CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Ohio State has it all. They have a NCAA26 cover athlete as their number one reciever. They have a 5-star quarterback throwing him the ball. They have a defensive coordinator who was a NFL
head coach just five years ago. And oh yeah, they have a surplus of money from boosters to make sure their program is going nowhere.
All of this mounts to one thing. The top ranking in the country.
“It is a tremendous challenge,” Illinois head coach Bret Bielema said. “There is a reason they are the number one team in the country.”
The Buckeyes are not just good in one area. They are good everywhere.
The most points they scored in 2025? 70. The most points they have given up? Nine.
The defense is allowing only five points per game. To put that in perspective, in five games Ohio State has allowed 25 points. That’s it. Illinois allowed 27 to Purdue last Saturday.
The sudden change in this elite defense? Matt Patricia.
“Obviously, Matt Patricia is the defensive coordinator. I never really crossed paths with him at New England,” Bielema said. “I got a lot of respect cor what he built there and what they did. It is a really fun thing to see him come into the league and see what he brings.”
Patricia, was the long time defensive coordinator for the New England Patriots, a team that Bielema worked for as well. After winning a couple Super Bowls with the Pats, he was hired by the Detroit Lions to be their head coach. While that stint did not work out as planned, he still brings a ton of experience, especially his playbook.
Patricia is disguising his defensive scheme and confusing college quarterbacks before the ball is even snapped.
Listen to what former NFL punter Pat McAfee said about Patricia following his dismantling of Texas’ offense.
Now even if the Illini offense can score points, the defense is going to have to stop one of the most explosive offenses in college football.
“I know Ryan Day’s influence and what they do offensively,” Bielema said. “It is a very explosive offense, they got guys on the perimeter, very good up front offensive line, good tight end package and good wide receivers. They have good athletes all over the field and they execute very well.”
Ryan Day, Ohio State’s head coach who is fresh off a National Championship, has been running some of the most successful offenses in CFB for the last 10 years. From NFL quarterbacks C.J. Stroud, Justin Fields and Will Howard leading his offense, there has not been much to slow him down.
Now redshirt-freshman quarterback Julian Sayin is picking up right where those three left off. He has 13 touchdown passes and only three interceptions. With the Illinois defense hobbled with injuries, he could pick the secondary apart with all the weapons he has at his disposal.
Bielema knows what is at stake in this game. He knows what the world would say if they pull off a miraculous upset. He knows what the world would say if they get curb stomped.
“When you play Ohio State it is a really good opporutnity to see where you stand in college football,” Bielema said. “They have held up their end of the bargain, and hopefully we are holding up ours.”
But Bielema has a good feeling about the guys in his building.
“I like our guys, I like the attitude and I like their demeanor,” Bielema said. “You need your best from opening snap to the last snap.”
