Ohio State steps into Big Ten play for the first time this weekend when it hosts Illinois on Saturday afternoon. The Fighting Illini are 2-1 on the year, with their only loss coming against Duke in a game where Illinois seemed to have things under control.
Illini head coach Bret Bielema will bring a physical brand of football, looking to stop the run and impose his will at the line of scrimmage. To be fair, though, it would be a major upset for Illinois to swashbuckle into Ohio Stadium and knock off one of the most talented teams in the country. In fact, the oddsmakers see it that way, our weekly expert predictions see it that way, and so does the national media.
Advertisement
We like to take a look around the wonderment of the internet to see what the national media predicts for the Ohio State football game each week, and so we’re at it again. Here is what some national experts say about Ohio State vs. Illinois in Week 4 of the college football season.
Give Sayin time to work, and bad things happen to opposing defenses. Once again, the Buckeyes will underwhelm with the ground game, but the passing attack will pick the Illini clean. Illinois isn’t showing enough of an offensive punch to pull this off, but it’ll have its moments. It won’t be close to enough, as Ohio State wins easily (and watch, it’ll probably drop even further in the rankings).
RJ Young: Ohio State It’s easy to forget the Buckeyes were up by 20 friggin’ points against the No. 1 team in the country, and that team isn’t in the same league — pun intended — as Illinois.
Advertisement
Laken Litman: Ohio StateThe Buckeyes are going to do everything in their power the rest of this season to prove they aren’t the version of their team that led Texas, 20-3, at halftime and then lost.
Michael Cohen: Ohio State A year ago, Ohio State traveled to Champaign to face a ranked Illinois team whose fans believed it had at least a puncher’s chance of keeping up with the Buckeyes. The game was never close. There are levels to college football, and Illinois can’t match Ohio State.
Ben Portnoy: Ohio State Ohio State is about as good as it was a year ago. Illinois, for all the moves it made, does not look nearly as complete as it was last fall. For that reason, give me the Buckeyes big.
In earlier games against UAB and Duke, the Illinois defense ceded at least 5.2 yards per play. That’s not a promising sign against Ohio State, which has a fine running game and is dynamic through the air. Illinois should put together a few scoring drives, but keeping OSU off the board will be the problem.
Advertisement
Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.
This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State vs. Illinois predictions from the national media, Week 4
