A Big Ten that wasn’t on anyone’s radar heading into the season will take center stage on Saturday at noon. That’s when the No. 1-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) will head west to take on the No. 17-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten).
Everyone expected Ohio State to be in this position. The Buckeyes have steamrolled their competition, winning every game since a season-opening victory over Texas by double-digit margins.
Illinois’s rank is the surprising entry for this conversation. The Illini earned their position among the college football elites with victories over USC, Duke, and Purdue. Still, the 63-10 drubbing Illinois received from Indiana shows the chinks in the Illini’s armor.
Can the Fighting Illini pull off an upset over the top-ranked Buckeyes? We’ll cover that and provide bettors with our top three player props for Saturday’s matchup between Ohio State and Illinois.
There’s a new Bo Jackson in college football. Ohio State freshman Lamar “Bo” Jackson Jr. is not related to the famed former Auburn star, but fans wouldn’t be able to tell that on the field. The running back is averaging over 7.5 yards per carry, netting 360 rushing yards thus far.
After splitting carries with James Peoples, Jackson has taken control of the backfield recently. He’s earned 30 carries over the past two games, racking up at least 63 yards against two other Big Ten foes.
Illinois’ loss to Indiana gave Ohio State the blueprint to beat the Illini. In that drubbing, the Hoosiers ran for 312 yards, and three players finished with 65 or more rushing yards. Expect Jackson to eat on Saturday, covering this player prop bet.
Senior quarterback Luke Altmyer is having another strong season for the Illini. The 6-foot-2 athlete has thrown for 1,573 yards and 12 touchdowns without being picked off in 2025.
His worst outing of the season came against Indiana. In that game, he finished with 146 passing yards. Ohio State’s defense is just as nasty as the Hooisers. Expect him to have another poor performance on Saturday, falling to cover this passing prop bet.
Last season, Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith was crowned as the next big thing due to his memorable freshman campaign. In 2024, Smith finished with 76 receptions for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns.
The current campaign hasn’t disappointed. This season, he’s leading his team with 35 receptions for 463 yards and six touchdowns. The 6-foot-3 sophomore has topped the century mark twice this season, but both games had catches that spanned 47 or more yards.
Again, Ohio State should be focused on running the football in this outing. While Julian Sayin will likely have a strong outing, expect the Illini to focus on slowing down Smith. Take the under on this player prop bet.
Fifteen years ago, Illinois coach Bret Bielema led the No. 17-ranked Wisconsin Badgers to an upset victory over the then-undefeated Ohio State Buckeyes. Is this déjà vu for Bielema and the Fighting Illini?
No. Ohio State’s one of the best teams in the country, and the Buckeyes will prove why on Saturday. Expect the top-ranked team to dominate both sides of the football, winning this game in blowout fashion.