The Ohio State Buckeyes have finished their non-conference schedule, and Big Ten play starts Saturday with a Week 4 matchup against Illinois. 

Ohio State has the Texas loss as the game sticking out to this point; the Buckeyes now carry a 2-1 record into what will be a tough Big Ten schedule. We’ve learned some things about what this Buckeyes team will potentially be in 2026, but there are things that have to be figured out too. 

Let’s dive into a couple of predictions for the game between the Buckeyes and Illini. 

Ohio State 37, Illinois 10

It couldn’t be clearer what has to happen this week for Ohio State: the run game has to look strong. We know the passing offense will flow through Jeremiah Smith, but Ohio State has to run the ball better than they did against Kent State in Week 3, and it starts with Bo Jackson. I’d really look for Ohio State to get their secondary weapons involved on offense as well with players like Devin McCuin, Brandon Inniss, Chris Henry Jr., and Brock Boyd. The Buckeyes need to start figuring out who can step up in crunch times when teams double and triple cover Smith. 

Illinois doesn’t have much to threaten Ohio State outside of wideout Collin Dixon, and the Buckeyes need a good game from Devin Sanchez matched up with him. I’m interested to see the defensive line rotation in this one, as well as at linebacker for the Buckeyes with conference play here. A four-score win will be the deal here for the Buckeyes I think. — Brandon Little

Ohio State 41, Illinois 13

There seems to be some optimism that Illinois can keep this game competitive, especially with this being the start of Big Ten play, but I just don’t see it. Ohio State is coming off a 2-1 start and has already shown how explosive this offense can be, while the Buckeyes are looking for their 10th straight win over Illinois. I expect Ohio State to come out aggressive and establish control early, with Julian Sayin putting together another impressive performance through the air.

The matchup I’m particularly watching is Ohio State’s receivers against the Illinois secondary. Jeremiah Smith already has 21 catches for 400 yards and three touchdowns through three games, while Devin McCuin has emerged as another legitimate weapon after his six-catch, 97-yard, one-touchdown debut. I think both guys make several explosive plays Saturday, with Sayin distributing the ball all over the field and Ohio State eventually pulling away. — Ryan Roberts

Ohio State 37, Illinois 16

The Buckeyes have bigger fish to fry in the weeks ahead, with road top 20 matchups with Iowa, Indiana, and USC waiting in three of the next four weeks, followed by Oregon. But for now, the Buckeyes get a tune up against an Illinois team that’s a bit tough to figure out.

The Buckeyes need to work on their ground game, with 3.0 and 3.8 ypc marks against Texas and Kent State, so we see a steady dose of Bo Jackson. But it’s Julian Sayin to Jeremiah Smith that pushes Ohio State ahead comfortably in the third quarter, and they coast to an efficient win. — Craig Smith