Column | What positions outperformed in Illinois’ loss to Ohio State

By Laura Mendes, Senior Sports Reporter • Sep 29, 2026

Ohio State’s junior wide receiver Jeremiah Smith did a postgame interview after he had 4 touchdowns in the Buckeyes’ 42-19 win against the Illini on Sept. 26, 2026.

In football, like any sport, there are winners and losers. While the Illini (2-2, 0-1) ultimately lost to the then-No. 7 Ohio State Buckeyes (3-1, 1-0), certain players and positions stood out for their individual performances.

Some players for Illinois did all they could to potentially push the Illini closer in contention to the Buckeyes. However, certain pieces of Ohio State were on fire and executed better than Illinois. So, here are five positions across the board and whether Illinois or Ohio State outperformed the other.

Running back: Illinois’ Aidan Laughery

Illinois’ overall run game was more successful than Ohio State’s. The Illini amassed 199 yards in 33 attempts. The Buckeyes, on the other hand, had one less attempt than the Illini and only ran for 151 yards. However, there was one Illini who paved the way for all this yardage. Fifth-year running back Aidan Laughery continued to outperform Illinois’ other running backs on Saturday. Laughery made up just under 57% of the Illini’s yards on the ground. His quick feet and precise path made him hard to stop.

While Laughery did not score a touchdown, he was there when Illinois needed him the most and delivered nearly every time when it came to furthering drives for the Illini. He also averaged over 10 yards per rushing attempt, with his longest rush being 37 yards. That is also over twice as many yards as Ohio State’s longest rush at 15 yards.

Overall, Illinois utilized its run game a lot more than Ohio State did and found more success with it. However, it was still not enough for the Illini to leave Columbus, Ohio, victorious.

Defensive back: Illinois’ Matthew Bailey

In the midst of an inconsistent and lackluster defense, one thing remains consistent: fifth-year defensive back Matthew Bailey’s performances. Bailey has been a consistent presence for the Illini throughout his time wearing the orange and blue. When everything else goes wrong, Bailey is there to pick up the pieces and make the best of it.

On Saturday, Bailey had the most total tackles and solo tackles on the day between the Buckeyes and the Illini. He amassed 14 total tackles, with half of those being solo tackles. He also had a tackle for loss, the only Illini to do so at Ohio State.

Bailey’s performance stood out especially during the fourth quarter. When hopes seemed to be dwindling, and it seemed as if the game was over for Illinois, Bailey continued to show up and do his part as a defensive back. ​

Wide receiver: Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith

While fifth-year quarterback Katin Houser and senior wide receiver Collin Dixon’s bond has been talked about frequently, it was Ohio State’s quarterback and wide receiver duo that was the star of Saturday.

It goes without saying that junior wide receiver Jeremiah Smith continues to be one of the greatest wide receivers in college football this season, and maybe in history.

Smith’s chemistry with junior quarterback Julian Sayin was as clear as ever on Saturday. He had 4 touchdowns in 12 attempts and a 75% completion rate. His 217 yards were just under 50 yards fewer than all of the yards combined for Illinois’ seven receivers on Saturday.

After his record-breaking afternoon, Smith continues to have his name in the Heisman Trophy conversation, and as a strong contender for the No. 1 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. ​

His most talked-about touchdown from Saturday is without a doubt his 72-yard one, where he had Illinois’ senior defensive back Mac Resetich at a loss. Smith avoided Resetich again and again for a flawless run into the end zone. This play highlighted Smith’s high football IQ in how he can avoid any defender on him. Smith also said it is one of the best feelings to have a defender completely lost.

“I could say I feel bad for him,” Smith said. “When I did that, I just started laughing when that happened.”

Quarterback: Ohio State’s Julian Sayin

Going off of Smith’s showstopping day on Saturday, part of his success was due to Sayin’s performance as well. His 367 yards, 4 touchdowns and 75% completion rate were by far better than Houser’s 263 yards, 1 touchdown and 57% completion rate.

A common theme for the Buckeyes was being able to make better, smarter plays throughout the matchup, and Sayin was no different. He knew just when and where to find Smith, and when Smith wasn’t in a position to get the ball, Sayin relied on seven other receivers throughout the game.

According to Ohio State’s head coach Ryan Day, the 2025 Heisman finalist was challenged this week, and it paid off.​

“I thought the scramble there to get the first down during that drive was big, and then to keep the play alive on the touchdown was big as well,” Day said. “And you could just see the reaction from the sideline and from the offense, and that’s the X factor. And he has it.”

Sayin continues to be a threat for his opponents, and, unfortunately for the Illini, he was a force that couldn’t be stopped.

Defensive coordinator: Ohio State’s Matt Patricia

Arguably one of the most controversial and least successful parts of Illinois’ program as of late is its defense. As a matter of fact, defensive coordinator Bobby Hauck and Illinois parted ways less than 24 hours after the end of Saturday’s game.

Ohio State’s defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, on the other hand, led his defense in a way that blew Illinois out of the water. Every move matters in football, and that’s where Hauck’s calls didn’t hold a candle to the execution and choices of Patricia’s. This led to the Buckeyes outperforming the Illini in six major defensive categories.

While tackles and solo tackles were somewhat close for both teams, Ohio State still outperformed Illinois. The Buckeyes had 69 total tackles and 37 solo tackles in comparison to the Illini’s 62 total tackles and 32 solo tackles.

Ohio State’s linebackers and defensive linemen also sacked Houser 3 times; Illinois recorded 0 sacks on Sayin. If that wasn’t enough on Houser, the Buckeyes also had 1 quarterback hurry and 12 broken-up passes that prevented the Illini’s wide receivers from catching Houser’s passes.

In comparison, the Illini had 0 quarterback hurries and only 5 broken up passes. Lastly, Ohio State also had 5 tackles for loss recorded when Illinois only had 1.

The clear discrepancies in the defensive statistics between the Illini and the Buckeyes show just how much more calculated Patricia’s calls were in comparison to Hauck’s. While execution is also a result of defensive performance, the defensive coordinator is the one with the scheme that leads to it.

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!

What’s up, DI Fam! I am Josh, Video Director at The Daily Illini. I dreamt of creating vlogs, sports videos and creative lifestyle content ever since I was young. To fulfill this mission for The DI is a dream come true. As a senior majoring in graphic design, The DI has taught me countless skills that blend perfectly with my educational and professional pursuits. I love creative media, sports, time with friends and seeing our follower count grow on Instagram @thedailyillini.