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Wk 4 · 2026

Illinois Fighting Illini at Ohio State Buckeyes — Sat, Sep 26

Sat, Sep 26 · Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH · Fox FINAL

Weather

No forecast yet. Forecasts reach about 16 days ahead, so this fills in nearer the game. A seasonal average printed here would look exactly like a forecast, which is why there is not one.
Illinois Fighting Illini
Big Ten · 3-3
19
at
12:00pET
OSU -25.5 · total 53.5 DraftKings opened -27.5 · 2 toward ILL
Ratings differential OSU by 24.2
#7 Ohio State Buckeyes
Big Ten · 5-1
42

What is at stake

Illibuck. They started with a live turtle in 1925, it died, and the two schools have been passing a wooden one back and forth ever since. They play for the Illibuck (wooden turtle). A Big Ten game — it counts in the standings that decide that league's championship game. Run the race. Ohio State is ranked #5 (AP Top 25 · 2026-10-04).

What the ratings imply

The differential above is arithmetic on two published numbers: The CFB King’s 2026 final efficiency ratings, plus 2.4 points of home field. It is not a projection, a value, an edge or a lean, and nothing on this site compares it with the betting line to tell you one is better. Until 2026 games are played it is last season’s measurement of two teams that have changed.

Efficiency · 2026 ratings

Illinois: +4.9#47
Efficiency margin
Ohio State: +26.7#3
Illinois: 34.5
Offense (pts/100)
Ohio State: 44.4
Illinois: 20.6
Defense (pts/100)
Ohio State: 8.6
Illinois: 62.2
Pace (plays/g)
Ohio State: 68.7
Illinois: 6.52
Yards / play
Ohio State: 7.33
Illinois: 5.82
Yards / play allowed
Ohio State: 4.00
Opponent-adjusted ratings from The College King's 2026 final numbers. Bars share a scale within each row, so the two lengths are comparable; the brighter side is the better of the two, and a longer bar is the better number — including the rows where a lower figure is the good one. Pace is the exception: it is how fast a team plays, not how well, so neither side is lit and a longer bar there means only more plays.

Team stats · 2026 per game

Illinois: 31.8
Points / game
Ohio State: 42.7
Illinois: 27.8
Points allowed
Ohio State: 13.2
Illinois: 406
Yards / game
Ohio State: 504
Illinois: 375
Yards allowed
Ohio State: 247
Illinois: 248
Pass yds allowed
Ohio State: 151
Illinois: 127
Rush yds allowed
Ohio State: 96
Illinois: 0.67
Turnovers / game
Ohio State: 1.00
From completed 2026 box scores; defensive yardage covers the regular season and conference championships.

Illinois form

W 38-37at MSUL 17-24vs PURL 19-42at OSUW 48-10vs SIUL 27-31vs DUKE
2026 season

Ohio State form

W 45-16vs MDW 31-14at IOWAW 42-19vs ILLW 59-3vs KENTL 23-24at TEX
2026 season

Illinois this season

Straight up3-3 · 50% (6 games)
Against the spread2-4 · 33% (6 games)
Over / under5-1 · 83% (6 games)

Ohio State this season

Straight up5-1 · 83% (6 games)
Against the spread4-2 · 67% (6 games)
Over / under4-2 · 67% (6 games)
Lines are captured from ESPN's board before kickoff and locked at kickoff, so an in-play price cannot overwrite the number a game is graded against.

Common opponents · 5

OpponentIllinoisOhio State
Oregon
Big Ten
vs Wk 8 · scheduled previewvs Wk 10 · scheduled preview
Maryland
Big Ten
at Wk 9 · scheduled previewvs W 45-16 preview
Nebraska
Big Ten
vs Wk 10 · scheduled previewat Wk 12 · scheduled preview
Iowa
Big Ten
vs Wk 12 · scheduled previewat W 31-14 preview
Northwestern
Big Ten
at Wk 13 · scheduled previewvs Wk 11 · scheduled preview
Open these two in the comparison tool for every shared and unshared opponent.

