Weather won't be a factor here — a clear, 67-degree afternoon with modest wind at Ohio Stadium — so this comes down to whether Illinois' offensive line and a shorthanded receiving corps can hold up against a Buckeyes front that's fresh off a near-record output. The number reflects a home team playing with something to prove.
Southern Illinois48-10
Houser's first start set the tone for what Illinois hopes this offense becomes: 13-of-17 passing for 182 yards and 3 touchdowns, plus a rushing score, in a 42-23 win over UAB. The Illini then hit a wall against Duke, dropping a 27-31 decision before bouncing back to blow out Southern Illinois 48-10 in front of a sold-out Gies Memorial Stadium. That's a group still finding its ceiling — capable of explosive stretches, but untested against a defense with Ohio State's speed and depth up front.
- QuestionableN. Rankin (WR) — Rankin is nursing with a leg injury, and it is unclear whether he will play against S. Illinois on Saturday, September 19th.09/12
- QuestionableJ. Forster (RB) — Forster is nursing with a knee injury, and it is unclear whether he will play against S. Illinois on Saturday, September 19th.09/12
- OutG. Smith (TE) — Smith is laid up with an undisclosed injury, and he will be idle for the remainder of the season.08/23
- OutB. Thurman (TE) — Thurman is laid up with foot surgery, and he is likely to miss the remainder of the season.08/13
- OutA. Perry (WR) — Perry is batting with a shoulder injury and will undergo surgery, and team officials have yet to provide an exact return date.08/13
- OutT. Hollinger (TE) — Hollinger has been out of commission due to an undisclosed injury, and he will be idle for the remainder of the season.08/11
- QuestionableB. Jackson (RB) — Jackson is dealing with a shoulder injury, and it has yet to be determined if he will play againstg Illinois on Saturday.09/20
- OutZ. Grady (DL) — Grady is dealing with an undisclosed injury, and he is not expected to play against Kent St. on Saturday, September 19th.09/19
Ohio State's last two weeks are a study in contrast. The Buckeyes blew a 20-point fourth-quarter lead and lost 24-23 to Texas, a collapse that knocked them from the preseason No. 1 ranking. They answered with a 59-3 rout of Kent State, a game in which Jeremiah Smith became the program's career receiving-yards leader. A team that can look that dominant one week and that fragile the next is exactly the kind of matchup that makes Illinois' rebuilding pieces a tougher watch than the spread suggests — but the version of Ohio State that shows up Saturday still has more separation talent than anything Illinois has faced this year.