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Wk 4 · 2026

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

Sat, Sep 26 · Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH

Weather

No forecast yet. This one is 26 days away and has no kickoff time 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 · no games yet
at
TBDET
no line posted yet
Ratings differential OSU by 16.2
#1 Ohio State Buckeyes
Big Ten · no games yet

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 #1 (AP Top 25 · 2026-08-17).

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: +5.7#32
Efficiency margin
Ohio State: +19.5#4
Illinois: 29.4
Offense (pts/100)
Ohio State: 32.0
Illinois: 23.6
Defense (pts/100)
Ohio State: 12.5
Illinois: 65.5
Pace (plays/g)
Ohio State: 65.5
Illinois: no data
Yards / play
Ohio State: no data
Illinois: no data
Yards / play allowed
Ohio State: no data
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: no data
Points / game
Ohio State: no data
Illinois: no data
Points allowed
Ohio State: no data
Illinois: no data
Yards / game
Ohio State: no data
Illinois: no data
Yards allowed
Ohio State: no data
Illinois: no data
Pass yds allowed
Ohio State: no data
Illinois: no data
Rush yds allowed
Ohio State: no data
Illinois: no data
Turnovers / game
Ohio State: no data
From completed 2026 box scores; defensive yardage covers the regular season and conference championships.

Illinois form

No completed games on record.

Ohio State form

No completed games on record.

Illinois this season

No graded games yet this season. Lines are captured before kickoff and graded when a game goes final, so these records start at Week 1.

Ohio State this season

No graded games yet this season. Lines are captured before kickoff and graded when a game goes final, so these records start at Week 1.
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 Wk 6 · scheduled preview
Nebraska
Big Ten
vs Wk 10 · scheduled previewat Wk 12 · scheduled preview
Iowa
Big Ten
vs Wk 12 · scheduled previewat Wk 5 · scheduled 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 11–1 · Ohio State has won the last 10
12 meetings in 2006–2026 · average margin 19.8 points toward Ohio State
Yr DateResultSiteWon
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 2025 regular season

PassingLuke Altmyer QB #9226/332, 2811 YDS, 21 TD, 5 INT
Hank Beatty WR #802/2, 31 YDS, 1 TD
RushingCa'Lil Valentine RB #5123 CAR, 549 YDS, 4 TD
Kaden Feagin TE #83119 CAR, 499 YDS, 7 TD
Aidan Laughery RB #2162 CAR, 305 YDS, 3 TD
ReceivingHank Beatty WR #8064 REC, 826 YDS, 3 TD
Collin Dixon WR #1733 REC, 538 YDS, 5 TD
Hudson Clement WR #1333 REC, 406 YDS, 3 TD
Justin Bowick WR #019 REC, 234 YDS, 4 TD
Defense
TacklesMatthew Bailey DB #776
Miles Scott S #1059
Dylan Rosiek LB #2849
SacksGabe Jacas EDGE #1711
Leon Lowery Jr. LB #92
Tomiwa Durojaiye DL #132
InterceptionsMiles Scott S #103
Dylan Rosiek LB #281
Torrie Cox Jr. DB #51
full roster and per-player history

Ohio State leaders 2025 regular season

PassingJulian Sayin QB #10279/356, 3323 YDS, 31 TD, 6 INT
Lincoln Kienholz QB #311/14, 139 YDS, 1 TD
RushingBo Jackson RB #25168 CAR, 1035 YDS, 5 TD
James Peoples RB #161 CAR, 344 YDS, 3 TD
CJ Donaldson RB #1289 CAR, 330 YDS, 10 TD
ReceivingJeremiah Smith WR #480 REC, 1086 YDS, 11 TD
Carnell Tate WR #1748 REC, 838 YDS, 9 TD
Max Klare TE #8643 REC, 448 YDS, 2 TD
Brandon Inniss WR #132 REC, 237 YDS, 3 TD
Defense
TacklesSonny Styles LB #081
Arvell Reese LB #862
Caden Curry EDGE #9260
SacksCaden Curry EDGE #9211
Arvell Reese LB #86.5
Kenyatta Jackson Jr. DE #26.5
InterceptionsDavison Igbinosun CB #12
Caleb Downs S #22
Jermaine Mathews Jr. CB #72
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.