-game Big Ten tenure, Ohio State has averaged 40.0 points per game while allowing just 15.2 points per game to their opponents.Â
- This season, Illinois has started the season 2-1, including wins over UAB and Southern Illinois.Â
- The connection of quarterback Katin Houser and wide receiver Collin Dixon has been one of the best in the country through the early part of the season.Â
- Houser, who previously played at ECU and Michigan State, comes into Saturday ranked 10th nationally with a 74.1 completion percentage and his eight touchdown passes is 15th in the country.Â
- Dixon leads the country with seven touchdown receptions while also ranking sixth in the nation with 367 receiving yards and fourth nationally with 8.3 receptions per game.Â
- Illinois has been strong up front on the offensive line, ranking 11th nationally in sacks allowed and fifth nationally in tackles for loss allowed.Â
- Illini head coach Bret Bielema is in his sixth season leading Illinois, holding a record of 39-27.Â
- Between his time at Wisconsin and Illinois, Bielema is 1-6 all-time against Ohio State with the one win coming in Madison, Wisconsin in 2010.Â
- Combined between his three head coaching jobs at Wisconsin, Arkansas and Illinois, Bielema has a combined record of 136-85.Â
- Illinois has six players on the roster from the state of Ohio.Â
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