Ohio State opened up the Big Ten portion of their schedule with a 42-19 win over Illinois on Saturday, marking the 11th straight win over the Fighting Illini. On a beautiful day in Columbus, the Buckeyes went to halftime with a 28-10 lead and were able to keep Bret Bielema’s team from getting too close despite Illinois hitting some big plays in the second half.
There were a number of Buckeyes who had strong offensive performances in Saturday’s win, with one Ohio State player having a game that many
will remember for quite some time. Despite the defense giving up over 450 yards and 19 points, there were a couple of players from the group who deserve some recognition for what they did on the field against the Fighting Illini.
Along with the players who had strong games against Illinois, there also was an assistant coach who had a big day. Before Ohio State turns their attention to Iowa, we can take one last look at those who deserve recognition for their contributions to the win over the Fighting Illini.
Offense
Jeremiah Smith
The junior continued to show why not only is he the best wide receiver in the country, but why he is going to end his Ohio State career as the best to play at the position. Smith finished with 12 catches for 217 yards and four touchdowns in the win over Illinois.
After opening up the game with a 7-yard touchdown pass to give Ohio State an early lead, Julian Sayin dropped a bomb right into Smith’s hands for a 72-yard touchdown after the wide receiver was able to elude the Fighting Illini defenders after the catch. The reception was the second-longest of Smith’s Buckeye career.
With just over four minutes to go in the first half, Smith completed a first-half hat trick with his third touchdown, which by far was the most beautiful of his scores in the game. Sayin threw a fade to Smith, which he not only hauled in, but was able to tap his right foot in the end zone before his left foot touched out of bounds. The touchdown gave Ohio State a 21-7 lead.
Smith became the fifth Buckeye receiver to haul in four touchdowns in a game when he scored on a 26-yard pass from Sayin with 10:07 left in the fourth quarter. The last Ohio State receiver to accomplish the feat was Noah Brown in 2016 against Oklahoma.
The 212 receiving yards were not only a career-high for Smith, but it was also the sixth-most in a game by an Ohio State player. Smith’s output was the 23rd time since 2000 that an FBS receiver had at least 10 catches, 200 yards receiving, and four touchdowns in a game. Skyy Moore of Western Michigan was the last to reach those marks in a game back in 2021 against Northern Illinois.
Julian Sayin
Saturday’s game was obviously Julian Sayin’s best game of the young season. The junior quarterback completed 27 of his 36 passing attempts for 367 yards and four touchdowns. Sayin looked crisper and more decisive throwing the football. Of course it doesn’t hurt to have a talent like Jeremiah Smith as a target in the passing attack.
What was most noticeable about Sayin against Illinois is that he was a little more willing to run the football, which is something fans have been clamoring for. Even though being a running quarterback isn’t really part of Sayin’s game, there have been times when there is loads of space in front of Sayin, and he has refused to take the easy yardage.
One of those occurrences came late in the second quarter when Sayin could have easily run for 15 to 20 yards but instead ran towards the sidelines just past midfield for a four-yard gain, which resulted in a first down. Later in the drive, Sayin made up for not taking the easy yardage by recording his second rushing touchdown of the season, a seven-yard run right before halftime to push Ohio State’s lead to 28-10.
Despite Sayin’s performances so far this season feeling underwhelming after he was a Heisman Trophy finalist last year, he also has had to adjust to life without a receiver like Carnell Tate to complement what Smith does. Sayin still has completed at least 75 percent of his passing attempts in three of four games this year and has 10 touchdown passes.
Following the second-half dud at Texas a couple of weeks ago, Sayin is hungry to redeem himself. The next month will determine if Sayin has a shot at a return trip to New York City in early December.
Defense
Riley Pettijohn
The sophomore linebacker continued to show why he could be the next great Buckeye at the position, registering a sack and two tackles for loss against the Fighting Illini. This was the second sack of the season for Pettijohn.
After Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles were top-10 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, Pettijohn has the athleticism and explosiveness to be a first-round pick in the NFL Draft when he either declares for the draft or exhausts his college eligibility.
Payton Pierce is the tackle machine at linebacker, Christian Alliegro brings senior experience after transferring from Wisconsin, while Pettijohn and T.J. Alford are the players in the group who have the potential to make game-changing plays. As the season goes along, expect to see even more of Pettijohn and Alford on the field for the Buckeyes.
Jaylen McClain
Ohio State’s defensive performance on Saturday left a lot to be desired. The Buckeyes gave up over 450 yards, with 263 of those coming through the air. Even though Matt Patricia and company aren’t happy with how the group played, the Buckeyes still ended up winning by 21 points.
Jaylen McClain was the bright spot of the secondary, making eight tackles and recording four passes defensed. Following the departure of Caleb Downs at the other safety spot, McClain has come into his own this season. Just a few weeks ago against Texas, McClain picked off the first pass of his college career.
Had it not been for McClain’s efforts, Illinois likely would have given up a lot more yards and the final score could have been closer than Buckeye Nation would have liked.
Coach of the game
James Laurinaitis
Not only did the Ohio State linebackers coach ring the Victory Bell before Saturday’s game, at the end of the first quarter the former Buckeye linebacker was honored for his recent induction into the College Football Hall of Fame. Laurinaitis is the third ringer of the Victory Bell of the 2026 regular season, joining Maurice Clarett and Katie Smith.
Laurinaitis is now in his third season as Ohio State’s linebackers coach. Since taking over as position coach in February 2024, there has been a return to glory for the Buckeye linebackers, as evidenced by Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles being top-10 picks in April’s NFL Draft. Judging by the way Riley Pettijohn and others have played with Laurinaitis as their coach, there will be more first-round picks from the position in the near future.
