The No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes (5-0, 2-0) look to knock off a ranked opponent on the road as they head to Champaign to face the No. 17 Illinois Fighting Illini (5-1, 2-1) for another Big Noon kickoff.
Here
are five things to know about Illinois as the Buckeyes attempt to grab another resume boosting win.
Luke Altmyer is off to a great start
The experienced Illinois quarterback was a player to watch coming into the season, and he has not disappointed so far. The senior has completed 74 percent of his passes for 1,573 yards, 12 touchdowns and no interceptions.
Altmyer and Julian Sayin are two of the most accurate passers in the country so far this year. Altmyer went 19-for-22 for 390 yards and four touchdowns last week against Purdue.
Hank Beatty is a weapon for Altmyer
This game features three of the best receivers in the conference. Not only does Ohio State come into this one with Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate, but Illinois comes in with senior pass catcher Hank Beatty.
Beatty is second in the Big Ten with 569 yards, only behind USC’s Makai Lemon, who has 589 yards. Smith and Tate are third and fourth. Beatty is also tied for third in the conference with 32 catches, only behind Lemon and Smith. He had five catches for 186 yards and a touchdowns against Purdue.
The Illinois defense has struggled
While the Fighting Illini offense has played well (outside of the Indiana game), the defense has struggled to keep teams out of the endzone. They have given up 63 points to Indiana, 32 points to USC and 27 points to Purdue in the last three weeks.
They have also given up 388 yards per game to the opponent, which is third worst in the Big Ten, only behind Purdue and UCLA.
The Buckeyes should score early and often
Going off the above, the Buckeyes offense is clicking more and more each week, and they are now facing a defense that has struggled as of late.
The Ohio State offense needs to jump on the Illini defense early. If you win the toss, take the ball, go score and set the tone. This is a game that the Buckeyes can score 30 or more, and with the defense they have, that will make you feel good about winning any game.
The history of the Illibuck
Ohio State has won the last nine meetings between the two programs (technically the win in 2010 was vacated). Because of this, the Buckeyes have held onto “The Illibuck”.
The Illibuck is a carved wooden turtle that goes to the game’s winner. Two junior honorary societies, Bucket and Dipper of Ohio State and Atius-Sachem of Illinois, are responsible for the care of the Illibuck.
Originally the “trophy” was a live turtle when the tradition began in 1925. From 1919 to 1933, the Illinois and Ohio State game was the regular-season finale for both teams.
Since the original turtle’s death on April 14, 1926, 10 wooden replica Illibucks have been carved, each with the scores from games on its back.
The Illibuck is the second oldest trophy passed between Big Ten Conference football programs (the Little Brown Jug was created in 1903).
