How Illinois Football Can Shock No. 1 Ohio State in Week 7

No. 17 Illinois (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten) faces its toughest challenge of the season in Week 7 against No. 1 Ohio State (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten). Gies Memorial Stadium will welcome the reigning national champions, a squad riding a nine-game winning streak that dates back to 2024.

The general consensus holds that the Illini, despite being the home team, are facing a blowout. Although the Buckeyes have a loaded offense – including the consensus top player in college football, wide receiver Jeremiah Smith – it’s their defense that has truly turned heads through five games.

Ohio State has held opponents to just 5.0 points per game, which includes just two touchdowns all season – and none in the red zone.

How Illinois can upset Ohio State

Oct 4, 2025; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini wide receiver Hank Beatty (80) celebrates a touchdown with Illinois Fighting Illini wide receiver Collin Dixon (17) during the second quarter against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

So how can Illinois – which has put up 37.0 points per game – maintain its offensive momentum against this spectacular Ohio State D? Well, quarterback Luke Altmyer will need a couple of huge connections with his receivers.

Fortunately for the Illini, that’s hardly an unrealistic goal. Just last week alone, Illinois had four separate completions of 40 yards or more – three of which went to dynamic wideout Hank Beatty. Its lone touchdown against Indiana in Week 4? A 59-yard bomb from Altmyer to wide receiver Collin Dixon. Against USC in Week 5, the Illini had four plays that went for at least 25 yards, along with two that went for 60-plus.

Luke Altmyer connected with Hank Beatty for 62 yards in @IlliniFootball’s win over Purdue, the longest reception of Beatty’s career 🙌

📍@Sitecore x Connection of the Game pic.twitter.com/VoTcDIWVRo
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) October 4, 2025

Few offenses in the country are as explosive as the Illini's. And against an Ohio State defense that turns the screws tighter the shorter the field gets, it has somehow been easier to score on the Buckeyes outside of their 20-yard line.

Similar to Illinois’ own bend-but-don’t-break defense, mastermind defensive coordinator Matt Patricia's unit forces teams to play mistake-free football – except that the Buckeyes are far better at it than the Illini.

Ohio State's scheme and personnel are built for shutting down opponents in scoring territory. In fact, not only have the Buckeyes kept foes out of the end zone whenever they cross the 20, of the eight times they have entered the red zone this season, OSU has somehow allowed only three field goals.

In a roundabout way, Illinois may have an offense built to attack Ohio State’s lone weakness: explosive plays. (It's worth noting that the Buckeyes have given up only two “big” plays all year, despite it being a “weakness.”) Yet the question arises: Can Illinois’ offensive line give Altmyer enough time for big plays to develop?

If the past two weeks are any sign, the answer is yes. Illinois held USC and Purdue to just three combined sacks. But Ohio State is another animal, and the Illini O-line will need to play its best game of the season Saturday – perhaps with the aid of a trick play or two up the sleeve of offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr.

Moral of the story: Although the Illini may be far from the favorite in Week 7, they may have the right ingredients – at least on the offensive side – to cook up a huge upset, and perhaps the biggest win, in terms of long-term implications, in program history.