College football: Live updates, highlights of Illinois Fighting Illini at Ohio State

COLUMBUS — The Illinois Fighting Illini football team clawed their way back into a Big Ten opener Saturday after a rough start at Ohio State.

Illinois fell behind, 14-0, in the first quarter as Buckeyes star receiver Jeremiah Smith burned them for a pair of touchdowns.

The Fighting Illini picked up a rushing touchdown before the quarter ended to cut their deficit in half.

Illinois (2-1) is building on three straight winning seasons under head coach Bret Bielema, capped by a 9-4 effort last season that ended in a Music City Bowl victory.

To get back to those levels, Illinois will have to sort out a re-designed 3-3-5 defense, which had a good bounce-back outing last week against SIU.

Ohio State, meanwhile, comes into Saturday's Week 4 matchup ranked No. 7 in the AP Top 25 and Coaches polls.

The Journal Star brings you a recap, scores and highlights from the Illinois-Ohio State game. Check below for all our updates:

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When is the Illinois vs Ohio State football game?

Illinois (2-1) meets Ohio State (2-1) at 11 a.m. Saturday at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.

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What channel is the Illinois-Ohio State football game on?

The game is airing on FOX. Streaming options include Fox1 (free trial), FUBO (free trial).

Who is the broadcast crew for Illinois-Ohio State?

Play-by-play: Gus Johnson.

Analyst: Joel Klatt.

Sideline reporter: Jenny Taft.

Big Ten injury report for Illinois at Ohio State football

• Illinois

LB Daniel Brown – Probable

WR Jayshon Platt – Doubtful

OG Brandon Henderson – Out

TE Grant Smith – Out for Season

TE Tanner Hollinger – Out for Season

TE BJ Thurman – Out for Season

WR Alex Perry – Out for Season

OG TJ McMillen – Out for Season

• Ohio State

RB Legend By – Questionable

WR Devin McCuin – Questionable

DT James Smith – Doubtful

DE Zion Grady – Out

What is the weather forecast for Illinois at Ohio State football?

For Saturday, Sept. 26, in Columbus, Ohio: Temperature expected at 73% at kickoff. No rain in forecast. Wind 5-10 mph.

What to know about Illinois vs. Ohio State football

◾Fighting Illini wide receiver Collin Dixon has 7 receiving TDs, a single-season record for Gies Memorial Stadium and three away from the Illini program record.

◾Ohio State leads the overall series, 70-30-4, with a 66-24-2 advantage in the battle for the Illibuck rivalry trophy.

◾Illini WR Hudson Clement has caught a pass in 30 straight games, the sixth-longest active streak in the nation.

◾Illinois QB Katin Houser ranks 10th in the nation in ESPN's QBR metric (87.2).

◾Since entering college football in 2024, Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith leads all players in receptions (184), receiving yards (2,958) and receiving TDs (30). 

◾Ohio State QB Julian Sayin is the most accurate quarterback in program history with a career completion percentage of 75.1%, which also would be an NCAA record (min. 875 attempts). 

Illinois vs. Ohio State predictions

Ohio State 48, Illinois 21: The Illibuck Trophy rivalry game is over 100 years old, and this season pits two of the nation's elite receivers on the field against each other. Illinois' Collin Dixon has a national-best 7 touchdowns on 25 receptions for 367 yards. Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith has 400 yards on 21 catches and 3 TDs, and is projected as a top 3 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. The Buckeyes are No. 7 in the AP rankings, and reportedly spent $55 million on their roster in a Big 10 that has seven teams in the top 25. Ohio State QB Julian Sayin is another projected lottery pick in the NFL Draft, and he'll match throws with Illinois QB Katin Houser. The latter is building a great start with 74.1% completions, 758 yards and 8 TDs. The Illini remain unranked after a 48-10 feel-good outing over Southern Illinois. Ohio State has won 10 straight meetings with Illinois. — Dave Eminian

Ohio State 52, Illinois 24: This is the 105th meeting between Illinois and the Buckeyes, playing for the Illibuck rivalry trophy. The Fighting Illini come off a 48-point offensive output last week. Illinois wideout Collin Dixon continues to solidify his status as one of the nation's top receivers. His seven touchdowns lead the nation to go with 25 receptions for 367 yards. Ohio State has won the last 10 meetings, suffering its last loss to Illinois as the No 1-ranked team in 2007. The Buckeyes won by 56 points last week over Kent State where seven different players scored. Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith has 400 yards on 21 catches and three TDs. — Adam Duvall

Illinois vs Ohio State odds

The betting lines for the Illinois-Ohio State game, as of Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026 via BetMGM.

Point spread: Ohio State by 27.5.

Over-under total: 53.5 points

Money line: Illinois +1900. Ohio State -5000.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: College football: Live updates, highlights of Illinois Fighting Illini at Ohio State

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