Column | How the Illini can take down the No. 7 Buckeyes

By Laura Mendes, Senior Sports Reporter • Sep 25, 2026

Fifth-year running back Aidan Laughery celebrates with fifth-year quarterback Katin Houser after scoring a 77-yard touchdown against SIU on Sept. 19, 2026.

After closing out its non-conference slate 2-1, Illinois is finally going on the road to open up Big Ten play against none other than No. 7 Ohio State (2-1). While the Illini enter this matchup as scrappy underdogs, anything is possible in college football.

​“A tremendous challenge coming in this week to open Big Ten play at Ohio State,” said head coach Bret Bielema. “The more work we can get, the better off we’re going to be.”

​It’s obvious that the Buckeyes are going to be a difficult opponent for the Illini to have their first away game and for their first conference matchup. Here’s how Illinois can maximize its chances against Ohio State and leave Columbus, Ohio victorious.

It’s no secret that senior wide receiver Collin Dixon is having a season for the record books. However, he can’t be the only one to consistently show up for the Illini offensively. With 7 touchdowns so far, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Buckeyes’ defense decided to hone in on defending Dixon to limit his production on the field, something Bielema is already thinking about.

​“He’s just extremely talented,” Bielema said of Dixon. “I even told Barry (Lunney Jr.) this week like, ‘You know, now there’s going to be times where he’s going to get double coverage.’”

​Even though it’s good the Illini have a reliable wide receiver in Dixon, all of their eggs can’t be in his basket. Against Ohio State, Illinois needs to start utilizing its other wide receivers more, especially when it comes to scoring touchdowns.

​Fifth-year wide receiver Hudson Clement goes into the matchup with a reception in 30 straight games but has yet to score a touchdown this season. Clement only scored 3 touchdowns last season, with 2 of those on the same day.​

Outside of Dixon, the Illini’s only other wide receiver to score a touchdown this season so far is sixth-year Ty Robinson. Saturday would be a great opportunity for some of Illinois’ other wide receivers, such as sophomore Brayden Trimble and Clement, to find their way to the end zone.

Illinois’ tight ends, seniors Kaden Feagin and Davin Stoffel, also have a chance to get involved. Feagin and Stoffel both have caught passes from fifth-year quarterback Katin Houser but need to be getting more looks on the field since they are currently at 9 yards and 26 yards, respectively.

As for Illinois’ running back room, the effort seems to be more spread out. So far, the Illini have had 5 rushing touchdowns, all from different running backs, and one from Houser. Junior running back Ca’Lil Valentine leads the way in rushing yards for the Illini with 177. Right behind him is fifth-year running back Aidan Laughery with 159 yards. Other notable running backs include freshman Javari Barnett and fifth-year Jordan Anderson, who both had touchdowns against SIU.

Speaking on consistency, special teams coordinator Chris Hurd talked about one player who embodies this quality.​

“Ethan’s (Moczulski) doing a heck of a job for us,” Hurd said. “He’s come in, and he was determined to come here and earn his spot and get out on the field and help this team win.”

Moczulski found his way back to Illinois this season after spending the 2025-26 season with Washington and has been a consistent force on the field. He is especially dependable with his kickoffs, totaling over 1,200 yards thus far. He is also 4-for-5 on his field goal attempts so far; the only one he’s missed was a 62-yarder against Duke.

Consistency is key and arguably, the player who needs to be the most consistent on the field is the quarterback. And Houser has done just that this season. In three games, Houser completed 60 out of 81 passes, which puts him right around the 74% completion mark. It also has helped him reach the No. 11 spot in the nation’s quarterback rankings.

While that is an impressive ranking for Houser, the concerning part is that Ohio State’s quarterback, junior Julian Sayin, is at No. 4 on the list. This is going to make the Illini’s defense job extra hard this Saturday. However, Sayin’s pass completion percentage is lower than Houser’s at right under 71%; Sayin has one less interception than Houser, and more passing yards than Houser.

​On paper, both quarterbacks are relatively similar, but it’s the other team’s defense that is going to play a big part in how each quarterback performs. This is where things get concerning for Houser and the Illini. Bielema has been clear that he did not have the funds to pay for defensive players. Ohio State, on the other hand, is the highest spender across all 68 teams.

A clear-cut challenge is in front of the Illini, but by sticking to their principles and the fundamentals of football, any challenge is feasible for the Illini. They’ve gone into Ohio Stadium as the underdog and walked away victorious before, so there is no counting them out.

With all odds stacked against the Illini, one thing remains true: Football is always football, and it also goes back to the mentality and mindset. Hurd and defensive line coach and run game coordinator Jordan Thomas also shared how no matter who the opponent is, the mindset stays the same.

“The opponent, you got to study them, evaluate what they do, and take what they do, and how you comply within your game plan, to put your team in a successful position,” Hurd said. “But, whether it’s Ohio State, whether it’s Southern Illinois, whether it’s whoever it may be, you go with the same approach, same mindset, and how you prepare, and the work that you put in.”

“I mean, there’s no difference to me than when you’re 8 years old and playing in your backyard, as opposed to when you go and play at the Big House, man,” Thomas said. “At the end of the day, it’s all about your matchup.”

Thomas provided a great reminder that it doesn’t matter where you play. It is also a reminder that at the end of the day, football is football, and during the four 15-minute quarters, nothing else matters.

“You make a big deal about playing at Ohio State, then you let it get to them,” Thomas said. “But at the end of the day, you just have to remind anybody you’re coaching in life and in the workplace that it’s not about your Q4 results; it’s about what you’re doing every single day. And the process yields the results that you want.”

Two teams, one goal, one game; this all goes down Saturday in Columbus, Ohio, for Big Noon Kickoff.

Hi! My name is Laura, and I’m a senior majoring in communication and minoring in business and public relations. This is my fourth year being part of The Daily Illini, and I have covered sports like football, women’s basketball, men’s and women’s gymnastics and women’s swim & dive. Now, I am lucky to be a Senior Sports Reporter for the sports department for the second year! Outside of The DI, I love to listen to music, drink coffee and spend time with my friends!

Hi! I’m Sarah, and I am a sophomore majoring in journalism and minoring in ecology and conservation biology. I started working for Illini Media Company in Fall 2025 as a staff photographer. Now, I am the Senior Photographer for both The Daily Illini and The Illio! I have a huge passion for sports photography, as well as photojournalism in general. If you can’t find me covering a sports game, you can most definitely find me hanging out with my sorority, out on a hike, drinking coffee or listening to music. You can check out my photography through my Instagram or web portfolio!

Hi! I’m Sam, and I am a senior studying journalism and gender and women’s studies. I started working at Illini Media Company in Fall 2023 as a staff photographer for The Illio, and I became the Senior Photographer for both The Illio and The Daily Illini in Spring 2024. Now, I’m the Photo Editor for both publications! Multimedia journalism is a huge passion of mine, so you might see my work in other publications around Champaign-Urbana. You can check out more of my photography or contact me through my socials or email linked below.