David Pollack picks winner of Ohio State-Illinois game

Ohio State football is the prediction from David Pollack. The Buckeyes are the choice to defeat Illinois, citing mismatched defenses and offensive imbalance.

College football analyst David Pollack predicts Ohio State will likely cruise to a win over Illinois in Week 7. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

On the latest episode of the See Ball Get Ball podcast, former ESPN college football analyst David Pollack picked the top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes to defeat the No. 17 Illinois Fighting Illini in convincing fashion. Pollack broke down the matchup with characteristic bluntness, pointing to Ohio State’s dominance on both sides of the ball and Illinois’ inability to maintain balance offensively.

“Like, I don’t see a world where Illinois can win this football game. I really don’t, man,” Pollack said. “It’s a bad matchup — if you don’t have balance on offense, you’re going to get bounced. And you're gonna get bounced quickly.”

Pollack noted that while Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer has played mistake-free football through six games, that efficiency is unlikely to hold against a defense as disciplined as Ohio State’s.

The Buckeyes have allowed only 25 total points this season and no touchdowns in the first half of any game. Pollack predicted a decisive Ohio State victory, saying Ryan Day’s team “rolls” despite expecting the Illini to compete hard at home.

Pollack Cites Defensive Mismatch as Key to Buckeyes’ Edge

Pollack’s analysis centered on how Illinois’ offensive line will struggle against Ohio State’s relentless pass rush. The Illini have already allowed 19 sacks this season, while the Buckeyes boast the best third-down defense in the country and have limited opponents to just 90 rushing yards per game.

“They’re not going to run the football on this defense,” Pollack said. “Like, I’d love to Altmyer you to death — and he has 12 touchdown passes, tied for the most in the nation with zero interceptions — but this ain’t USC’s defense. There are levels to this.”

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receivers Carnell Tate (17) and Jeremiah Smith (4) have combined for 59 catches for 898 yards and 10 touchdowns. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Illinois’ recent success against Southern California and Purdue has revived optimism after a blowout loss to Indiana, but Pollack dismissed any notion of a repeat upset. He highlighted how Ohio State’s offense, led by quarterback Julian Sayin and wide receivers Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate, will be too balanced for Illinois to contain. Sayin leads the nation in completion percentage at 80.2%, while Smith and Tate have combined for nearly 900 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns.

The last time these two programs met was in 2017, a 52–14 Ohio State win. The teams were scheduled to face off again in 2020 before the game was canceled due to COVID-19. Pollack pointed to that long gap as another reason Illinois is unprepared for the Buckeyes’ speed, physicality and depth.

Illinois Seeks Balance, But Ohio State’s Depth Among Nation's Best

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema remains confident his team can regroup and compete, though he acknowledged the difficulty of facing a No. 1-ranked opponent. “I don’t know if we’ve played a game yet where we’ve put it all together for four quarters,” Bielema said this week. “Now would be a good time to do it.”

Bielema praised Altmyer’s poise and the emergence of wide receiver Hank Beatty, who leads the team with 569 yards and four total touchdowns in four different ways — passing, rushing, receiving and returning. “Hank’s ego is non-existent,” Altmyer said. “He doesn’t boast or flaunt his abilities. He’s quiet and reserved in the best way possible.”

Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Davison Igbinosun (1) leads all defensive backs on the team with 24 total tackles. | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

Ohio State’s defensive front, however, has made every offense look out of rhythm this season. Behind defensive back Davison Igbinosun and a unit that has yet to allow a red-zone touchdown, the Buckeyes have stifled every opponent. Pollack believes that trend continues in Champaign. “Illinois just doesn’t have the balance or the line to hang with them,” he said.

The Buckeyes will travel to Illinois to play at Gies Memorial Stadium in Champaign on Saturday at noon ET on FOX.