Series history · 2006–2026

Since 2006, Ohio State leads 12–1 · Ohio State has won the last 11
13 meetings in 2006–2026 · average margin 20.1 points toward Ohio State
Yr DateResultSiteWon
20262026-09-26Illinois 19 — 42 Ohio Stateat OSUOhio State
20252025-10-11Ohio State 34 — 16 Illinoisat ILLOhio State
20172017-11-18Illinois 14 — 52 Ohio Stateat OSUOhio State
20152015-11-14Ohio State 28 — 3 Illinoisat ILLOhio State
20142014-11-01Illinois 14 — 55 Ohio Stateat OSUOhio State
20132013-11-16Ohio State 60 — 35 Illinoisat ILLOhio State
20122012-11-03Illinois 22 — 52 Ohio Stateat OSUOhio State
20112011-10-15Ohio State 17 — 7 Illinoisat ILLOhio State
20102010-10-02Ohio State 24 — 13 Illinoisat ILLOhio State
20092009-09-26Illinois 0 — 30 Ohio Stateat OSUOhio State
20082008-11-15Ohio State 30 — 20 Illinoisat ILLOhio State
20072007-11-10Illinois 28 — 21 Ohio Stateat OSUIllinois
20062006-11-04Ohio State 17 — 10 Illinoisat ILLOhio State

Illinois leaders 2026 regular season

PassingKatin Houser QB #4102/155, 1246 YDS, 11 TD, 3 INT
RushingAidan Laughery RB #2145 CAR, 321 YDS, 1 TD
Ca'Lil Valentine RB #550 CAR, 225 YDS, 1 TD
Katin Houser QB #425 CAR, 106 YDS, 1 TD
ReceivingCollin Dixon WR #1740 REC, 546 YDS, 8 TD
Hudson Clement WR #1321 REC, 299 YDS
Ty Robinson WR #1011 REC, 159 YDS, 3 TD
Brayden Trimble WR #1115 REC, 116 YDS
Defense
TacklesMatthew Bailey DB #737
Ismael Kante LB #2629
Juice Clarke DB #624
SacksWill Holmes DL #241
Ean Rhea LB #401
Joe Barna DL #430.5
InterceptionsMatthew Bailey DB #71
Ismael Kante LB #261
full roster and per-player history

Ohio State leaders 2026 regular season

PassingJulian Sayin QB #10103/142, 1530 YDS, 13 TD, 1 INT
Luke Fahey QB #139/11, 203 YDS, 2 TD, 2 INT
RushingBo Jackson RB #2566 CAR, 353 YDS, 2 TD
Ja'Kobi Jackson RB #2445 CAR, 278 YDS, 6 TD
Isaiah West RB #3222 CAR, 80 YDS, 1 TD
ReceivingJeremiah Smith WR #444 REC, 823 YDS, 9 TD
Devin McCuin WR #317 REC, 245 YDS, 2 TD
Brandon Inniss WR #110 REC, 147 YDS, 1 TD
Brock Boyd WR #116 REC, 110 YDS
Defense
TacklesEarl Little Jr. S #126
Payton Pierce LB #2626
Jaylen McClain S #820
SacksKenyatta Jackson Jr. DE #23
Riley Pettijohn LB #52
Qua Russaw DE #41
InterceptionsJaylen McClain S #82
Tarvos Alford LB #171
Riley Pettijohn LB #51
full roster and per-player history
These are regular-season totals for the season named on each card — the players who led that team that year, taken from ESPN's team leaders. That list is keyed to the season, not to today's roster, so a leader who has since transferred or run out of eligibility still appears against the year he earned it; the roster pages and the depth chart on each team page are where the current squad is. A team switches to this season's numbers once it has played a game. The roster pages count bowl games too, so a player's two lines can differ by a game.