No. 6 Ohio State Hosts Illinois on FOX in Week 4 Big Ten Matchup
The short version
- Game time: Saturday, September 26, 2026, 12:00 PM ET on FOX from Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH.
- Ohio State is 2-1 and ranked No. 6; Illinois is also 2-1.
- Prediction: Ohio State 41, Illinois 13; consensus line Ohio State -27.5, over/under 54.5.
- Ohio State has won ten straight in the series, including 34-16 last year in Champaign.
The Buckeyes look to rebound in the polls when they face the Illini at Ohio Stadium on Saturday, September 26 at 12:00 PM ET on FOX.
Ohio State brings a 2-1 record into its Week 4 home game against Illinois, kicking off at 12:00 PM ET on Saturday, September 26 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, with coverage on FOX. The Buckeyes have slid from the top spot in the rankings after a one-point defeat at Texas and now sit sixth in both major polls, even after a 59-3 rout of Kent State a week ago.
Illinois arrives at 2-1 as well. The Illini struggled at times with UAB, fell to Duke on a late heartbreaker at home, and rolled past Southern Illinois in a comfortable win. A year ago, Ohio State took the meeting 34-16 in Champaign, its tenth consecutive victory in the series since a 2007 loss.
College Football News points to Ohio State's ground game as a lingering concern. The Buckeyes rank tenth in the Big Ten in rushing and eleventh in yards per carry, averaging 3.8 yards an attempt against Kent State, though quarterback Julian Sayin and receiver Jeremiah Smith anchor a potent aerial attack.
The prediction calls for Ohio State to win comfortably, 41-13, with the passing game doing the heavy lifting against an Illinois defense that has generated little pass rush. The consensus betting line lists the Buckeyes as 27.5-point favorites with an over/under of 54.5.
