Illinois Offense in Trouble vs. Ohio State? ‘One of The Best Defenses I’ve Ever Seen’

Top-ranked Ohio State’s defense, on paper, is quite inexperienced in terms of its collective on-field, in-game reps. From last year’s national championship squad, the Buckeyes returned just three starters from their defense. (Notably, one of them is widely considered the best defender in the country in defensive back Caleb Downs.)

Ohio State's defense is the best in the country

Yet there has been no working-out-the-kinks period for Ohio State’s defense. Even with the majority of its defensive unit entering the season with zero career starts, Ohio State leads the nation in points allowed per game with just 5.0 per outing through five games.

And it’s not as though Ryan Day's squad has just been playing slouches. The Buckeyes have already seen Washington on the road, then-No. 1 Texas and a previously one-loss Minnesota team – the latter of which Ohio State just steamrolled 42-3 on Saturday night.

Now, especially when it comes to the No. 1 team in the country, it’s easy to brush past the numbers. The Buckeyes are, theoretically, the best team in the nation, so having the top defense isn’t exactly an Earth-shattering revelation.

That said, OSU's D is at a shockingly different level. For perspective, just listen to the head coach of Ohio State’s previous opponent: Minnesota’s PJ Fleck.

Sep 23, 2023; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers head coach PJ Fleck on the field before the game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Ryan Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

“That’s one of the best defenses I’ve ever seen in 13 years [as a head coach],” began Fleck following his squad’s Week 6 loss. “It’s not just the players and the depth – that’s exceptional, that’s off the charts, that’s some of the best I’ve seen. But it’s the schematic pieces that make it so complex. Where every single play is a different front structure, blitz structure, coverage structure. … They got really good players. They got a really good scheme. They complement each other very well, and they put you in that phone booth.”

So, can any offense put up points against that Ohio State defense? Well, the Illini certainly hope so.

Can Illinois score enough against Ohio State?

The 17th-ranked Illini have one of the nation’s most potent offenses, led by veteran quarterback Luke Altmyer. Behind their stellar gunslinger, they have put up 34 or more points in every game of the 2025 season – except one.

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

Although Bret Bielema's club has shown itself to be dominant on the offensive end against the majority of FBS defenses – including three Power 4 foes – it struggled mightily in its lone meeting against a top-25 defensive unit in Indiana.

The Illini managed just 10 total points, along with zero in the second half, against the Hoosiers on the road. Now, you would be hard-pressed to find anyone in the college football world who doesn’t believe Indiana has a top-10 defense, but as Fleck so generously explained, there are clearly levels to this.

The difference between the 50th-best defense and 45th-best defense may be relatively small, but comparing even the No. 5 defense – which, let’s just say, Indiana is – to the No. 1 defense in Ohio State is like comparing apples to pasta. Aside from the fact that they’re both foods, there's no relation.

So, can the Illini even crack double digits this time around? Well, home-field advantage will certainly be in their favor, but that’s probably their only leg up on the Buckeyes’ defense.

Offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. will need to call the game of his life, while Altmyer, along with every player on Illinois’ offense, will need to play the game of theirs.