Final Score Predictions for Ohio State at Illinois: The Buckeyes can’t let Indiana’s blowout of the Illini impact this one
The Week 7 Big Ten matchup should be a good one.
The college football season is really ramping up now that we are a few games into conference play. The Ohio State Buckeyes will be back on the road this weekend for the first of two straight road games that will have them heading west. First up is a ranked matchup against Illinois on Saturday, then the Buckeyes will travel to play the Wisconsin Badgers.
Illinois is ranked the No. 17 team in the country, and its only loss was a 63-10 blowout against the Indiana Hoosiers, a game that really got away from them. No. 1 Ohio State can’t expect that kind of outcome heading to play Illinois on the road, and this should be a competitive one.
Key facts to know for Ohio State vs. Illinois
- The Buckeyes are 18-8 all-time against the Fighting Illini, and their last loss came in 2007 on the road, 28-21.
- Ohio State has won nine straight times against Illinois, and the last was a 52-14 game in 2017. These two teams had a matchup canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19.
- Illinois is averaging 397 yards per game, and 245 yards per game are coming through the air. The Illini are No. 116 in the country defending the pass by allowing 241 yards passing per game.
Ohio State 33, Illinois 13
The Buckeyes were impressive against Minnesota with a suffocating defense that didn’t allow much at all after the opening drive, when they surrendered their only three points of the game. Ohio State continues to open it up on offense a bit more weekly, with sophomore QB Julian Sayin, and Ryan Day is showing more and more trust in his quarterback. Ohio State played its only home game of the month last weekend against the Gophers, so this one will be a tough road environment.
Ohio State will have a talented quarterback to deal with in Luke Altmyer, who is one of the better quarterbacks the Buckeyes will see this season. The talent difference is too big on the rest of the roster, and this one won’t be all that close. I could see Illinois putting together a little bit of offense, as the Buckeyes can’t hold everyone to basically nothing, can they? – Brandon Little
Ohio State 27, Illinois 6
The Buckeyes have shown they’re willing to play in closer-than-expected games to preserve a roster clearly capable of winning another national championship. By keeping things conservative on offense, Ryan Day has figured out how to manage his program’s workload without risking any surprise losses.
While it might frustrate fans that Julian Sayin hasn’t been fully thrown into a pass-happy, spread offense ala Dwayne Haskins, the Buckeyes continue to play complementary football while relying on what might be a historically good defense.
Illinois will look to muddy this game as much as it can, and Luke Altmyer is one of the best passers the Buckeyes will face all season long. It won’t matter, as the speed and length of this Ohio State defense can suffocate any offense in the nation. We’ll see another slow-developing game plan that leads to a comfortable Buckeyes win. – Ian Valentino
Ohio State 35, Illinois 17
Ohio State will face its toughest test of the season against Illinois. Texas has proven to be a flawed team, and Illinois, while bludgeoned by Indiana, is a rough-and-tumble bunch. Indiana has a chance to prove it is truly among the best teams in the nation this weekend against Oregon. If it beats the Ducks, that blowout loss stings a little less for Illinois.
That being said, I don’t think OSU struggles to cover, much less win in this one. If Ohio State doesn’t have the best defense in the nation, it’s the second-best. Julian Sayin is seemingly getting better by the week, and Illinois has no one who can handle Jeremiah Smith. Heavy OSU win here, even if it’s the team’s toughest test thus far. – Rob Gregson
Ohio State 34, Illinois 21
This is an opportunity for the Illini to prove that their blowout loss to Indiana was just a one-week instance, not a trend. As for the Buckeyes, few chinks have been shown in their armor, and Julian Sayin has taken strides at quarterback since the start of the season. The immense talent of their weapons on offense has never flown under the radar.
I’ll take Ohio State. Their pass rush will be a little bit too much to handle for Illinois QB Luke Altmyer, who has been impressive at times this season. I love seeing Arvell Reese zoom up draft boards for the Buckeyes defense, too. I’m hoping this one stays close for a while – both teams would improve if that’s the outcome. Regardless, the Buckeyes come out on top. – Adam Holt
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