Ohio State and Illinois square off on Saturday, and it is actually one of the oldest rivalries in all of college football. The programs first played in a scoreless tie on Nov. 15, 1902, and since then Ohio State has won 70 times, lost 30, and drawn 4.
Although the two programs did not begin to play annually right away, there was a stretch from 1919 through 2002 when the two teams met 84 consecutive seasons in a row, at one point becoming college football's longest continuous series. Conference realignment and unbalanced scheduling then occurred and reduced the frequency of the game.
While Ohio State has dominated the series, arguably the defining modern upset happened on November 10, 2007, when then-Illini quarterback Juice Williams led the Illini to
an improbable 28-21 victory over No. 1 Ohio State in Columbus. It ended up being the only loss that Ohio State suffered that season.
B1G matchup in The ‘Shoe 🌰 pic.twitter.com/zX4lVp4iVe
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) September 21, 2026
The Buckeyes have responded emphatically since then, having won the past 10 meetings between the two teams. Their most recent matchup was last season when Ohio State left Champaign with a comfortable 34-16 victory.
The two teams will be the "Big Noon" national broadcast on Saturday and will compete for the Illibuck trophy, which happens to be one of the most unique in the sport.
Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion.
Follow Sunny on X:@thesunnyv.
This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: A history of the Ohio State vs Illinois 'Illibuck' football rivalry
